Ally McCoist has defended former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann after the German made comments about the Reds' current woes that prompted a sarcastic response from Jurgen Klopp.
With Liverpool enduring a stuttering start to the season that sees them languishing in 10th place in the Premier League table after eight matches, Hamann - a Champions League winner under Rafa Benitez in 2005 - called out his former side's lack of 'spark' and suggested that Klopp's job could soon be called into question.
Liverpool face Rangers tonight in a Champions League Group stage fixture at Ibrox. During his pre-match press conference, Klopp reacted with annoyance to a question related to Hamann's claim. In response the Anfield boss said : “Who said that? Oh great! A fantastic source, well respected everywhere. Hamann played for Liverpool [but] that does not give you the right to say what you want especially when you have no idea.
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"I actually think Didi Hamann does not deserve that you use his phrase to ask a question. Do me a favour and ask your own question. Try to ask without using the word spark.”
Former Rangers forward McCoist had his own take on the spat however, and sided with Hamann's view on Liverpool's season so far.
Speaking on talkSPORT, McCoist said: "Touchy. Absolutely I'd use those words. It's difficult to argue with Didi actually to tell you the truth. I'm watching the game against Arsenal and I take his point. Arsenal were everything Liverpool have been. The fact of the matter is, you just look at the way Liverpool have started.
"They haven't started like themselves. Whether it's Trent Alexander-Arnold, whether it's [Virgil] van Dijk, whether it's the middle of the park, whether it's [Mohamed] Salah. Salah has definitely lost his spark, I think. So I just think he seems very, very touchy there Jurgen Klopp.
"And I've got to be honest, I'm in Didi Hamann's corner because I think factually he's absolutely spot on in his assessment. They don't look anything like the team [from last season]."
Klopp's disapproval over Hamann's comments are likely to have been heightened by his compatriot bringing the Liverpool boss' position into question. Earlier this week Hamman said: "At some stage, I think we will have that discussion about the manager and I’m not sure how far we are off that" after Klopp's side slipped 14 points behind Arsenal, who regained top spot in the Premier League with a 3-2 win at the Emirates on Sunday.
"This Liverpool team looks tired, they look pedestrian and they just look flat," Hamann, who played at Anfield between 1999-2006, told talkSPORT. "I’m not sure where the spark is going to come from because they’ve won games in the past."
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