A furious Jurgen Klopp gave back the stick to club legend Didi Hamann, after the former midfielder launched a staunching attack on the Reds following their poor form so far. There’s no denying that Liverpool are having a rough season, collecting just 4 wins from their 12 games in all competitions. The loss to Arsenal in the last game further personified their struggles to recover from a poor string of results.
However, speaking ahead of Liverpool’s crucial Champions League showdown against Ranger in Glasgow, Klopp hit back at Hamann for criticising the club without any “idea” of what’s happening. Hamann has been a constant critic of the former Borussia Dortmund manager, since his appointment at Anfield in 2015. The former Champions League winner with Reds also raised doubts over Klopp’s continuity at the club after failing to bring change.
Jurgen Klopp ridicules Hamann for his recent remarks
Liverpool are languishing in the 10th place in the league, and their fall from grace has been a massive one. Where the Reds were fighting on all fronts last season for a quadruple, 8 games into this season and Jurgen Klopp himself has admitted that they are out of the title race. Their defeat against the Gunners meant they are now a staggering 14 points adrift from top of the table, and 13 behind their fierce rivals Manchester City who currently sit second.
Hamann went all out against his former side as he claimed:
“This Liverpool team looks tired, they look pedestrian and they just look flat. I’m not sure where the spark is going to come from because they’ve won games in the past. I wouldn’t write them off, but my imagination doesn’t let me see where the spark is going to come from in the next few weeks.”
The former Germany international’s tearing assessment hasn’t gone down well with Jurgen Klopp, who retaliated in his pre-match presser ahead of the Rangers game. Taking a swipe at Hamann, Klopp said:
“Oh great, he [Didi Hamann] is a fantastic source. Well respected everywhere. [Being a former Liverpool player] doesn’t give you the right to say what you want, especially when you have no idea.
“I actually think Didi Hamann doesn’t deserve that you use his phrase when asking a question. Do me a favour and ask your own question. Try to ask the question without the word ‘spark’. [I know] we have to keep fighting. It will not happen overnight. I know people don’t want to hear that.”
The Reds now return to Champions League action following their defeat in North London. They face Rangers away, as Jurgen Klopp has travelled with a squad plagued with injuries. While Andy Robertson, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones, Oxlade-Chamberlain were already ruled out, Luis Diaz, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joel Matip are the new additions. The trio picked up fresh knocks against Arsenal, as Alexander-Arnold and Matip await the results of their scans, Liverpool have confirmed Diaz will miss next 6 to 8 weeks.