0 users online

Fulham star Steve Finnan looking for Hamann

last updated Friday 01st March 2002, 4:28 PM
Fulham Republic of Ireland international Steve Finnan has prepared for part one of his personal double-header with Liverpool and Germany midfield maestro Dietmar Hamann by urging his team-mates to finish their debut FA Barclaycard Premiership campaign with a flourish.

Right-back Finnan will first come face to face with Reds playmaker Hamann in Saturday's top-flight clash with the title-chasing Reds at Craven Cottage - and again on June 5, when Mick McCarthy's men square up to the Germans for the vital World Cup showdown in Ibaraki.

Fulham defender Steve Finnan
Fulham defender Steve Finnan wants to finish the season with a flourish
Steve Finnan Profile
Steve Finnan Stories
Fulham's former Birmingham and Notts County man has the ideal opportunity to assess the 28-year-old - one of Rudi Voller's star players - this weekend and hand McCarthy a detailed reconnaissance report.

Fulham are still ninth in the Premiership table, despite Saturday's 4-1 spanking at Arsenal contributing to a poor run of just four points from 15.

The Cottagers now face the Reds before Wednesday's trip to fifth-placed west London rivals Chelsea and Finnan said: "These games are a challenge and the reason you want to be in the Premiership.

"Arsenal were outstanding - now it's Liverpool and Michael Owen, Emile Heskey and Nicolas Anelka - and then it's on to Chelsea.

"Hamann's a top-class player and you don't play for Liverpool if you're not good.

"There's been talk about him going to a billion European clubs as well so he must be playing well.

"It would be nice to win the match against Liverpool, hopefully with Hamann having a bad game! Then we'll try and beat Germany.

"When you play against these players first-hand, you get an idea about them. We've got to look out for him, but it's not just about him - Liverpool have got a lot of top players in their team."

Finnan believes Fulham's nine-point gap to sixth-placed Leeds is too wide to bridge over the final 11 league fixtures of the season - so he is focusing on seventh position.

"It will be very difficult to get into the top six, but finishing seventh would be a great season for us," he added.
Source Sporting Life
Since 1998
"It's been updated!"