Didi: Bournemouth result can be spark
Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann believes a result in the Capital One Cup at Bournemouth this evening could spark an upturn in fortunes for the Reds' season.
Brendan Rodgers takes his side to the Goldsands Stadium tonight for a quarter-final contest against an outfit that have not been defeated since September and currently top the Championship table.
The Reds are midway through a week of crucial fixtures, having visited Manchester United last weekend and with Barclays Premier League rivals Arsenal still to come to Anfield this Sunday.
Rodgers spoke at length during his pre-match press conference yesterday about the challenge expected for his players at Bournemouth - a sentiment echoed by Hamann in his assessment.
But the German equally focused on the potential boost that could be provided by a positive outcome, outlining how a single match can alter the landscape of a team's campaign.
"In a season, sometimes you just need one result and one spark from somewhere then all of a sudden the whole complex of the season and team changes," he told Liverpoolfc.com.
"I hope we're not far away. It's tough going to a Championship team on any given day, and especially when you go to a team that are top of the league and on a fantastic run.
"Eddie Howe has got them playing very good football. Liverpool had a tough game there last season, where for the first 20 minutes they had to defend really well against a very good Bournemouth side.
"It doesn't matter where you are in the league and what's happening - if you are in the last eight of a cup competition, it's always a big game, because this club is about winning trophies.
"You have to be in the Champions League, but you need to win a trophy every now and then. As a club, a team and players, you learn an awful lot about yourself and your teammates when you play in a quarter-final, semi-final or, hopefully in this case, a final.
"It is an opportunity; I'd rather go to Bournemouth away than Chelsea or Manchester City away, and Liverpool will be favourites. They have just got to get out there.
"If you go to Bournemouth and win the game, then you look forward to the Arsenal game. A week is a long time in football. They just have to keep working hard now, believe in themselves, get a result on Wednesday and then move on to Arsenal."