Ex-Reds star Hamman insists Liverpool stick with Benitez
Former Liverpool star Dietmar Hamann says Reds boss Rafael Benitez is the right man to turn their fortunes around despite six defeats in seven games.
Hamman, who played under Benitez at Anfield, has dismissed suggestions that the Spaniard should be sacked.
"People calling for Rafa's head are being very premature," Hamann told BBC Sport. "He has been there five years and has improved them every season.
"Rafa has got everything a top-class manager needs, he will turn it around."
Hamann, who played a pivotal role as a substitute in Liverpool's stunning Champions League victory over AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005, says his former club must stick with Benitez.
"It's almost the first time in his five-year period at Anfield where they've had a bad spell like this," added Hamann. "Every year Rafa has gradually improved Liverpool, every year he has taken them forward.
"There are still another 27 games left in the league and while I don't think they can win it after the start they have made, there is plenty of time to get into that top four.
"The team is good enough to pull through. They were pretty unlucky at Fulham - they could have been ahead at half-time and both the sendings off were harsh, sometimes things just don't go your way.
"But all they need are a couple of good results and a couple of key players to be fit again and once they've won once or twice everything will be fine again."
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Results & Fixtures
Matches
| Home | Away | Score | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat Feb 11th | |||
| Manchester United | Liverpool | 2 - 1 | 12:45 |
| Fulham | Stoke City | 2 - 1 | 15:00 |
| Blackburn Rovers | Queens Park Rangers | 3 - 2 | 15:00 |
| Bolton Wanderers | Wigan Athletic | 1 - 2 | 15:00 |
| Sunderland | Arsenal | 1 - 2 | 15:00 |
| Everton | Chelsea | 2 - 0 | 15:00 |
| Swansea City | Norwich City | 2 - 3 | 15:00 |
| Aston Villa | Manchester City | - | 15:00 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Newcastle United | 5 - 0 | 17:30 |
| Sun Feb 12th | |||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | West Bromwich Albion | 1 - 5 | 13:30 |
| Aston Villa | Manchester City | 0 - 1 | 16:00 |
Tables
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | 25 | 19 | 3 | 3 | 45 | 60 |
| Manchester United | 25 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 36 | 58 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 25 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 24 | 53 |
| Arsenal | 25 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 43 |
| Chelsea | 25 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 43 |
| Newcastle United | 25 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 42 |
| Liverpool | 25 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 39 |
| Norwich City | 25 | 9 | 8 | 8 | -4 | 35 |
| Sunderland | 25 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 33 |
| Everton | 25 | 9 | 6 | 10 | -1 | 33 |
| Swansea City | 25 | 7 | 9 | 9 | -4 | 30 |
| Fulham | 25 | 7 | 9 | 9 | -5 | 30 |
| Stoke City | 25 | 8 | 6 | 11 | -14 | 30 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 25 | 8 | 5 | 12 | -6 | 29 |
| Aston Villa | 25 | 6 | 10 | 9 | -5 | 28 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 25 | 5 | 6 | 14 | -17 | 21 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 25 | 5 | 6 | 14 | -19 | 21 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 25 | 5 | 6 | 14 | -21 | 21 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 25 | 6 | 2 | 17 | -22 | 20 |
| Wigan Athletic | 25 | 4 | 7 | 14 | -27 | 19 |
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Comments (2)
Ditto - Well said Mikemaniac!
Well said Didi Hamman, Rafa will turn things round without a doubt. It is absolute nonsense that the future of Rafa is even a major talking point, yes Liverpool have hit a bad patch coinciding with key injuries and a virus in the squad but that's all it is, just a bad patch.
I and so many supporters are annoyed and somewhat perplexed that the national media are giving this so much attention, you would think we were fighting relegation with all the hysteria. There are still 27 games or 81 points to play for in the league, the FA cup and a possible qualification to the knockout stages of the Champions League, yet Liverpool are allegedly in meltdown and Rafa should be sacked.
Absolute nonsense and hysterical journalism from all the major tabloids, the real supporters know what's happening at Anfield and beyond and the real supporters want Rafa Benitez to carry on with the excellent job he is doing on a shoe string budget.
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