Exclusive interview with Didi Hamann – part 2

In this second part of our interview, Didi Hamann – the former Liverpool and Germany midfielder – shares his thoughts on a wide range of topics, from Hugo Ekitike’s potential and possible replacements for Mohamed Salah, to Diego Simeone’s Premier League fit, the pressure on Eddie Howe at Newcastle, and Bayern Munich’s Champions League chances against Arsenal.

Is Jamie Carragher right about Hugo Ekitike being better than Fernandes Torres?

Didi Hamann: The thing is, Fernando Torres did it for a number of years. You know, he obviously did it in Spain, he did it for Spain. And he was just electric when he was at Liverpool. I think when he came to Liverpool, he was probably the best centre forward in the world because whenever he had the ball, you knew something was going to happen. He was just too good. He was so far above everybody else.

Hugo Ekitike? I think he’s got the capabilities, I think he’s got the talent to do it. Obviously, he’s got to do it for a longer period. Potentially, I think he could be a better player. I wouldn’t say he’s a better player now, but I know where Carra is coming from.

“I saw him in the Bundesliga and I knew he was a very talented kid. But when he did leave, I spoke to one of the officials in Frankfurt, and he said: ‘This guy is potentially the best player in the world in two or three years time.’

Obviously, we see some of that now because he just has everything. The way he moves, he’s quick, his touch, his awareness, and the finish. And obviously, that finish was just extra special. And I think only a special player can finish like that. So obviously, once you see a goal like this, with all these other qualities, you know you’ve got a player on your hands.

Who are your three potential replacements for Mohamed Salah?

Didi Hamann: I think Harry Wilson is a very capable player. If you bring a player like him in on a free, you never do wrong. You’ve got Jarrod Bowen, you’ve got Anthony Gordon, who I think was a childhood Liverpool fan.

I’m pretty sure they’ll bring somebody in because I think that’s an area where they’ve always been strong and I think that’s where they’re lacking now. Cody Gakpo started this season all right, but apart from that, there’s not an awful lot there. Obviously they miss Luis Diaz, who’s doing ever so well. He’s been brilliant for Bayern Munich. It’s great. I think what Diaz did, he brought great balance to the team.

You need people who do the work and who don’t mind working and working for others. I think the balance of the team is not quite right, even though it’s been better in the last few weeks. So we’ll certainly see one or two wide players in the summer. Bowen is a capable player. He still gets goals and assists in a struggling side. Obviously, I don’t wish them to go down, but it might even enhance Liverpool’s chances to get him out of West Ham.

Anthony Gordon is the one I fancy the most. I think he’s a wonderful player. And I think he plays on both wings, plays up top. He’s the most effective, maybe the most direct. And if I had the choice, it’ll be him.

Is Jeremy Jacquet ready to be a starter for Liverpool?

Didi Hamann: If Ibrahima Konate leaves, they probably need at least one more player because I think it’s a big risk. Jeremy Jacquet is a very promising young player. Bayern Munich were very interested; they thought they might have had him because it was not clear whether Dayot Upamecano was going to extend his contract.

You just have to wait and see. I think what will be important is that when a young player comes into a struggling side, it doesn’t help him. Hopefully, in the summer, things will have settled down because it makes it a lot easier for a young player to come in and do what he does best.

‘If Konate was to go, which is a possibility or maybe likely, I certainly think they need at least one more defender.

Could Liverpool use Andy Robertson in a bid to sign Micky van de Ven?

Didi Hamann: We know in football how important pace is going forward, but also at the same time you need quick defenders, and the more fast ones you’ve got, the better.

I think Micky van de Van is one of the quickest, if not the quickest, in the Premier League. So, yeah, he’d certainly be one who’s on the radar. And there’s a player from Spurs at Hamburg now who’s making huge waves, luka Vuskovic, a Croatian guy, 18. He leads the defence. They got a point against Munich last week. He scored, and he’s on Tottenham’s books.

I think Ivan Rakitic came out and said he’s such a good player, he should go to Bayern Munich, they should be signing him. But obviously, they can only sign him if Spurs let him go.

So, I think the centre-back position at Spurs will be very interesting what’s happening in the summer because Van de Ven, the way he stood well here for Wolfsburg, I always liked him as a player. I think he’s a player who strives to do better. I’m not sure whether he’s too happy with the way things are going, I suppose, at the moment.

Is Curtis Jones facing a crossroads at Liverpool this summer?

