An intriguing football move occurred this week, but unlike any unceremonious free transfers, or players threatening to walk out in January due to a “lack of ambition”, it was a return to English football for a man with some unfinished business to attend to in the Premiership. This man being; Damien Comolli.
Comolli, now 38 years old, previously spent 7 years at Arsenal, after joining from the AS Monaco coaching staff, and while working amongst one of the best scouting teams in the World he was credited with finding the likes of Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy and Emmanuel Eboue.
He then spent a year back in France with Saint-Etienne, before returning to English football as Director of football at Tottenham Hotspur, where he stayed at the club for three years, before returning to Saint-Etienne in 2008, leaving amongst harsh criticism due his role in signing certain players, along with the underperforming coach Juande Ramos.
Now, two years later, he has signed up to the mini-revolution occurring at Anfield. With the new owners NESV in charge, they stated that Comolli’s appointment as Director of Football Strategy, will not only require him oversee the pursuing new young talent, but also add quality players to the club. He is also expected to work closely with boss Roy Hodgson.
His track record is very good, in his time he has brought in the likes of Luka Modric, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Dimitar Berbatov, Gareth Bale, and Gomes to Tottenham. Players who have all proved their worth at the club and are now first team regulars, while Berbatov saw the club make a £20million profit.
On the subject of Gareth Bale, the Weslshman was brought to the club as a 17 year old and has is now showcasing his fantastic potential and is a player who has impressed and improved in this past year, with his excellent performances in the Premiership against the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as his sensational performances against Inter Milan, in Spurs first ever Champions League campaign.
Camolli spoke to the BBC Sport website, and he recalls his first memories of scouting the him as a 17 year old explaining “When I watched him for the first time I was gobsmacked"
"He was already showing the strength, the technical ability, the confidence to take people on, the pace, the quality left foot, the work-rate. He had it all.”
He then went on to add one of the greatest comparisons a football could receive, let alone a left back, stating that “I remember coming back from scouting him and thinking 'I've seen the new Paolo Maldini.”
As any scout, there have been a few misses. These include the likes of Ricardo Rocha; who had a poor spell at Spurs, along with Kevin Prince Boateng, who found more success on loan at Portsmouth and on International duty then at White Hart Lane, and Darren Bent who also underperformed at Spurs but has displayed his goal scoring ability and prowess at Sunderland. More names include David Bentley, Gilberto, Pascal Chimbonda, Hossam Ghaly and Giovani Dos Santos.
As stated before, it will be intriguing to see how his role impacts the club. It could be beneficial in the sense of bring some much need composer and common sense to Liverpool’s somewhat hit and miss transfer record in the last 5 years.
On the other hand it could be disruptive to the club, as during his time at Tottenham he was give a sufficient amount of time, but the club wasn’t performing on the pitch, which saw him leave the club.
His signings however have definitely been value for money, but they needed time to prove their worth. This again highlights the importance for Liverpool fans to be patient, and will be needed once Comolli gives the go ahead for certain transfers.
This new presence amongst the club should give a greater understanding to some of the finer details regarding players already in the Premiership, and help Hodgson to be more tactically astute and help churn out the victories on the pitch, with the club being a lot more fruitful in the transfer market. Some much needed knowledge and knowhow on Anfield aimed at getting Liverpool back on track, so more promising things to come for Liverpool fans as the club finally look like they’re getting their act together.
Comolli, now 38 years old, previously spent 7 years at Arsenal, after joining from the AS Monaco coaching staff, and while working amongst one of the best scouting teams in the World he was credited with finding the likes of Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy and Emmanuel Eboue.
He then spent a year back in France with Saint-Etienne, before returning to English football as Director of football at Tottenham Hotspur, where he stayed at the club for three years, before returning to Saint-Etienne in 2008, leaving amongst harsh criticism due his role in signing certain players, along with the underperforming coach Juande Ramos.
Now, two years later, he has signed up to the mini-revolution occurring at Anfield. With the new owners NESV in charge, they stated that Comolli’s appointment as Director of Football Strategy, will not only require him oversee the pursuing new young talent, but also add quality players to the club. He is also expected to work closely with boss Roy Hodgson.
His track record is very good, in his time he has brought in the likes of Luka Modric, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Dimitar Berbatov, Gareth Bale, and Gomes to Tottenham. Players who have all proved their worth at the club and are now first team regulars, while Berbatov saw the club make a £20million profit.
On the subject of Gareth Bale, the Weslshman was brought to the club as a 17 year old and has is now showcasing his fantastic potential and is a player who has impressed and improved in this past year, with his excellent performances in the Premiership against the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as his sensational performances against Inter Milan, in Spurs first ever Champions League campaign.
Camolli spoke to the BBC Sport website, and he recalls his first memories of scouting the him as a 17 year old explaining “When I watched him for the first time I was gobsmacked"
"He was already showing the strength, the technical ability, the confidence to take people on, the pace, the quality left foot, the work-rate. He had it all.”
He then went on to add one of the greatest comparisons a football could receive, let alone a left back, stating that “I remember coming back from scouting him and thinking 'I've seen the new Paolo Maldini.”
As any scout, there have been a few misses. These include the likes of Ricardo Rocha; who had a poor spell at Spurs, along with Kevin Prince Boateng, who found more success on loan at Portsmouth and on International duty then at White Hart Lane, and Darren Bent who also underperformed at Spurs but has displayed his goal scoring ability and prowess at Sunderland. More names include David Bentley, Gilberto, Pascal Chimbonda, Hossam Ghaly and Giovani Dos Santos.
As stated before, it will be intriguing to see how his role impacts the club. It could be beneficial in the sense of bring some much need composer and common sense to Liverpool’s somewhat hit and miss transfer record in the last 5 years.
On the other hand it could be disruptive to the club, as during his time at Tottenham he was give a sufficient amount of time, but the club wasn’t performing on the pitch, which saw him leave the club.
His signings however have definitely been value for money, but they needed time to prove their worth. This again highlights the importance for Liverpool fans to be patient, and will be needed once Comolli gives the go ahead for certain transfers.
This new presence amongst the club should give a greater understanding to some of the finer details regarding players already in the Premiership, and help Hodgson to be more tactically astute and help churn out the victories on the pitch, with the club being a lot more fruitful in the transfer market. Some much needed knowledge and knowhow on Anfield aimed at getting Liverpool back on track, so more promising things to come for Liverpool fans as the club finally look like they’re getting their act together.
No comments:
Post a Comment