Damien Comolli Leaves Liverpool Post

Fenway Sports Group and Liverpool FC confirmed today that Director of Football Damien Comolli has left the Club by mutual consent.

Principal Owner John Henry said: "We are grateful for all of Damien's efforts on behalf of Liverpool and wish him all the best for the future."

Liverpool 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."

Damien Comolli commented: "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."

LINK


Very, very odd timing by the club here. The only explanations I can think of are that either the club wishes to bring in someone to start scouting before the end of the season or he really is parting ways due to family reasons.

His short time with the club certainly hasn't looked to have been particularly successful (yet, anyway) but it seems terribly strange that he wouldn't be given at least two full years to get his scouting network in place and functioning properly. Also, I wonder who the club have in mind as potential replacements...

This to me, is by FAR the worst news of the season. Worse than Lucas being injured, worse than the Suarez incident, and worse than our poor season.

If anyone who closely has followed Commoli, will know what I am talking about.

I am a supporter of the "moneyball" theory and how it could have boosted our team as it has shown some optimistic results.

I was truly looking forward to his further work and input within the future years yet obviously he has been given FAR too short a span of time to have his work brought to fruit.

Highly disappointed with the board for this decision as its not like the club to do such a thing.

Anyone with me?

_________________

My quote from the Liverpool section.

Expanding upon that, they're will have to be one hell of a replacement to appease me from this blunder of a decision.

I wouldn't be surprised if we hire an old fashioned old timer who always goes by his "gut feeling" and "instinct" on these fashions rather than pure research and stats.

Only thing giving me hope is that we have John Henry, who in my eyes is a highly respectable man.

35m Carroll
22m + 4m add ons Suarez
____

13m + 3m add ons Henderson
20m Downing
7m Adam
7m Coates
Free Doni
Free Bellers


Bar Carroll and Downing, he's done okay. But no need to be melodramatic Arq. Worst news of the season? Really?

He is a good man, Always gave his best for us as well

Hope nothing's majorly wrong back in france

Arquitecto wrote:

This to me, is by FAR the worst news of the season. Worse than Lucas being injured, worse than the Suarez incident, and worse than our poor season.

If anyone who closely has followed Commoli, will know what I am talking about.

I am a supporter of the "moneyball" theory and how it could have boosted our team as it has shown some optimistic results.

I was truly looking forward to his further work and input within the future years yet obviously he has been given FAR too short a span of time to have his work brought to fruit.

Highly disappointed with the board for this decision as its not like the club to do such a thing.

Anyone with me?

_________________

My quote from the Liverpool section.

Expanding upon that, they're will have to be one hell of a replacement to appease me from this blunder of a decision.

I wouldn't be surprised if we hire an old fashioned old timer who always goes by his "gut feeling" and "instinct" on these fashions rather than pure research and stats.

Only thing giving me hope is that we have John Henry, who in my eyes is a highly respectable man.

I dont think the moneyball theory can really work in football Arq!

blame carrol

Well Rafa did always want all the transfers to be under his own supervision. Are we clearing up for Benitez to return?

But seriously it's pretty bad news, I liked Comolli, he bought players Kenny wanted, they weren't his own buys.

kiranr wrote:

Arquitecto wrote:

This to me, is by FAR the worst news of the season. Worse than Lucas being injured, worse than the Suarez incident, and worse than our poor season.

If anyone who closely has followed Commoli, will know what I am talking about.

I am a supporter of the "moneyball" theory and how it could have boosted our team as it has shown some optimistic results.

I was truly looking forward to his further work and input within the future years yet obviously he has been given FAR too short a span of time to have his work brought to fruit.

Highly disappointed with the board for this decision as its not like the club to do such a thing.

Anyone with me?

_________________

My quote from the Liverpool section.

Expanding upon that, they're will have to be one hell of a replacement to appease me from this blunder of a decision.

I wouldn't be surprised if we hire an old fashioned old timer who always goes by his "gut feeling" and "instinct" on these fashions rather than pure research and stats.

Only thing giving me hope is that we have John Henry, who in my eyes is a highly respectable man.

I dont think the moneyball theory can really work in football Arq!

Are you willing to shoot it down before its even tried?

I do think this isn't a great decision, i'm not sure if Liverpool have someone else lined up.

As Liverpool announce the departure of director of football Damien Comolli, we run down the signings he presided over during his time at the club.


