The Kaiser
An interview here, with Dietmar Hamann prompted me to remember the farewell article I've put about this German, one of my favourites in the Houllier years, and even in the first Benitez years. It's great to hear, such a good servant of Liverpool FC is happy and doing well. This afternoon I will probably be watching the City match to catch glimpses of him. It's a far cry from the news about him last week, but maybe then the Kraut learnt a bit of mischief during his times in Liverpool. Apparently he always acted the wannabe scouser!
The piece below was written in July 2006 and appeared in Anfield Island.
Signed by Gerard Houllier for something like eight million Sterling back in the Summer of 1999, he was the first major signing by the French Professor after a good year at Newcastle United, albeit more than a few differences with the so called advocate of sexy football Ruud Gullit, where a strike action was even threatened if his move from St James Park would be blocked.
Rather lanky and of a thin stature, you wouldn't bet on the German to make his mark on glamorous magazines. And in fact he didn't. More likely to find him with a copy of the Racing Post, I don't think he was too bothered, as he more than made up for this disappointment with his mark in the mighty reds midfield in a career which span for seven years.
His mark though took its time to start showing and make a difference as he was hit by an injury which postponed his official debut in a red shirt. Whilst carrying an eight million tag, the first months in Liverpool weren't stuff of dreams as the Liverpool midfield had to be taken care of by the captain Jamie Redknapp and a couple of rookies in David Thompson and Steven Gerrard in his absence.
Safely I can say Dietmar's name wasn't sung too loudly during his first season where big progress on the previous season was being recovered which however still wasn't enough to secure a Champions League place. The following season though was very much of a different story. Whilst gunning for an unprecedented cup treble, Hamann excelled and the saying, 'when the going gets tough, the tough gets going' never looked so apt in football terms.
Two particular games stick in my mind in that joyous season, apart from the three finals themselves. Roma away and Roma at home. Liverpool had to face the high flying leaders and eventual winners of the Italian Serie A - AS Roma. With the treble being a distant dream, the mighty reds, that night in gold yellow strips, silenced the Olimpico with two goals by Michael Owen. That night definitely belonged to Michael Owen but equally the return leg at Anfield belonged to a perfect performance by Hamann where I believe he finally became of age as he won tackle after tackle and covered every blade of the grass magnificently.
Hamann's not the ever present at the Man of the Match awards ceremony, and especially on television, it's hard to fully appreciate him, but the dirty work he puts in is invaluable. He's that type of player who's more likely to be felt when he's missing rather than while present. Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League quarter-finals sadly springs to mind.,
The back four always found a lot of refuge in him and one enduring image of him is definitely during the dying minutes of a match, when the reds are winning by the odd goal. As regular as clockwork he would demand the ball, shield it, treat it as invaluable jewel and inevitably wins a free-kick off the bully who dares challenging him!
His last kick for the reds was as apt as ever. From eleven yards during a penalty shoot-out he helped the reds for their seventh FA Cup victory. He just repeated his heroics of the previous 12 months when he beat Dida and had more than a hand to turn a sure defeat into a victory and a parade in the streets of Liverpool.
All the best Kaiser!
An interview here, with Dietmar Hamann prompted me to remember the farewell article I've put about this German, one of my favourites in the Houllier years, and even in the first Benitez years. It's great to hear, such a good servant of Liverpool FC is happy and doing well. This afternoon I will probably be watching the City match to catch glimpses of him. It's a far cry from the news about him last week, but maybe then the Kraut learnt a bit of mischief during his times in Liverpool. Apparently he always acted the wannabe scouser!
The piece below was written in July 2006 and appeared in Anfield Island.
Signed by Gerard Houllier for something like eight million Sterling back in the Summer of 1999, he was the first major signing by the French Professor after a good year at Newcastle United, albeit more than a few differences with the so called advocate of sexy football Ruud Gullit, where a strike action was even threatened if his move from St James Park would be blocked.
Rather lanky and of a thin stature, you wouldn't bet on the German to make his mark on glamorous magazines. And in fact he didn't. More likely to find him with a copy of the Racing Post, I don't think he was too bothered, as he more than made up for this disappointment with his mark in the mighty reds midfield in a career which span for seven years.
His mark though took its time to start showing and make a difference as he was hit by an injury which postponed his official debut in a red shirt. Whilst carrying an eight million tag, the first months in Liverpool weren't stuff of dreams as the Liverpool midfield had to be taken care of by the captain Jamie Redknapp and a couple of rookies in David Thompson and Steven Gerrard in his absence.
Safely I can say Dietmar's name wasn't sung too loudly during his first season where big progress on the previous season was being recovered which however still wasn't enough to secure a Champions League place. The following season though was very much of a different story. Whilst gunning for an unprecedented cup treble, Hamann excelled and the saying, 'when the going gets tough, the tough gets going' never looked so apt in football terms.
Two particular games stick in my mind in that joyous season, apart from the three finals themselves. Roma away and Roma at home. Liverpool had to face the high flying leaders and eventual winners of the Italian Serie A - AS Roma. With the treble being a distant dream, the mighty reds, that night in gold yellow strips, silenced the Olimpico with two goals by Michael Owen. That night definitely belonged to Michael Owen but equally the return leg at Anfield belonged to a perfect performance by Hamann where I believe he finally became of age as he won tackle after tackle and covered every blade of the grass magnificently.
Hamann's not the ever present at the Man of the Match awards ceremony, and especially on television, it's hard to fully appreciate him, but the dirty work he puts in is invaluable. He's that type of player who's more likely to be felt when he's missing rather than while present. Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League quarter-finals sadly springs to mind.,
The back four always found a lot of refuge in him and one enduring image of him is definitely during the dying minutes of a match, when the reds are winning by the odd goal. As regular as clockwork he would demand the ball, shield it, treat it as invaluable jewel and inevitably wins a free-kick off the bully who dares challenging him!
His last kick for the reds was as apt as ever. From eleven yards during a penalty shoot-out he helped the reds for their seventh FA Cup victory. He just repeated his heroics of the previous 12 months when he beat Dida and had more than a hand to turn a sure defeat into a victory and a parade in the streets of Liverpool.
All the best Kaiser!
posted by jean paul at 11:37 am
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