The Mann For The Job

DIETMAR Hamann's appointment as Stockport County manager is just the boost the club need to help steer them into the football league once more.

Hamann has a CV that boasts experience after a lengthy career which saw him lift two Bundesliga titles and a UEFA Cup with Bayern Munich, before a second UEFA Cup, two League Cups, two FA Cups and a Champions League triumph with Liverpool.

The Istanbul success under Rafa Benitez in 2005 was the icing on a fantastic career for the German who was capped 59 times by his country and scored the final goal at the old Wembley as the Germans ran out 1-0 winners over Kevin Keegan's England team.

The Hatters had a miserable campaign last season as they tumbled out of the football league for the first time in 106 years.

Under the charge of Dave Jones in 1996-97, County finished second in Division Two and also reached the semi-finals of the League Cup - beating three Premier League teams en route.

After five seasons in the second tier of English football, the Hatters were eventually relegated back to Division Two and then, not long after, to the fourth tier of English football.

In 2007-08, a 3-2 Play-Off Final victory over Rochdale saw Stockport return to League-One. However, financial trouble soon followed and after entering administration the club was taken over by the '2015 Group'.

Five wins from 46 matches saw the Hatters return to League Two in 2010, before toppling into the fifth tier after finishing bottom of the football league.

Now Hamann takes over the reigns of Ray Mathias in his first management job since retiring from professional football. The former Newcastle United midfielder was a coach at final club Milton Keynes Dons before he accepted the role of manager at Edgeley Park.

It is a shrewd appointment by Lord Snape who must surely believe that the experience Hamann will bring to the club will be invaluable. With a variety of contacts in England and across the continent, it will be interesting to see if those could be put into effect by securing the loan signings of talented young players that would surely help the Hatters back into the football league.

The Pressure is Real

AHEAD of this evenings Champions League clash at the Bernabeu, all the pressure is on Jose Mourinho's team of superstars.

Champions League new comers Tottenham Hotspur are not going to disgrace themselves, even with a 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Galacticos, which is why I think the Spanish giants may struggle tonight.

If Spurs are able to keep their heads and defend properly they will have a fantastic opportunity to get a positive result. With Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema both out of the clash, the visiting defence will really fancy their chances in the Spanish capital.

Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon will be the key men for the Harry Redkapp's men as they will be looking to provide the service for Milan hero Peter Crouch and the prolific Jermaine Defoe.

Rafael van der Vaart is a man on a mission tonight. The former Ajax and Hamburg midfielder was signed by Spurs for £8m from Madrid on January deadline day, and has been a key figure in the North London club's bid to secure a second successive Champions League spot.

The expectations are high for a club drenched in European glory with no less than nine Champions League triumphs, the last of which, however, was in 2002 - a game which will always be remembered for a tremendous volley from undoubtedly the best player at the time...Zinedine Zidane.

With the likes of Zidane and Luis Figo now well and truly moved on, it is up to new boys Mezut Ozil and Angel di Maria to step up to the plate and show their true qualities.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Vedran Corluka will have their work cut out to deal with the movement of the tricky forwards, and may face familiar foe in the shape of on-loan Manchester City star Emmanuel Adebayor, who played for fierce rivals Arsenal for four seasons.

Gonzalo Higuain will also have to be watched carefully by the depleted visiting defence. No Ledley King or Youness Kaboul has left the back line looking very thin, but Michael Dawson has been in inspirational form at the heart of the defence this season.

It is up to Spurs to go out there and do what they do best - play free-flowing attacking football. If Redknapp's men sit back and attempt to defend, there will only be one outcome.

Both AC and Inter Milan have come undone at the hands of Tottenham's explosive attacking football, so it is time now for Harry's lads to show the world that it was no fluke by causing another European upset.