Damien Comolli

[King Binny]

Comolli has set himself the task of addressing that situation, with the Frenchman, and Liverpool's new owners, believing the club can compete best with the Premier League's powers if they bring more talent through the ranks.

That means a beefed-up youth programme under academy director Frank McParland, but also more signings from across the globe, with Comolli identifying kids as young as 15 and 16 as potential Reds.

Last week, he made a significant signing in bringing highly-rated 17-year-old US youth international Marc Pelosi to the club from California side De Anza Force.

Comolli is also close to reaching an agreement with FC Basel's 15-year-old Swiss international Nicholas Hunziker and is tracking another 15-year-old in exciting but currently clubless midfield prospect Josiah Chukwudi.

The director of football has made clear his desire to make the next raft of signings conform with the owners' long term plan of landing young players at reasonable prices, and developing them into potential world class stars to enhance their value.

Liverpool is interested in arguably Brazilian football's brightest young star, Sao Paolo midfielder Lucas Rodrigues , and the club have also been tracking the situation with another teenage Brazil talent, Philippe Coutinho, who looks set to leave Inter Milan.

The Reds have also been scouting young Swiss striker Admir Mehmedi who has made a name with Zurich, and have even been linked with Aston Villa's 21-year-old Scottish midfielder Barry Bannan.

The work won't stop with scouting young overseas talent, though.

Comolli is also pressing for the promotion of some of the club's existing youngsters, with England youth internationals Raheem Sterling and Conor Coady, in particular, coming closer to the fringes of the first team squad.

It is Comolli's opinion that Liverpool can compete with United even without massive spending if they can introduce a steady stream of young talent into the first team, and the man who signed a 17-year-old Gareth Bale for Tottenham wants to accelerate that process over the next two seasons.

Liverpool's principal owner John Henry has always made clear his determination to develop the youth playing side at the club, and he believes Comolli has already played a leading role in that aim.

"It's been a great first year for Damien, his accomplishments so far - most of them unseen by people outside the club - have been extremely important," the US tycoon said recently.

"He has organised so much so quickly and so well.

"Stability, clarity and purpose have been established. A philosophy had been re-established, and we are getting closer to where we want to be."

LIVERPOOL'S YOUTH MOVEMENT UNDER COMOLLI

Signings:

Sebastien Coates: 21, centre-back from Nacional, Uruguay. Signed August 2011.

Yalany Baio: 17, defensive midfielder. Signed from Portugal in January 2011.

Tom King: 17, defender, born in Norway but raised in Australia. Signed autumn 2010.

Marc Pelosi: 17, German midfielder. Arrived at the Academy from De Anza Force club in California in November 2011.

Yusuf Mersin: 17, Turkey U17 international goalkeeper. Arrived from Millwall in January 2011.

Kristoffer Peterson: 16, Winger. Signed from Swedish side A Savedalens IF in January 2011.

Local young players now in first team squad:

Martin Kelly: Aged 21, defender.

Jon Flanagan: 18, right-back.

Jack Robinson: Club's youngest first team player, now 18, left-back.

Jonjo Shelvey: 19, midfielder. Currently on loan at Blackpool. Signed from Charlton.

Youth team players with chance of making grade:

Raheem Sterling: 17, winger. Signed from QPR.

Jack Dunn: 17, midfielder.

Jordan Lussey: 17, midfielder.

Adam Morgan: England U18s striker.

Jamie Stephens: 18, goalkeeper. Signed from Swindon.

Seyi Ojo can be added to the 1st list too.

 

[dmishra]

He's 24 keni, and been doing very well for the past 3 seasons in Serie A. So not a late bloomer really.

He'd cost an absolute bomb though especially considering Napoli themselves paid 14 million for him.

 

[Molbystwin]

[quote author=Binny link=topic=47435.msg1422852#msg1422852 date=1320634799]
[quote author=Red Mullet link=topic=47435.msg1422820#msg1422820 date=1320619141]
[quote author=Binny link=topic=47435.msg1422677#msg1422677 date=1320597120]
[quote author=Red Mullet link=topic=47435.msg1422668#msg1422668 date=1320596325]
Binny - any chance you can dig out the net spend of the other teams?


