The legend of Dietmar Hamann should have been a lot greater at Newcastle than it ever was. He should have gone on to be considered one of the Magpies' greatest ever midfielders, but thanks to the abject performances of Kenny Dalglish's team, and the toxic incoming influence of Ruud Gullit, he was forced to look elsewhere for the opportunities to meet his ambition. Hamann was always too good for Newcastle: the side were on the down-turn playing dour football without the spark of Alan Shearer's goals or the excitement of Keegan's tactics, as Dalglish attempted to win through sheer blunt trauma. That he still managed to impress is testament to his ability. Dalglish's claims that his transfer record at Newcastle was solid might be roundly ridiculed now, but in signing Dietmar Hamann he did give us - briefly - a trull great player.
