26 Sept 2012

'He should've stayed!' - Hamann insists Benitez was wrong to dump €5m LFC star...

Less than two months after scoring an own goal in the 2008 Champions League semi-final against Chelsea, John Arne Riise had been unceremoniously dumped on the Anfield scrapheap, a move that seemed motivated by Rafa Benitez's anger rather than any discernible football reason. Despite the arrival of Jose Enrique, Liverpool have never effectively replaced the Norwegian, and like many Reds fans, Anfield Legend Dietmar Hamann believes that that Benitez was wrong to get rid of Riise at that time.


Speaking to the BBC on Saturday, Hamann - who played alongside Riise for five years between 2001 and 2006, expressed his happiness at seeing his former team-mate doing well in the Premier League again, adding:

"He [Riise] left Liverpool at a time when he should've stayed another couple of years. He scored an own goal against Chelsea in the Chmpions League, and Benitez decided to move him on. It's good to seem him back in the Premier League as he had great success there before with Liverpool".

I totally agree with this. Dumping Riise for scoring an own goal was ridiculous, especially given the 7 year of excellent service he'd given the club up to that point.

Riise is arguably Liverpool's best left-back of the last 20 years, and alongside Sami Hyypia, Jamie Carragher and Steve Finnan, he was an integral part of one of the club's best defensive units of the last 20 years.

Jose Enrique is a decent player, but he is not in Riise's class, and for me, the main reason is this: Riise could do everything Enrique does, but he also scored and created goals on a regular basis, something that Liverpool struggle with nowadays.

To be honest, I would take Riise back now if the chance arose. He's still a good player, and he'd be preferable to Enrique, who seems to get progressively worse as the months go by.

Riise scored lots of amazing goals for LFC. I can't see Enrique scoring some of these...



Jaimie Kanwar


45 comments:

  1. Its a bit late now Didi,its not just Reisa that Benitezlet go,Alonso,Mascherano,Garcia.
    I see the same hapening at liverpool now,all these great players tha have been allowed to leave Maxi,Kuyt,Carrol,Aqualani,ok Adam no so good,
    Look where Liverpool are in the league?
    Enough said me thinks......................................................

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  2. Riise wasn't dumped because of the own goal. His form and rapidly degrading ability to pass the ball on the floor was seriously hampering our attacking patterns of play. It was the right time for him to go, we just didn't replace him with an legitimate upgrade and Fabio Aurelio couldn't stay fit!

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  3. I don't agree with this riise was moved on because he become complacent with his position in the team and his performance dipped because of this (something i believe is happening to pepe at the mintute) not coz he scored an own goal however don't get me wrong he was a fine player and scored some fantastic goals and was one of my faviorte players for a while and if he we had him back now when he was he at his best he would slot in quite nicely so this is not me slagging riise this is just my view point on the comments made above 

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  4. Not sure I agree that we need him back now because he's starting to be too old but what a left foot. Those goals are amazing. But we do need more goals from the fullbacks and the midfield.

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  5. Lay off Benitez...he did well during his time. Everyone will not get all decisions right all the time.Rafa made Liverpool a force in Europe and Anfield was a fortress during his tenure and the team was making a genuine challenge. Riise had become a liability in his last season. Rather than taking pot shots at Rafa look at the current manager..winless in 5 , worst start to a season in nearly a century but because he is British you guys seem to give him the benefit of the doubt. Show Rafa respect he is a European champion.

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  6. Another Benitez disciple. You lot are worse than scientologists; waiting to pounce and smackdown anyone who doesn't talk about Benitez as if he's a God. This is criticism of RB in its mildest form, and you still can't handle it. With respect, You need to grow up.

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  7. Well if that's the case Enrique can start to pack his bags. He's starting to remind of Konchesky!!

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  8. Jaimie who made you lord and master? Telling people to grow up actually makes you sound childish

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  9. What a left foot he had!!!! Wonderful!!!!

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  10. Considering Liverpool have struggled to replace Riise proves that it was a wrong decision to offload him but i think Rafa was right to look to replace him as he was becoming a defensive liability but the fact is he just couldn't find a good enough replacement.
    If only Aurelio could have stayed fit, Liverpool won't have missed Riise at all as he was better defensively and also offered lot in attack but pity about his injuries.

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  11. When you've managed to wedge yourself out of Rafa's ass, you might just understand the state the club has been in for the last few yrs. BR cannot be blamed for all our troubles! And don't forget Rafa did contribute.

