In the space of Damien Comolli’s two-years with the club, Liverpool have gone from title-hopefuls to mid-table saps. Sure they picked up a Carling Cup along the way but that’ll be little solace to the fans who have to cope with constant humiliations against relegation threatened teams like Wigan and QPR.
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Liverpool spent more money on transfer fees than anybody else in world football over the last year with Damien Comolli attempting to stamp his influence down on the football club. Unfortunately the majority of his signings have been an unprecedented failure. For every Luis Suarez (£22.7m) there’s an Andy Carroll (£35) and a Stewart Downing (£20m).
Liverpool splashed £112.8m over the space of a year and have been left reeling by the newcomers inability to gel as a team or even perform on an individual level.
Of course, it’s difficult to apportion blame as a fan – who’s really responsible for these signings – Damien or Kenny Dalglish? Do the FSG sign off on all signings? Where does the accountability lie? Speaking following Comolli’s departure, Kenny was keen to take responsibility:
“He has been really helpful in every transfer target that 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.”
Even if it’s Kenny’s fault that Liverpool were chasing these signings in the first place, it was Comolli that saw these signings through. How ‘fantastic’ a job did he really do? Just look at the money he threw around – £35m on a player with less than a season’s worth of performances in the Premier League? £20m on a winger who had shown no evidence that he could make it at the top echelons of world football.
When you’ve got that kind of money it’s not all that surprising that mid-table players are attracted. The only really impressive signing of the bunch was Luis Suarez and even then the player managed to blot his copybook by getting embroiled in a racism row (not that I can blame Comolli for that – but you get my point, everything he touches turns to doggy-doo).
The wording used by the club and by Comolli himself makes it clear that he wasn’t sacked and that he left by mutual consent. Whether there’s any truth to that or not, I’m sure FSG weren’t too sad to see him go.
Regardless of what’s happened, Comolli’s exit should provide the springboard for a complete change in policy when it comes to the transfer market. No more ‘Young, British and potentially Talented’. It’s time to focus on real talent (ideally players from abroad, players like Matias Suarez, Yann M’Vila, Roberto Soldado) and on trimming the fat prevalent at the club.
Liverpool’s decision to secure a partnership with Ururguayan club side Nacional is a good start. I’m okay with young, talented players but the truth is most of the stars of the future aren’t British.
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The timing of your article is somewhat off to say the least. Big man Andy just got us through to the final and both him and Henderson played very well in the victory agains Blackburn. I reckon the transfer route you speak of should be reserved to armchair muppets who believe their succes while playing Football Manager provides them the rigt to spew nonsense on a regular basis.
love it Flauvio. Only problem with any of the signings is value for money believe they will all come good. Except Adam who will never find his feet.
I have a problem with your article from the start. First of all, he was with the club for just over a year and a half, not two years. Secondly, yes, they did spend that much, but they also sold a ton of players, such that their net spend was somewhere near 40 million quid. You ignore that fact and by doing so you weaken your own argument. As usual this is just another crap article from a crap website.
I agree , your just an armchair muppet who picks up on other peoples opinions and pass them as your own , write something we haven’t heard before ,
also we wasn’t a title challenging team when he first came to the club! get your facts right! terrible article!
2012.01.18 Carlos Teixeira Sporting Lisbon 830 000
2011.08.31 Craig Bellamy Manchester City
2011.08.30 Sebastian Coates National 7 000 000
2011.08.13 Jose Enrique Newcastle 5 500 000
2011.07.16 Stewart Downing Aston Villa 20 000 000
2011.07.15 Alexander Doni AC Roma
2011.07.07 Charlie Adam Blackpool 6 750 000
2011.06.08 Jordan Henderson Sunderland 16 000 000
2011.05.12 Kenny Dalglish signed a three-year contract
2011.01.31 Andy Carroll Newcastle 35 000 000
2011.01.31 Luis Suarez Ajax 22 800 000
2011.01.15 Jason Banton Blackburn
2011.01.08 Kenny Dalglish Manager
Out
2011.01.25 Ryan Babel Hoffenheim 5 800 000
2011.01.26 Victor Palsson Hibernian
2011.01.31 Fernando Torres Chelsea 50 000 000
2011.07.05 Milan Jovanovic Anderlecht 700 000
2011.07.13 Paul Konchesky Leicester 1 500 000
2011.07.19 Chris Mavinga Rennes 1 000 000
2011.08.18 Daniel Ayala Norwich 850 000
2011.08.22 Sotirios Kyrgiakos Wolfsburg
2011.08.24 El Zhar Levante
2011.08.25 Alberto Aquilani AC Milan Loan
2011.08.28 Dani Pacheco Atletico Madrid Loan
2011.08.27 Emiliano Insua Sporting
2011.08.31 Poulsen Evian 1 000 000
2011.08.31 Joe Cole Lille Loan
2011.08.31 David Ngog Bolton 4 000 000
2011.08.31 RAUL MEIRELES Chelsea 12 000 000
2011.08.31 Gerardo Bruna Blackpool 750 000
2011.08.31 Philipp Degen Released
Dalglish Spending
Spending /year Buy Sold Net Spend
2011 113 050 000 77 600 000 35 450 000
2012 830 000 0
Net 113 880 000 77 600 000 36 280 000
Are we better off?
Yeah, I’d say we’re about just about £37 mil. better off; or don’t you remember how poor the team was in August 2010?
Lee:
its not about being better off, it was about getting the players we need to play football and getting the team right, replacing poulsen, konchesky, cole etc etc. Next step is to improve key areas like strike, centre midfield and centre defence and having stability. Its a project and will take time. The money spent that you mention should have been spent the season we finished 2nd but the owners were leeches and destroyed our club.
I say long live the king – he will bring back the glory!
I stopped reading at “from title contenders to id-table saps”. Our fall from title contenders started with Benitez after H+G raped our team. Do you actually have a clue about football?
When Comolli/Dalglish/FSG arrived we were sitting near the relegation zone. How on earth is that being a title contender?
You’re full of shit and I’m sorry I’ve provided your shite article with a hit.
I believe we spent £40m net but also saved £30m in wages too, Carroll is now performing after never giving up, Downings second season at Villa was amazing after a poor 1st season, Henderson shows signs of being a good player but does get played too much. Shelvey is quality.
Spearing has developed beyond expectations so all is not lost. We have just lacked goals and players who can chip in like Maxi have not been getting played.
A terrible article. Alarmist and devoid of truth/facts: the worst example of trash media.
I won’t be back.