LIVERPOOL’S Director of Football Damien Comolli has left the club by ‘mutual consent’ this morning, as reported on the official LFC website after being confirmed by FSG and the club itself.
The Frenchman was given his high recruitment role at Anfield back in November 2010 just after FSG won its high court ruling against the former owners and Roy Hodgson was still in charge.
Comolli was charged with the task of bringing in high quality signings whilst implementing a bold new transfer strategy at the club. However thus far, the majority of his dealings in the transfer market have come under fire as the new signings have struggling to make the sort of expected impact required to make Liverpool challenge for the much vaunted Champions League positions.
Andy Carroll, Luis Suárez, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, José Enrique, Sebastián Coates and Craig Bellamy were all brought to the club under Comolli’s remit, with the £35m transfer for Carroll in particular coming under most scrutiny. Prior to the Carroll deal, Comolli also contributed heavily in the £50m transfer of Liverpool’s former no.9 Fernando Torres to Chelsea during the same dramatic transfer deadline day.
Officially Comolli has stated he is now returning to France for ‘family reasons’, but ultimately FSG will have noted that the high profile and expensive signings he delivered have not yet given value for money. “I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to work at Liverpool and am happy to move on from the club and back to France for family reasons. I wish the club all the best for the future,” were his parting words.
Liverpool’s principal owner, John Henry, stated: “We are grateful for all of Damien’s efforts on behalf of Liverpool and wish him all the best for the future,” whilst the club’s chairman, Tom Werner, added: “The club needs to move forward and we now have a huge game on Saturday. It is important that everyone joins us in supporting the manager and gets behind Kenny and the team and focuses on a strong finish to the season.”
Daliglish has also commented on Comolli’s sudden departure, stating: “I had a fantastic working and personal relationship with Damien since he came here. It is disappointing but I suppose there is not much in football which comes as a surprise.”
The manager then went on to also reveal that it is he, as manager, who ultimately chose the transfer targets: “He has been really helpful in every transfer target we’ve gone for. Everyone who has come into the club since Damien has been here was of my choice. Once I made the choice who I wanted Damien went away and did a fantastic job of bringing them in. It is sad to see anyone leave the football club and he goes with my best wishes and hopefully it is not long before we meet again. We wish him well with everything that he does.”
Comolli’s previous role with Spurs ended in something of a cloud with the then manager Martin Jol being very outspoken about the Frenchman’s role at the club, although he’d secured the likes of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Dimitar Berbatov.
A few weeks back we asked the very question on here: Is Comolli doing his job? It seems we now have our answer.
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Next move for FSG now that this useless French muppet has gone is to ask Kenny Dalglish to leave the club by ‘mutual consent’ at the end of the season and appoint Rafael Benitez and give the man full authority in managing the club and in the transfer market as well as 70-80m to spend on new players.
Totally Agreed Eric! It was Kenny’s decision to bring in Jordan (I’ll have a so-so good game every 20 games) Henderson, spend 35 million quid on Carroll who I thought was worth about 20-25 million! his friend Adam :s and the worthless Downing (who is supposedly better than A.Young)!
We praise him for all of Rafa’s doings initially! Agger, Skrtel, Lucas, Gerrards emergence to greatness, Reina, Shelvey, Sterling!
Kenny’s great additions were Suarez and Coates and I’ve always said that Carroll is a good buy, but too expensive!
I would honestly take a good hard look and as Eric says, part mutually and respectfully! and bring back Rafa (a man who will live and die for LFC, not saying that Daglish didnt!, plus, he would have not have to worry about H&G)
REALLY? so what you are saying is rafa never made a bad signings. Rafa Benitez’s £229m spending spree: The 76 players signed during the Liverpool manager’s reign
Alberto Aquilani Cost: £20m (Roma, August 2009)
Robbie Keane Cost: £19m (Tottenham, July 2008)
Albert Riera Cost: £8m (Espanyol, August 2008)
Andrea Dossena Cost: £7m (Udiense, June 2008)
Ryan Babel Cost: £11.5m (Ajax, July 2007)
Jermaine Pennant Cost: £6.7m ( June 2007)
Mohamed Sissoko Cost: £5.6m (Auxerre, June 2005
Fernando Morientes Cost: £6.3m (Real Madrid
Thats when players were cheaper 84million of rubbish, lets not even talk about the free transfers with high wage demands and signing on fees.
Didn’t Rafa go to the Champions League every single year but the last? Isn’t the so called “King” supposed to inspire, just based on his presence? Didn’t Rafa have to sell to buy?? (if you don’t believe read the Tomkins Times and he gives figures of ins and outs!)…Was Aquilani bad or injured?? Was Robbie Keane as bad as Carroll in his short spell..cough cough 7 goals in half a season, a number Carroll hasn’t reached in a whole season with more playing time!) Was Riera that bad? He wasn’t good, that I can understand!…Was Babel bad for us or just not the player we think he was?…Pennant was a mess and Morientes was a mess, Sissoko was not!!!, but hold on there Kumber, didn’t Rafa bring in Torres (say what you want about him now, WE WERE ALL DROOLING AND SCREAMING for years of his greatness here!), Pepe Reina (Speaks for itself!), Agger, Skrtel (the 2 ROCKS who everyone so loves!), Lucas (poor start to career but has turned it around), Kuyt (Very good over the years!), Jonjo, Sterling, Pacheco, Nemeth, Suso, Pep Seguera and Rodolfo!…Listen mate, I can go on, but lets be honest a man like Daglish (a legend in his own right) is not made for this LFC! He whines about the refs (they’ve been harsh on us over the years, but SHUT UP ABOUT IT, as they will treat us worse!!!!, what he needs to do is focused on all the missed chances, especially from the penalty spot!!)…Lets be honest here, I’ve, along with millions of other LFC fans have not been so depressed in years and years and years..you get the point! So don’t sit and justify Daglish and his poor whiney performances! Before he took the time to hire Fowler and Barnes to assist in his waste of money players up front! and hire Hansen, Sami or Phil Thompson to assist in the back and mid! Yet he has the “kitten” faced Kean and Clarke to instill “fear” in the opposition..hahaha! We need to be BEASTS not be eaten like rotten carcasses every single weak against weaker opposition! Daglish has taken the edge out of Anfield! just look at how other teams disrespect us! Absolute Rubbish season! BRING BACK RAFA, whether you like it or not!
Please, please, please take a serious look at Dempsey. He’s creative, aggresive, can play multiple roles and be a great partner for Suarez and Stevie. He said he wants European football, Champions OR Europa. He could have his Europa next year and be hungry enough to help us get back to the Champions League the following year!
who are you talking to? do you think this site is here so FSG can hear the opinion of the fans?
Agree with KD parting with his playing and 1st management legacy still intact.
We need to abandon the buy British and mix it with buy overseas proven talent, even more so now as we are in the Europa cup next season. Can you see the British signings lighting up the Europa scene with blinding displays next season because I can’t. They couldn’t light a bloody candle on this seasons form!!!
ANYWAY – as for replacements how about the famous Rafa / Paco partnership if all is forgiven between the two? If not them only the Special One will do – only for the reason that he is a proven winner and can instil a winning mentality in the squad regardless of the players ability.
YNWA
(annoyed lifelong LFC fan)
In addition to the above and to lighten the mood, we should Sack the following too :
-Shooting coach
-Defence coach
-Diving coach
-The coach that tells the players to play backwards once we get into a good attacking position
-the anfield cat
-andy carrols hairdresser
YNWA