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  12. Why do people always bang on about Benitez letting Mascherano go? Go and check your facts.

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  13. Jamie, do you EVER say anything positive about the current Liverpool squad or is it always critical or about who we should sign as appose to whom we have in the team already?!
    Why is this article criticising Enrique when Didi's just talking about a player from 6 years+ ago. there's no need to compare, especially against a current player.
    Applaud and appreciate Riise but not to Enrique's detriment.

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  14. I agree. It will be a long, long time before anyone remotely replicates Benitez's achievements. Hope I'm wrong. Don't think it matters if Rodgers gets us back in the Champions League in the next 5 years; it will take him another 5 years to suss that competition out. Depressing.

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  15. Jaime, I don't think it is a case of that. When all is said and done, how long before we see the levels reached by Benitez again? I think when we are down on our knees now it is galling to hear people laying into Benitez; who, regardless of what you may say, achieved more than any of our other managers in the last 22 years.

    I do actually have some faith in what Rodgers is doing; the thing I struggle with is: will he win the league or champions league in the next 10 years? I can't see it.

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  16. In fact, if anything, it seemed to me, Mascherano moving on was more to do with us letting Benitez - a top manager - go prior to Mascherano's departure.

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  17. Sumptuous left foot, great work and team ethic made him an Anfield legend. Disgraceful way to end his career with the Reds, and I can't see Enrique scoring any of those goals. Johnson and Coates yes, not Enrique.

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  18. Hey Tom - I think you're right to an extent, but seriously, look at the article: where is the savage crticism of Benitez? All it suggests is that RB may have let Riise go too early, and it's Hamann saying it, not me. That can hardly be classified as 'laying into' the man. If the criticism was harsh and false I'd understand. Whether people like it or not, analysis of /reflection on the past is valuable, and given RB's status at LFC, he's always going to be subject to analysis, both positive and negative.



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    Subject: [liverpoolkop] Re: 'He should've stayed!' - Hamann insists Benitez was wrong to dump €5m LFC star... | Liverpool-Kop.com

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  19. Tom, the irony of your post is that it is Benitez's fault LFC is not the CL right now! Despite having the likes of torres, masch, gerrard and carra in their prime etc, he still failed to qualify for the CL in 2009-10. He started the rot.
    Additionally, Benitez took over a team that was in the CL thanks to Houllier, and had several years of vital european experience.
    Rodgers took over a team in the doldrums, with three years of no CL football.
    If Benitez took over a team in 8th place, how would he do? He took over a 4th placed team in 2005, and finished 5th in his first season, so that speaks volumes.
    In short: Benitez had many advantages when he took over; Rodgers had none.



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    -------- Original message --------
    Subject: [liverpoolkop] Re: 'He should've stayed!' - Hamann insists Benitez was wrong to dump €5m LFC star... | Liverpool-Kop.com

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  20. Are you for real? I love how people have such selective memories. I say lots of positive stuff about the team. Regular readers will confirm that I am constantly positice about rodgers, fsg etc.
    Criticism of players is necessary;
    Just ask Rafa Benitez, who so many fans seem to idolise. His whole MO was being constantly pushing for continuous improvement, which incidentally is the way it used to be at LFC during the boot room era.



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    -------- Original message --------
    Subject: [liverpoolkop] Re: 'He should've stayed!' - Hamann insists Benitez was wrong to dump €5m LFC star... | Liverpool-Kop.com

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  21. Riise had gone wrong. It wasn't his own goal that was the problem, it was his constant inability to be in the places he was needed at the right time. Benitez was right to get of Riise, but it is true that he wasn't adequately replaced. However, Benitez didn't "start the rot", it was the lack of support for his targets in the transfer window that did that and noone can begin to speculate whether that season was a blip or not without a crystal ball. For you to suggest that, without knowing that the next year would be worse is as innappropriate as Riise's positioning.

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  22. Dossena :(

    Never agreed with Rafa's decision to splash out that money on a pair of full backs of that quality, Dossena and Johnson, especially when other areas of the team could have done with improvement.

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  23. I don't think I will ever forgive Rafa for letting him go. He was amazing. Enrique imo is the worst LB in the EPL, he looks out of place...another of Daglish's flops.

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  24. I was sad to see him go, especially after he had just committed that own goal against Chelsea. It was kind of cruel on him considering the service he had given us.

