Saluting The Old Kaiser Of Anfield
12/07/06
Dietmar Hamann ends seven years at Liverpool this week and Darren
Phillips looks at the legacy left by a player whose talent allowed
Stevie G to become a hero. Would they have won the Champions League
without him?
Over the past month the entire world has turned its eyes towards
Germany - a country that has thrown off its stereotypes and
welcomed the world, albeit in the shape of 32 teams, and in return
has found itself completely embraced.
With the exception of Bert Trautmann and Jurgen Klinsmann there
have been few imports from that country to have been cherished in
the British game. Ask many football fans and they won't even think
of Dietmar Hamann if asked to name the most influential German
player to ply his trade on these shores. Though that wouldn't be
true of Liverpool fans. Or indeed those of Newcastle United. Nor
his teammates at either club who all realise The Kaiser's true
worth.
Gerard Houllier broke the club's transfer record to land the
midfielder back in 1999. Hindsight is always 20/20 but even with
its benefit seven years on you can see it was £8million well
spent.
His balanced play on the ball, excellent passing, vision and
ability to read play are only a few of his attributes. At least the
forward-thinking ones. Add to that his ability to effortlessly
break up play and you see more value to his precise
distribution.
Then there is his record with the dead ball. Either with a
free-kick or a penalty. It's no exaggeration to say that two of the
latter alongside his appearances as a substitute earned Liverpool
Champions League and FA Cup wins in successive seasons.
Back in Istanbul, Steve Finnan's injury provided an incentive for
Rafa Benitez to make a change but the game was crying out for
Hamann's steady influence, which in turn allowed Steven Gerrard to
maraud upfield and inspire a destiny.
However, Stevie may have been the public face of the stirring
comeback, but Didi was its spiritual leader. Quietly doing his job
and doing it extremely well despite fracturing his foot.
Then turn the clock forward just under a year and to The Millennium
Stadium. Liverpool trailed West Ham United 3-2 with 19 minutes left
on the clock. The game was up for grabs but with Xabi Alonso on the
sidelines the engine room needed something extra to combat the
potent union of Nigel Reo-Coker and Carl Fletcher. The manager
turned to someone he knew could anchor midfield, giving his skipper
a chance to move forward and eventually score the most remarkable
goal in cup final history.
Neither changes were accidental and nor was the order of
penalty-takers at both venues. Hamann stepped up first each time
and with Serginho and Bobby Zamora having both missed their club's
openers the pressure could not have been higher. But with the same
paused run-up the ball was slammed past Dida and Shaka Hislop
respectively. Heaping the pressure on the next taker and then the
one after that. It may only have been a one-off shot against a
keeper rather than a goal of the season contender, but recent
experience has shown that this is far from the easiest task.
It's the same type of influence he had on his country's 2002 World
Cup campaign. In Japan and South Korea, Germany had just one more
experienced player in the shape of keeper Oliver Kahn. The outfield
needed a guiding hand which Didi applied. In that capacity he
became the first Liverpool player since Roger Hunt to play in a
World Cup final and the eventual defeat to Brazil could not be laid
at Hamann's door.
Jurgen Klinsmann had dropped Didi from his side soon after taking
charge two years ago. He had Michael Ballack to do a similar type
of job though had no choice but to recall him last year, only for
that broken foot bone to wreck his comeback and possibly his
chances of playing this summer.
To all these achievements add the fact that Didi effectively ended
Kevin Keegan's stewardship of England when his free-kick looked to
have wrecked England's hopes of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup
with the last goal at the old Wembley Stadium.
It's sad that the one-year option on his contract which could have
been brought in to play after the stated number of appearances were
made was not finally exercised. We have Mo Sissoko, Xabi Alonso and
Gerrard to patrol the centre of midfield, but The Kaiser would
never have let us down, but with Bolo Zenden due to return and some
of his best games for Middlesbrough coming in that position, plus
the need to bring more players in to strengthen other areas, this
parting of the ways was inevitable.
However, we should be glad that he will remain in the English game
and be able to showcase his talents in the Premiership for a few
more years at least. A great reception is assured next term. No
matter whose colours he may be wearing.
This article first appeared on the ever-excellent
www.shanklygates.co.uk
http://www.football365.com/opinion/f365_opinion/story_188589.shtml
Goodbye Didier.... 