Pretty please!
[/quote]

Not 100% accuracy but should be there or there about.

Right click, view image to enlarge.

[/quote]


Er, what image?
[/quote]

Its not showing up. Here's the link:

http://www.sportingintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/PL-decade-spending.jpg
[/quote]

According to that Chelsea have spent 17M net in the last year.... yet they spent 50M on Torres and 20M on Mata.... and spurs have outspent us over the ast four years by 33M.

It doesnt look right.

 

[King Binny]

[quote author=Molbystwin link=topic=47435.msg1431227#msg1431227 date=1322081902]
[quote author=Binny link=topic=47435.msg1422852#msg1422852 date=1320634799]
[quote author=Red Mullet link=topic=47435.msg1422820#msg1422820 date=1320619141]
[quote author=Binny link=topic=47435.msg1422677#msg1422677 date=1320597120]
[quote author=Red Mullet link=topic=47435.msg1422668#msg1422668 date=1320596325]
Binny - any chance you can dig out the net spend of the other teams?


Pretty please!
[/quote]

Not 100% accuracy but should be there or there about.

Right click, view image to enlarge.

[/quote]


Er, what image?
[/quote]

Its not showing up. Here's the link:

http://www.sportingintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/PL-decade-spending.jpg
[/quote]

According to that Chelsea have spent 17M net in the last year.... yet they spent 50M on Torres and 20M on Mata.... and spurs have outspent us over the ast four years by 33M.

It doesnt look right.
[/quote]

The Torres signing is under 2010/11 since its Jan this yr.

Yeah, its stated at the bottom that its dated until Aug 12. Was used more for comparison over the seasons.

As for Spur's net spend vs ours:

In 07/08 Spurs splashed on Bent, Woodgate, Hutton, Kaboul, Bale etc. In 08/09, they were funded by £19m sale of Keane to us and £30.75m from Man Utd for Berbatov, spending more than £100m on the likes of Modric, Gomes, Bentley, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe, Corluka and Palacios.

In 08/09 we bought and sold Keane in the same season and offloaded Crouch too. Although we sold Alonso to Madrid in 09/10, we spent almost £40m on Aquilani and Johnson too.

 

[King Binny]

[quote author=dmishra link=topic=47435.msg1431182#msg1431182 date=1322077905]
He's 24 keni, and been doing very well for the past 3 seasons in Serie A. So not a late bloomer really.

He'd cost an absolute bomb though especially considering Napoli themselves paid 14 million for him.
[/quote]

Nice read on Cavani:

Edinson Cavani has come a long way from the ice-cream stall. The man responsible for wrecking Manchester City's Champions League dream has long had a taste for success. As a child, it took the form of frozen dulce de leche, the rich butterscotch caramel consumed in vast quantities in South America. What the Napoli striker has achieved in the last two years, though, is considerably sweeter.

"I used to play as a child at Nacional, where my Dad [Luis] was a professional," recalls Cavani. "I started with the really little kids, as a four-year-old. The player who scored the first and last goals of every game would get an ice-cream. The stall was 20 metres from the pitch."

The sweet tooth would come back to haunt him; the process of incentivisation, though, worked perfectly. He has barely stopped scoring since. He managed 26 goals in his first season at Napoli to help them in to the Champions League and his three against City in the group stage have all but eliminated the world's richest club.

Cavani may be allowed to leave Naples this summer, but only for a premium fee. The auction will be attended by Chelsea, and Real Madrid, and possibly City themselves; the asking price could yet touch £40m.

Not bad for a striker who feared his career was over at 14. "I used to leave training crying," he admits. "My legs hurt and I felt weak, like I could not run. They told me it was growing pains, but I was afraid. When I got to Italy [with Palermo, at 19] they told me your teeth had a lot to do with posture, reflexes and balance. With their help, I felt stronger, better."