    Rafa took a risk letting him go too early to bring in Dossena instead and it did not pay off. Under Rafa, we had a tendency of letting our left and right backs go too early. Arbeloa, Finnan and Riise were all consistent players. Finnan's crosses from the right were superb and defensively he was very tight. Riise was more of an all-action left back similar to Roberto Carlos. When he shot, they either sailed in beautifully, or, more often than not, missed the target horribly.

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  25. I wish we still had Konchesky, at first I was skeptical about him. Then Jaimie proved to all of us that Konchesky actually had a positive impact on the team and that we were actually a better team with him in it. You don't know a good thing till its gone, ditto Poulsen

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  26. I don't understand, I wrote a comment with nothing but praise for two ex Lfc players and yourself and you delete it?

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  27. mascherano? you sure?
    :P
    clear your doubts first jerk hole.. mascherano left during hodgons reign and that too cuz he refused to play for lfc..
    but we do have lucas now.. who when fully fit, is better than the likes of mascherano!
    leaving alonso and letting him go and that too when he wanted to stay was insane of him!

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  28. Riise was not amazing. He was an alright left back who neglected his duties too often. He scored a few good goals, but we got rid at the right time. His goal return had dropped off completely, but his desire to be in those positions over and above actually being a left back had increased.

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  29. Totally agree. It will b long time b4 we c Liverpool dominate Europe again.

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  30. Hi Jaimie,

    I hve to agree with TomP on this one, we were a force under rafa and were feared all over europe...remember the thrashings of Utd, Real Madrid and Aston Villa (who were a tp 6 club that season) all in one week? I cant see this happening for a very long time, even if that! I Undersatnd where you're coming from, that this article does not slate Rafa. However you have to realise that rafa was our most successful manager over the past 20 years an for that reason the fans will always stand by him and what he and his family have done for the city. I believe if tings dont work out with Rodgers then he has to be man that isbought back in. I also have to say that Kennys signings have put us back a few years an if rafa had that money im sure he would have bought in better playes and we will be challenging right now. At the same time as fans of this great club have to get behind Rodgers at the end of the he is our manager.

    p.s like reading your articles mate

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  31. Riise was poor in his penultimate season and absolutely laughable at times in his final one. Rafa was absolutely correct to get rid of him. Riise himself has said Rafa was right to sell him because he had gotten too comfortable. Rafa's mistake wasn't selling Riise, it was failing to adequately replace him.

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  32. same thing is now happening,i still very sad about things are going around our club,and i want all of our fans to put our knee down and pray for the good of our club but who is the manager to take us back to where we suppose to be,rodgers has followed that foot step by allowing Aquilani, kuyt,maxi,Bellamy, Andy CARROLL, Charlie Adam left just to mention but few without replacing all these good players now just look at our experience we are having in the league.

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  33. No Barney Rubble tho aye ?

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  34. There are two Norwegians that lfc Will not find again. Bjørneby and Riise two wingers they still are looking for.

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  35. cheers jk almost forgot what a great talent he was for us. defending bit iffy at times but one the best in last 20 years or so.
    shame about the dodgy goals celebrations lol

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  36. Thats a terrible thing to say about Konchesky.

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  37. British,?? I thought he was from Northern Ireland, which is in the UK, but not in Britain.

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  38. I must say I was glad when we moved Riise on, and ecstatic when we moved Benitez on.

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  39. Ah here leave it out! Leave it bleedin out will ya!

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  40. rise was burn out he just need a rest

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  41. Stop commenting on Liverpool please and go pretend to support someone else.

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  42. At times you talk rot, Jaime. Markus Babbel was probably the best right-back we ever had, loads better than Phil Neal, or Steve Finnan. Left-back has been questionable ever since Alan Kennedy left, and Riise had good success but at times was very poor at defending.

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  43. For all those Rafa-bashers out there, including Jaime:
    (i) do you really think we"ll be playing CL footbal in the next 3 years ?
    (ii) and when we do, when will be constantly in the QF and SF ?
    (iii) has there been anyone better at spotting talent since Bob Paisley ? Rafa got a bunch of makeshift players like Morientes etc due to cash problems. But Rafa's backbone was the strongest since the 78-79 side.
    (iv) Had we cash, do you really think Rafa would have sold Alonso ?

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  44. It's called having a different opinion to you. Deal with it.

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