Didi Hamann: He was at a phase, I think it was early this season or even last season, where I thought he was a regular now. He played so well, it’s very hard to leave him out.

But more often than not, when a player had to be dropped or when a player came back from suspension or injury, he was the one who had to bite the bullet. He’s been there a number of years and won multiple trophies with Liverpool. I think he’s been a very good player. You could always rely on him, he made an impact off the bench quite a few times. But I think at his age now, he’s probably going to move on.

Obviously, I think he’s a better player than Harvey Elliott. We’ve seen what happened to him, so I think you’ve got to be very careful because, I think it’s probably harsh calling him a squad player because he played quite a few games from the start, but if you’ve been a player who’s been around Liverpool for so long and did well in a good team, the game is different if you go to a lower-half team.

If he goes to Bournemouth or to Fulham or even to Spurs, there’s a lot more graft because the players are not that good. You probably have to work a lot harder off the ball. And you see with Harvey Elliott what can happen. I’m not too surprised, I’ve never been the biggest fan of Harvey Elliott. But I think Curtis Jones, if a club comes in for him at his age now, I think he could really maybe further his career a bit more, take responsibility and be a key player for a team.

Inter Milan? Yeah, I’m not surprised, because sometimes they need some younger players. But I think if he gets a good club in the Premier League, Curtis shows up. I’d be surprised if he didn’t.

Was Jamie Carragher right to backtrack over Casemiro?

Didi Hamann: Obviously, in his position it’s possible to turn it around because you don’t rely on your pace. If you’ve got good vision, you’re a good passer of the ball, if you’re a smart player, you get around the pitch in the middle because, obviously, you’ve got three yards here, five yards here.

Up top on the wing, it’s not that easy because there are a lot of one-on-one situations where you need pace. But I have to say, I was surprised the way he did come back because, obviously, it was very harsh what Carra said, but I knew where he was coming from.

But he’s been a revelation since then, and this is also a great learning curve for young players. You know, criticism is part of the game. If you can’t take criticism, you can’t play professional football.

Maybe it was something that drove him on, and he thought: ‘You know, I’ll show you.’

Could you see Liverpool going in for Robin Roefs?

Didi Hamann: I think Giorgi Mamardashvili was brought in to play one day. When he did play, I think he did okay. The only other thing is, I think Liverpool probably last season they had one of the top three or top five keepers in the Premier League. But obviously they had to let him go, Caoimhin Kelleher because he wanted to play.

Maybe it would have been the perfect scenario to find a way to keep him somehow so he can keep going one or two years. Didn’t happen, didn’t materialise. I’d be surprised if a number one is getting bored because I think Marmadvashalli really was brought in and, as I said, when he did play, I think he did okay.

Is £2.8million a great deal for Rio Ngumoha?

Didi Hamann: A good deal for Liverpool, 100%. And obviously when he scored the goal at Newcastle, we thought we’d see a lot more from him. It didn’t happen. I know sometimes managers are reluctant to bring young players in when things are not going well, which I understand in a way.

But I think it’s been great business. And I think we will hear a lot more from him because what he did in that game was exceptional. He plays with adults, plays professional football with players in their 20s and 30s. I think he’s a huge talent and I think it’s been a bargain for that sort of fee.

Where could you see Diego Simeone managing in the Premier League?

Didi Hamann: I can see him at Chelsea. I think that’s probably where he’d go. Even though they won the Club World Cup, I think they’ve lacked a bit of steel in recent years and I think they’ve made excuses too easily and too quickly.

If it were to be his last season, I don’t think we’d see him for six or twelve months because, if you look at him on the touchline, I think that what is it, 15 years now? I think it would have taken a lot out of him. But what a character. I’d love to see him in the Premier League. You know, after he’d been to Atletico, he won’t go to Real. I can’t see him at Barcelona. I’m not sure he fancies Saudi Arabia. I think there’s a good chance we’ll see him in the Premier League. What a fantastic story it would be.

Liverpool? You know, when Arne Slot says style is more important than results, then obviously it’s quite the opposite with him because he doesn’t care how he wins games, which I like.

This is why I like him because, I think when I was at Liverpool, I think we played a bit that way. There were quite a few teams better equipped than us. And then you have to find a way to win games. He went to two Champions League finals. He was very unfortunate not to win the one. I think it was in Cardiff at the time.

People talk about style, but obviously he’s got a certain group of players and this is how he wants it. If he comes to Liverpool and he’s got some technical players, who’s to say he’s not going to tell them to give the ball back to the opposition and try to tackle them. So, yeah, I wouldn’t rule anything out.