Cavani's rise has been entirely in keeping with that of his nation. It was telling that, just hours before Cavani cut the Premier League leaders to ribbons, Fifa had confirmed Uruguay's primacy over England: its population is no greater than that of Wales but Oscar Washington Tabarez's team stand one place ahead of Fabio Capello's in Fifa's rankings thanks to a remarkable run to the semi-finals of the World Cup and a record-breaking 15th Copa America win.

Cavani is joined in attack by Liverpool's Luis Suarez and Internazionale's Diego Forlan, formerly of Manchester United. Sebastian Coates, the young defender, has joined his countryman at Anfield, Alvaro Pereira, the left-winger, may join the Premier League contingent at Chelsea in January.

There are more, countless more: Maxi Pereira of Benfica, Nicolas Lodeiro at Ajax, Abel Hernandez at Palermo. It is to Tabarez that the nation owes its wealth of talent.

"In the last five years there has been a comprehensive training process," Tabarez says. "Youngsters have to study, to learn about competitive football. Youth teams have to play against foreign opposition, to play outside Uruguay and try to adapt to world football. It's from those processes that Lodeiro, Coates, and Cavani have emerged."

 

[Judge Jules]

[quote author=Binny link=topic=47435.msg1431181#msg1431181 date=1322077836]

Comolli has set himself the task of addressing that situation, with the Frenchman, and Liverpool's new owners, believing the club can compete best with the Premier League's powers if they bring more talent through the ranks.

That means a beefed-up youth programme under academy director Frank McParland, but also more signings from across the globe, with Comolli identifying kids as young as 15 and 16 as potential Reds.

Last week, he made a significant signing in bringing highly-rated 17-year-old US youth international Marc Pelosi to the club from California side De Anza Force.

Comolli is also close to reaching an agreement with FC Basel's 15-year-old Swiss international Nicholas Hunziker and is tracking another 15-year-old in exciting but currently clubless midfield prospect Josiah Chukwudi.

The director of football has made clear his desire to make the next raft of signings conform with the owners' long term plan of landing young players at reasonable prices, and developing them into potential world class stars to enhance their value.

Liverpool is interested in arguably Brazilian football's brightest young star, Sao Paolo midfielder Lucas Rodrigues , and the club have also been tracking the situation with another teenage Brazil talent, Philippe Coutinho, who looks set to leave Inter Milan.

The Reds have also been scouting young Swiss striker Admir Mehmedi who has made a name with Zurich, and have even been linked with Aston Villa's 21-year-old Scottish midfielder Barry Bannan.

The work won't stop with scouting young overseas talent, though.

Comolli is also pressing for the promotion of some of the club's existing youngsters, with England youth internationals Raheem Sterling and Conor Coady, in particular, coming closer to the fringes of the first team squad.

It is Comolli's opinion that Liverpool can compete with United even without massive spending if they can introduce a steady stream of young talent into the first team, and the man who signed a 17-year-old Gareth Bale for Tottenham wants to accelerate that process over the next two seasons.

Liverpool's principal owner John Henry has always made clear his determination to develop the youth playing side at the club, and he believes Comolli has already played a leading role in that aim.

"It's been a great first year for Damien, his accomplishments so far - most of them unseen by people outside the club - have been extremely important," the US tycoon said recently.

"He has organised so much so quickly and so well.

"Stability, clarity and purpose have been established. A philosophy had been re-established, and we are getting closer to where we want to be."

LIVERPOOL'S YOUTH MOVEMENT UNDER COMOLLI

Signings:

Sebastien Coates: 21, centre-back from Nacional, Uruguay. Signed August 2011.

Yalany Baio: 17, defensive midfielder. Signed from Portugal in January 2011.

Tom King: 17, defender, born in Norway but raised in Australia. Signed autumn 2010.

Marc Pelosi: 17, German midfielder. Arrived at the Academy from De Anza Force club in California in November 2011.

Yusuf Mersin: 17, Turkey U17 international goalkeeper. Arrived from Millwall in January 2011.

Kristoffer Peterson: 16, Winger. Signed from Swedish side A Savedalens IF in January 2011.

Local young players now in first team squad:

Martin Kelly: Aged 21, defender.

