Liverpool great Didi Hamann discusses his public spat with Jurgen Klopp and evaluates the effectiveness of the Reds’ midfield makeover from last summer.
It should come as no surprise, looking back to the summer of last year, that Liverpool focused most of their £150 million midfield makeover on the Bundesliga.
The writing was on the wall when Jorg Schmadtke, who had held comparable positions at VfL Wolfsburg, FC Koln, Hannover 96, and Alemannia Aachen during the preceding 20 years, was named the Reds’ new sporting director on a temporary basis.
After Julian Ward left the team and stayed on for an additional week to supervise the already agreed-upon £35 million signing of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion, Schmadtke took over and used his connections in his native country for the remainder of the summer.
After Julian Ward left the team and stayed on for an additional week to supervise the already agreed-upon £35 million signing of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion, Schmadtke took over and used his connections in his native country for the remainder of the summer.
After Liverpool exercised his release clause, Dominik Szoboszlai was acquired from RB Leipzig for £60 million, and on transfer deadline day, Ryan Gravenberch, a long-term target, was finally signed by Bayern Munich for a transaction that might have cost as much as £40 million.
The Reds had to wait patiently for the Dutchman, as Jurgen Klopp would later acknowledge, saying, “We knew there was a chance for Ryan.” Klopp was speaking about the preseason’s beginning at an Anfield Road stand test event in December. Such an action was long overdue, with the club corresponding with his representatives for the most of the first half of 2023.
In the meantime, Liverpool finally decided on Wataru Endo from VfB Stuttgart after growing dissatisfied with their attempts to sign a new holding midfield player following the surprise departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia. They had passed up players like Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, and Andre Trindade.
The 30-year-old Japan captain, who had joined Stuttgart in August 2019 as a 2. Bundesliga player before continuously fighting to stay in the German top division, undoubtedly confused onlookers when he arrived.
Endo and Klopp have both admitted on multiple occasions that Liverpool would not target him under normal conditions. But need dictates that his £16.2 million arrival, having overcome a sluggish start, appears to be both a steal and a genius.
Granted, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, and Endo have experienced rather different outcomes in their inaugural season on Merseyside.
The Hungarian had a great start to the season, but after two hamstring injuries, he lost his way in the second half. Although he has shown promise in brief appearances, the Netherlands international has found it difficult to secure a consistent spot in the team.
And as was already established, Endo had a poor start to the campaign but has since shown promise, earning a spot in Klopp’s starting lineup as the season approached its halfway point. That will have astonished many in England, including Liverpool icon Didi Hamann, but not the now 31-year-old.
The German, who left Bayern Munich in 1998 to accept a £5.5 million contract with Newcastle United when he was just 25 years old, has firsthand experience with making the switch from the Bundesliga to the Premier League. The Reds paid £8 million the following year to get Hamann for Anfield.
In addition to winning the UEFA Cup and DFB Pokal with Bayern, Hamann was a two-time Bundesliga champion who also played in the 1999 Champions League final. Even with this experience, though, the Germany international still needed some time to get used to both Newcastle and Liverpool, and his early injuries did not help.
And Hamann, who saw a lot of Endo in the Bundesliga before moving to Liverpool himself, isn’t shocked by his success there, thinking that missing out on Caicedo ended up being a lucky break.
Hamann exclusively told the ECHO, via the help of Free Bets, “No, he hasn’t surprised me.” “You don’t always need the big names; perhaps it was a blessing that I didn’t acquire Caicedo for a hundred million dollars because I knew how good of a player he is.”
“He held together a faltering side. I’ve always said that he’s incredibly disciplined, technically very gifted, two-footed, and a fantastic team player, and I think he will surprise a few people.
“I’m not shocked in the least. He may have needed a few weeks or months to adjust to the Premier League’s brisk speed and rhythm, but he hasn’t shocked me in the slightest. He is a gentleman.
Endo may not have taken Hamann by surprise, but Szoboszlai has—and in more ways than one. The Hungarian’s impressive Anfield debut surprised the German, who isn’t convinced despite his £60 million transfer fee.
Consequently, he is dubious about Szoboszlai’s true level of success as an acquisition, having witnessed the midfielder’s decline in form during the second half of the season.
“It surprised me how well he started because I know from personal experience that it takes some weeks or months to adjust to the Premier League’s fast-paced environment,” he remarked. “His impressive start startled me.
“I felt they spent a lot of money on him. Although I believe he’s a very good player, time will tell.
“As an offensive player, achieving consistency is usually more difficult. Injuries also befell him in the second half of the season, and it’s unclear if he was a wise acquisition overall.
Hamann, a former player for Bayern Munich, witnessed Gravenberch’s struggles in Bavaria the previous season before deciding to transfer to Anfield. The German believes the Netherlands international has more to give despite a patchy start on Merseyside, and he hopes Arne Slot, the new manager, gives him the opportunity to establish himself.
“I believe he’s likely making a slightly bigger difference at Liverpool than he did at Bayern,” he remarked. However, there may be a little more competition at Liverpool for spots.
He must now undoubtedly begin playing regularly and having an impact on the games. He’s been brought in because he’s a large man, he moves briskly, and he can finish.
“He needs to create opportunities and score goals because Liverpool has needed goals from outside the area at certain points this season. He’s had opportunities to establish himself in the past but hasn’t taken them.
“I hope he gets another season; it’s his first, but I think he needs to improve on this one next season.”
Klopp has previously grown enraged by Hamann’s candid evaluations of Liverpool, and the two have frequently exchanged acrimonious comments in the media.
However, the former midfielder for the Reds maintains that he has no animosity towards the soon-to-be-former Liverpool manager and that he intends to have frank conversations with Klopp when they next meet.
He asserted, “I never had a problem with him.” “I realise that my remarks against the team or the club are never personal.
And I am aware that he stands up for the group, the club, and himself. Since it’s evident that this is a high-pressure job, everything is OK.
“I’ve never had a problem with him, and I still don’t, and if he agrees, I’ll talk to him when I see him. Not a bad sensation at all.