Can you see the pressure growing on Eddie Howe at Newcastle?

Didi Hamann: Eddie Howe is feeling the pressure, absolutely. If you look at wages paid, I think they’re in the top five or top six. He’s done a good job, but I think things are changing now because people expect more.

The weekend was very disappointing. Nick Woltemade came and scored a few goals. Everybody thought they were here, then Wilson got injured. Now they’re both fit and they can’t win a game anymore. I don’t think the keepers are doing too well. I think Nick Pope has made quite a few mistakes. Maybe that’s something they have to look at in the summer, the goalkeeping position, whether they bring somebody in.

But it’s very strange because last season, the last couple of seasons, you knew how hard it was to go to the stadium. And for some reason, that has gone, and a lot of the players are still there. They’ve improved the squad, if anything. When I speak to people and when I listen to people, they’re very disillusioned now. They seem to be in that downward spiral where, as I said before, when things go badly, it’s very hard to fight it, too hard to get out of it, and nothing happens.

At the same time, now it’s about scoring goals, and all of a sudden, things just come naturally. I see the situation in a negative way with Newcastle at the moment, where you think: ‘Well, how is it going to get better?’

Obviously, he’s got to bring belief back into the squad, he’s got to bring belief back to the fans, but I don’t think it’ll be an easy job.

Can you see Oliver Glasner being linked to the Newcastle job?

Didi Hamann: Will Oliver Glasner be linked to the Newcastle job? Absolutely. The tricky situation with clubs is always that you’re not 100% sure whether the manager will have to go or how you finish the season.

But in Glasner, you’ve got Man City and potentially Liverpool and Newcastle that might have a change of manager in the summer.

I’m pretty sure that all the clubs probably approached him or his agent, just to say the word and see what he prefers, if he can see himself at these three clubs. But I think he’s in a very strong position, so I don’t think we have to worry about him.

Could Sandro Tonali improve a side like Arsenal?

Didi Hamann: I think Sandro Tonali is a very capable player. Wherever he goes, I think he wants to play, really. Will he be a starter for Arsenal? I’m not sure.

I can see him at one of the top four or five clubs because I think he’s a very capable player. Obviously Bruno Guimaraes is probably the standout player in the team for the last couple of seasons.

But I think he’s very, he’s very tight to Newcastle. So, Tonali is a very good technical player and I could see him at a club that is doing better than Newcastle right now.

Is Celtic’s move for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a risky one?

Didi Hamann: At Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s age he has been given a chance to rekindle his career. Obviously, the league is not as strong as it is in England.

They need a good medical department because if you can keep him fit, you’ve got a very good player in your ranks who can galvanise them. Also, with the young players, I think players can learn from him. So, I think he can bring a lot more to Celtic than just on the pitch. But you just have to hope that he stays in one piece because obviously, if he’s injured, he doesn’t help anyone in the medical room. You just have to hope he stays fit and gets as many games as possible. Obviously, at his age with his injury record, there’s always a risk.

Is Dominik Szoboszlai a target for Bayern Munich this summer?

Didi Hamann: I think he seems to be very settled. I certainly think he’s always a player the big clubs will be monitoring and seeing what his situation is.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Bayern Munich did inquire about him because I think he’s a fantastic player. Obviously he’s got a status now in Liverpool, which he probably didn’t have last season. After playing so well in a struggling side this year, I don’t think he’ll leave, no.

Could Leon Goretzka be a good addition for Arsenal?

Didi Hamann: I think Leon Goretzka could play anywhere. He’s a very physical player, obviously 31 now and his contract’s not going to be renewed.

He could have gone to Atletico in the winter, but he didn’t want to go because he said he’s got a chance to win the Champions League again with Bayern Munich. I think he would be a fantastic player for Arsenal. The thing is, he’s not played an awful lot this season and didn’t start too many games. But when he did start, you’ve got to say he did well.

I don’t want to say he’s past his best, he has two or three good years ahead of him. But at this age to come to England, it’s a different game.

We’ve seen Florian Wirtz, young, very energetic, and how long it took him to adapt. Obviously, Goretzka is a bit of a different player, playing a bit further back.

He has to make a decision whether he wants the physical challenge of the Premier League. I’d love to see him there. I think he’d improve a lot of teams. If you look at Spurs, what’s happening there, I wouldn’t be surprised if they inquired about him. I think there are a number of clubs he will help.

Can Bayern Munich be the team to stop Arsenal in the Champions League?