Comolli, who had previously held a similar role at Tottenham Hotspur, spent more than £100 million on players since taking the role at Anfield in November 2010

Those acquisitions included star striker Luis Suarez, but the purchases of players such as Andy Carroll – for a club record £35 million – Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing have drawn criticism

Here are all 11 signings that Liverpool made under Comolli's watch

Luis Suarez (January 31, 2011): £22.8 million, 46 appearances (all competitions), 17 goals

In his first 16 months in England the Uruguayan striker has been embroiled in more controversy than many players are in their entire career. Despite that, Suarez is one of the most threatening attacking players in the Premier League, giving even the best defenders nightmares.


Andy Carroll (January 31, 2011): £35m, 50 appearances, nine goals
The cost of signing the striker from Newcastle – who was injured at the time - was largely offset by the £50m fee received on the same day for Fernando Torres's move to Chelsea, but he still has a long way to go before he is regarded as anything other than one of the biggest wastes of money ever in the English game.


Jordan Henderson (June 10, 2011): £16m, 41 appearances, one goal
Perhaps the most surprising of all of Comolli's signings, given he was just 20 at the time and the fee involved. Henderson has not come close to justifying Liverpool's considerable investment in him thus far. Just one goal and one assist in the league so far despite seeing a surprising amount of minutes on the pitch.


Charlie Adam (July 8, 2011): £9m, 35 appearances, two goals
As Blackpool's captain last season, Adam was the midfield maestro who took every set piece, scored and set up goals with regularity. At Liverpool, he has come to a club where that role is well and truly Steven Gerrard's, and has struggled to adapt accordingly. Just six league assists for the Scotsman this season.


Stewart Downing (July 15, 2001): £20m, 39 appearances, two goals
No other player has taken more shots on goal in the Premier League this season without scoring than Downing's 62. That statistic would perhaps be forgiven if he had been laying them on for his new team-mates, but he has not registered an assist in the league for Liverpool yet either.


Alexander Doni (July 15, 2001): Free, two appearances
The Brazilian goalkeeper was famously between the sticks when Manchester United put seven past Roma in the Champions League five years ago. Conceded within 10 minutes of his debut against Aston Villa, while in his second match against Blackburn on Tuesday he was sent off.


Jose Enrique (August 12, 2011): £5m, 39 appearances
Arguably the shrewdest signing by Liverpool under Comolli's stewardship, the Spanish left-back has proved good value at left-back for his surprisingly low fee. Certainly an upgrade on Paul PFK.

Sebastian Coates (August 30, 2011): £7m, 10 appearances, one goal
The young Uruguayan scored one of the goals of the season with his acrobatic overhead kick in the recent defeat at QPR, but few would disagree that he is still very much a work in progress.


Craig Bellamy (August 31, 2011): Free, 32 appearances, nine goals
By far the best value signing of this crop. Liverpool took full advantage of Manchester City's decision to cast off the Welshman by sealing his return to Anfield on a free. The Welshman has already matched the total of nine goals scored in his previous season at the club five years ago, and in more than a dozen fewer games too.


Jordan Ibe (January 1, 2012): £500,000, no appearances
Liverpool beat off competition from Manchester United and Tottenham to sign the Wycombe wunderkid, who became the Football League's youngest goal scorer last October when he scored against Sheffield Wednesday 10 days shy of his 16th birthday.


Danny Ward (January 30, 2012): £100,000, no appearances
The 18-year-old goalkeeper signed from Wrexham towards the end of the January window. The way Liverpool are losing goalkeepers at the moment, he may see first-team action before the end of the season.

Kenny had final say on signings, but it was up to Comolli to gather stats and scout players as well as negotiate fees. Given the amount paid for players you certainly can't say the club have followed anything close to sabermetrics in transfers. If Comolli was indeed in charge of employing "moneyball" for the club then it's would not be particularly surprising if the owners were unhappy with how the likes of Downing has turned out.

chinomaster182 wrote:

Are you willing to shoot it down before its even tried?

I do think this isn't a great decision, i'm not sure if Liverpool have someone else lined up.

No, i dont want to shoot it down. I just feel that the stats that are required to implement the theory in buying and selling players have not been devised yet, unless of course i am being ignorant and the database of such stats does exist.

And it is not like rating players in Baseball where you just have to see the number of runs scored or number of strike outs or number of catches etc. How do devise a stat for tactical ability?

Andy Scolding – Head of Technical Analysis
John Achterberg – First-team GK coach (BRING BACK XAVI VALERO!)
Peter Brukner - Head of Sports Medicine and Sports Science (brought in by Purslow under H&G)

Talk that Ian Ayre's role will change... hopefully back to his old role.

