Exclusive With Dietmar Hamann: Premier League Insights

With the Premier League nearing the middle of the season, KingCasinoBonus.uk had the pleasure of an exclusive talk with former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar ‘Didi’ Hamann. Read on to find out his thoughts on Liverpool’s title chances, as well as his predictions for the upcoming Arsenal vs Liverpool match.

Man City or Liverpool, who have you got for the title and why?

Who have I got for the title? I said a couple of weeks ago that I really like the look of Liverpool. City drew a few games and have played a couple of games without Haaland, but Liverpool look good and were very impressive in their away game to Burnley and then had the highest expected goals value against Newcastle.

City might still be the ones to beat, especially with Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne back, and I think they’re the ones to be aware of, but I think it’ll be a two horse race.

Arsenal played out of their skin last season and still couldn’t get the job done. I don’t think they bottled it but they just weren’t good enough. Last year, City won their last eight-nine games and Arsenal had no answer and potentially this year you have two teams capable of winning the last ten games.

Man City and Liverpool both finished on 100 points or around 100 points a couple of years ago, they are two teams capable  of doing this, so I think it will be a two-horse race between City and Liverpool and I quietly fancy Liverpool because they look so settled and so strong.

Reports this week have suggested that Reds are weighing up a move for Mbappe, what are your thoughts on this?

Mbappe to Liverpool? Well he could potentially sign a contract now, these are reports from France as he’s out of contract in the summer.

There’s not many clubs who can afford him. You look at Real Madrid and they are the most obvious clubs when you look at the calibre of players they can attract, like Zidane, or both Ronaldos.

Is it feasible? I’m not sure, Liverpool have never spent big money like this but he’d be a free transfer in the summer. The issue would be the wage structure as he’d come in and earn double as much as the rest of the squad and there’s always a risk of upsetting the dynamics within the team.

Having said that, he’s probably the world’s best player at the moment and it’d be great to see him at Liverpool.

How much do you know about Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone, amid reports Klopp wants to sign him for £35m?

Manu Kone is very good, a very physical player and could be just what Liverpool need as they lacked that a bit with Henderson and Milner coming to the end of their careers, or were in the late-Autumn of their careers.

In the Premier League you need physicality and in Szoboslai you have a gifted player, flashes of magic. McAllister is a class act and can play wherever you put him and Endo is a more of that holding midfielder.

Endo has done well in recent weeks but gets caught in possession a little too much, but Kone is a great player and probably the player they haven’t got. If they sign him they will cover all the bases as he will chase the ball and is a really physical player, which they haven’t got.

For £35m, it could be great as that’s not an awful lot of money for clubs these days and that’s probably why Klopp is interested in him. He plays in a struggling side in Monchengladbach but since he’s come, he’s done ever so well.

Reports have also linked Arsenal with a move for Curtis Jones, would he be a good signing for the Gunners?

Curtis Jones to Arsenal? I wouldn’t like to see him go as in the last six months he’s made a really big step forward, scored some big goals and made some memorable assists.

There were times in the last few seasons where there probably was a point to loan him out or sell him and they’d have said good luck to him.

I think he can become a starter for them and in terms of timing, I wouldn’t really understand letting him go but now he’s going through one of his best spells in a Liverpool shirt, so I wouldn’t like to see him go.

Is it time for Liverpool cut ties with Darwin Nunez given his poor form in front of goal?

Liverpool fans are losing patience with Darwin Nunez, but I think they’ve got enough patience to give him a few weeks or few months.

The fact is, when he does play, Liverpool create more chances but if you don’t convert these chances, all the effort is for nothing.

At some stage, he’s got to start scoring them. Before Burnley, his last goal was against Newcastle away and that was around 10-12-14 game streak without a goal.

If he could finish, Darwin Nunez could be the best player in the world because I’ve never seen a player as physical and fast as he is. He has everything bar finishing and if you don’t finish or score, you will get a problem. Sometimes I think he’s never going to get there, but then I think he has so much to offer.

At the moment he scores the difficult chances and misses the easy ones!

Why has there been such a big fall of for Newcastle in recent weeks?

Why have Newcastle dropped off? I’m surprised how poorly they have defender recently.

I watched them against Liverpool and they could have conceded seven. They fell apart.

Even if you have injuries, you have to try and get some kind of defensive stability and you have to try and change.

They’re conceding three or four every week but they’re not good enough to match that at the other end. I think it’s a combination of European football, with the disappointment in Paris and the penalty, as well as the injuries, with Isak, Wilson, Botman and the suspension of Tonali. They have so many injuries.

I think they will come back and I know their attack is always a great watch, but when you struggle you don’t want to be a great watch. They have to keep things tight and things have to change quickly because they are not defending well enough.

There’s been talk of Mourinho to Newcastle in the past, would you consider this if you were the owner?

Jose Mourinho has done well wherever he’s been but I don’t think he’s had the clubs recently and I’d be very relaxed about the situation.

Sometimes you want too much and quickly and I think Howe did brilliantly to quality for the Champions League last season.

At the moment, I’d still give Eddie the time to turn things around. They’re still in the hunt for Europe and have the chance to finish in the top six, though the Champions League is probably out of the question.

If Sancho hits the ground running back at Dortmund, what does that say about Erik ten Hag?

I don’t think this is just Ten Hag’s fault. Everyone says if the player doesn’t perform it’s the manager’s fault, but Sancho hasn’t performed at all at Man United.

I don’t think it says anything about Ten Hag. He came from Man City to Dortmund and then to United, and sometimes it just doesn’t work at a new club, it happens.

The situation is very unsatisfactory that it hasn’t worked there and I’m not sure if it’s confirmed but I hope he does as they loved him at Dortmund and this could be something the player needs, so fingers crossed for him.

If he plays anywhere as well as he did there before, Dortmund are in for a treat.

Huge game this weekend against Arsenal in the FA Cup, what’s your score prediction?

Score prediction for Arsenal vs Liverpool? I will go 3-1 to Liverpool.

Arsenal can’t score goals! I think Jarrod Bowen has as many goals as all of Arsenal’s attackers combined at the halfway stage and if that’s the case, Arsenal can’t be consistent.

Serhou Guirassy plays for Stuttgart and he’d cost just £15-20m and he could be a great opton for Arsenal as they need a presence up top.

They haven’t got a presence up top and any good team needs that, that’s why I think Liverpool will win 3-1.