Didi Hamann: Usually in the past, they have always got the better of Arsenal. So, I think that was one of the reasons why Arsenal was desperate to show them, you know, this year is our year.

If you want to come back and maybe beat us in the knockout stages, you’re in for a game. It’s a bit similar to what Bayern Munich wanted to show to PSG, because they played a fantastic game in Paris, a man down, still won the game. But Bayern hasn’t been the same team since. Since PSG, the performances haven’t been that dominant. They still won games.

Obviously, they dropped a few points in the last two weeks. And yesterday also, there was an early sending off for Hoffenheim, and Hoffenheim hit the crossbar and had three clear-cut chances. They should have been ahead at half-time. So Bayern Munich are not firing as they did in the autumn. If they do get back to their form, which I’m not too sure about, I would favour Bayern Munich over two games. But it would be a fantastic game because obviously the first game was breath taking.

Obviously, they can only play in the final now with the draw. I’d slightly favour Bayern Munich, but I don’t think we’ll get a final Bayern Munich against Arsenal.

Could you see Bruno Fernandes at a team like Bayern?

Didi Hamann: I initially had my doubts about Bruno Fernandes, but over the last couple of years, he has really impressed me because he always took responsibility.

I believe that is one of the most important qualities for a player, to be accountable, to lead from the front, and to want to help the team. I think he is at his best when he has a holding midfielder next to him, allowing him to roam and do his own thing. Bayern Munich doesn’t really have a player like that because Joshua Kimmich, although sometimes playing as a defensive midfielder, is more of a playmaker who wants possession.

Given the current team setup and the players they have, I don’t think he would fit in at Bayern Munich. However, you have to admit that the way he has been playing for Manchester United over the last couple of years, in a team that has really been struggling with all the unrest with the managers and in the boardroom, has been very good.

Will Harry Kane finish his career in the Bundesliga?

Didi Hamann: I think that formal talks about an extension are no further along. They are taking it pretty easy. He seems to be very settled and happy here.

I don’t really see him going back to the Premier League because if you leave two or three years ago, and now you’re two or three years older, then you go back. Obviously, a lot of talk has been made about the Premier League record of Alan Shearer, which he probably won’t break now.

Barcelona have been mentioned, but I think it’s a lot more likely he’s going to finish his career here than go back to the Premier League. I’d be surprised if he plays in the Premier League again.

Just how good is Lennart Karl at Bayern?

Didi Hamann: I think he’s an exceptional player. To do what he did at 17 years of age is sensational. Michael Ballack looks after him, and I spoke to him a year ago and asked him, ‘How good is the kid?’

He said, ‘I don’t know. He’s very good, but you only find out when they play.’ And he played, and boy, did he play. Before Christmas, he really carried the Bayern Munich offense. Harry Kane was a bit quiet, Michael Olise was a bit quiet, and he did all the stuff, creating and scoring goals. He’s having a bit of a dip now, which is understandable and normal at 17 years of age.

He was asked who his idol is or was, and he said Lionel Messi. If you watch him play, obviously Messi did it for the last 15 years, he’s done it now for three months. But I think if you see him play, he’s left-footed, has a low center of gravity, and he’s not the tallest. The way he moves, the way he drops the shoulder, I think it’s a fair comparison.

Nobody says he’s going to be as good as him, because Messi has been at the top of the echelon for 15 years. But if you watch a clip of Messi at 17 or 18 and put his clips next to it, I think you see a lot of similarities.

What do you make of current players being obsessed with video games?

Didi Hamann: It is what it is. There’s no point comparing. I don’t like it when people say, ‘In the past everything was better.’ It’s just different. What I would say, obviously in our day, headphones started coming in, but not many had them or used them on the coach.

The bottom line is if you want to be successful as a team, the closer you are together, the more chance you have. Because, you know, it doesn’t matter how good the players are, you’ve got to stick together come Saturday, three o’clock.

I think it’s a lot harder for managers because somehow you have to create the team spirit. We sometimes used to go out for a drink, I don’t think that’s going to happen with social media. The players can’t go out anymore. You know, things have changed, the impression I get, it’s a lot harder to create team spirit in today’s day and age.

I think they even have video games at the training ground. Maybe that’s something which brings them together. Maybe they go home and play from home because you can play, some of these games can link together and play together. Maybe that brings them together these days. But yes, things have changed. Do I agree with it? No, probably not. I haven’t been sitting on the coach with headphones, probably not. But then again, if everybody else has them on, you may as well, because you can’t talk to anyone.