David Dein supposedly heading the list of Comolli replacements (no source, take it as you will).

Johan Cruyff is among the names being targeted by Liverpool after Damien Comolli's departure as director of football, BBC Sport understands.

Reds owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have yet to draw up a definitive shortlist to replace Comolli.
But the Dutchman, 64, has impressed FSG chief John W Henry in his senior roles with Ajax and Chivas in Mexico.

Cruyff, who coaches the Catalan representative side, has also recently stepped down from a role with Ajax.
While FSG do not intend to radically alter the structure of the club, they are keen to bring in a respected name who can operate in a role that will both assist manager Kenny Dalglish, while overseeing the recruitment and scouting of players.

Cruyff, who won three European Cups as a player with Ajax between 1971 and 1973, is one of a number of names under consideration, although it is not known if he is interested in moving to Anfield.

Louis van Gaal, who has been out of work since being sacked as coach of Bayern Munich in April last year, has indicated he would consider the position were he to be approached.

Sources close to Comolli indicated that he had been stunned by his sudden dismissal, having been informed by Henry and chairman Tom Werner late on Tuesday night. The Liverpool players were then told at a hastily arranged meeting at the Melwood training ground the next morning.

Liverpool were unavailable for comment after a day of departures from Anfield.

Commoli's dismissal appeared to signal the first stage of a backroom overhaul. The sports science team assembled by Christian Purslow, during his spell as managing director under Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, is also to be dismantled, with Peter Brukner, the head of sports science, leaving the club.

Kenny Dalglish was, however, told he continues to enjoy the "full support" of the club's owners.
"We've got great confidence in Kenny," Werner said. "We feel the team is going to make strides in the future."

Cruyff, who was on a supervisory board at the Amsterdam Arena, stepped down from his role after a long-running feud with Ajax directors and fellow board members.

He won a court battle in February overturning the appointments of Van Gaal and Martin Sturkenboom against his wishes.

The supervisory board quit after losing the case, and Cruyff eventually resigned on Wednesday with an agreement in place for choosing a new board.

Ajax said in a statement that Cruyff will "remain involved with the implementation of his football vision within the club".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17698239

Cryuff

http://english.ajax.nl/News/Archive/Article/Cruijff-steps-down-1.htm

Schweini wrote:Cryuff

http://english.ajax.nl/News/Archive/Article/Cruijff-steps-down-1.htm

You do realise he works for Chivas right? he probably is just stepping down from his Ajax role to concentrate fully on that.

Besides if by the minuscule of chances this does come to past, could you imagine the ego's involved between Dalglish and Cruyff could work together?

No chance it would make Cruyff and Van Gaal seem like one peaceful love-in

Carroll playing in a total football system

stephen1martin
cryuff has agreed a deal in principle #lfc

Schweini wrote:stephen1martin
cryuff has agreed a deal in principle #lfc

Yh he's reliable aint he

Economics Teacher, volunteer at Liverpool Cathedral, restaurant critic and contributer to The Anfield Wrap.



Anyway as i said if this were to happen then theres no way in hell Cruyff and Dalglish could work together.

2 mad senile old fools working in tandem

Reminds me of these two.......

@Mole, I dont think Dalgish will have a long future with Liverpool if they are already thinking of bringing someone like Cruyff

"There's not one club in the world so united with the fans. I sat there watching the Liverpool fans and they sent shivers down my spine. A mass of 40,000 people became one force behind their team. That's something not many teams have. For that I admire Liverpool more than anything."

This quote alone gives me hope on how Cruyff most likely will be compelled to join a club such as ours.

For me, this would be a great honour as in my mind I hold Cruyff as one of the greatest footballing minds and for me, the greatest player of all time.

Hopefully its a more closer relationship than just an advising role. If so, I would be ecstatic.


@Mole I would have to disagree with you there as given the fact that Van Gaal is known to have tense relations with many of his colleagues and players alone as Kenny is nowhere near bat shit crazy as he is. Plus, Cruyff will know coming into the club that Kenny must be held with respect.

i dont know much about the liverpool owners ( since i dont follow boston red sox either) , but from their recent sackings and from what i read about them on goal .com ( yeah goal.com) they do seem quite a ruthless bunch , not the ' YNWA - king kenny is family, will be here forever type ' /

would Cruyff do the same work he did at Barca with Liverpool?

if so, it's a smart approach from Liverpool, as opposed to Chelsea which tried to copy barca with a wannabe goat coach.

David Dein