Jon Flanagan: 18, right-back.

Jack Robinson: Club's youngest first team player, now 18, left-back.

Jonjo Shelvey: 19, midfielder. Currently on loan at Blackpool. Signed from Charlton.

Youth team players with chance of making grade:

Raheem Sterling: 17, winger. Signed from QPR.

Jack Dunn: 17, midfielder.

Jordan Lussey: 17, midfielder.

Adam Morgan: England U18s striker.

Jamie Stephens: 18, goalkeeper. Signed from Swindon.

Seyi Ojo can be added to the 1st list too.
[/quote]

Not convinced. How many of the Academy players coming through did Comolli actually bring to the club? How many of the young players signed from elsewhere will make it? Neither category of player has exactly been swamping the first team at Tottenham since he left. Jury's still well out, for me.

 

[Squiggles]

[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=47435.msg1431722#msg1431722 date=1322151450]
[quote author=Binny link=topic=47435.msg1431181#msg1431181 date=1322077836]

Comolli has set himself the task of addressing that situation, with the Frenchman, and Liverpool's new owners, believing the club can compete best with the Premier League's powers if they bring more talent through the ranks.

That means a beefed-up youth programme under academy director Frank McParland, but also more signings from across the globe, with Comolli identifying kids as young as 15 and 16 as potential Reds.

Last week, he made a significant signing in bringing highly-rated 17-year-old US youth international Marc Pelosi to the club from California side De Anza Force.

Comolli is also close to reaching an agreement with FC Basel's 15-year-old Swiss international Nicholas Hunziker and is tracking another 15-year-old in exciting but currently clubless midfield prospect Josiah Chukwudi.

The director of football has made clear his desire to make the next raft of signings conform with the owners' long term plan of landing young players at reasonable prices, and developing them into potential world class stars to enhance their value.

Liverpool is interested in arguably Brazilian football's brightest young star, Sao Paolo midfielder Lucas Rodrigues , and the club have also been tracking the situation with another teenage Brazil talent, Philippe Coutinho, who looks set to leave Inter Milan.

The Reds have also been scouting young Swiss striker Admir Mehmedi who has made a name with Zurich, and have even been linked with Aston Villa's 21-year-old Scottish midfielder Barry Bannan.

The work won't stop with scouting young overseas talent, though.

Comolli is also pressing for the promotion of some of the club's existing youngsters, with England youth internationals Raheem Sterling and Conor Coady, in particular, coming closer to the fringes of the first team squad.

It is Comolli's opinion that Liverpool can compete with United even without massive spending if they can introduce a steady stream of young talent into the first team, and the man who signed a 17-year-old Gareth Bale for Tottenham wants to accelerate that process over the next two seasons.

Liverpool's principal owner John Henry has always made clear his determination to develop the youth playing side at the club, and he believes Comolli has already played a leading role in that aim.

"It's been a great first year for Damien, his accomplishments so far - most of them unseen by people outside the club - have been extremely important," the US tycoon said recently.

"He has organised so much so quickly and so well.

"Stability, clarity and purpose have been established. A philosophy had been re-established, and we are getting closer to where we want to be."

LIVERPOOL'S YOUTH MOVEMENT UNDER COMOLLI

Signings:

Sebastien Coates: 21, centre-back from Nacional, Uruguay. Signed August 2011.

Yalany Baio: 17, defensive midfielder. Signed from Portugal in January 2011.

Tom King: 17, defender, born in Norway but raised in Australia. Signed autumn 2010.

Marc Pelosi: 17, German midfielder. Arrived at the Academy from De Anza Force club in California in November 2011.

Yusuf Mersin: 17, Turkey U17 international goalkeeper. Arrived from Millwall in January 2011.

Kristoffer Peterson: 16, Winger. Signed from Swedish side A Savedalens IF in January 2011.

Local young players now in first team squad:

Martin Kelly: Aged 21, defender.

Jon Flanagan: 18, right-back.

Jack Robinson: Club's youngest first team player, now 18, left-back.

Jonjo Shelvey: 19, midfielder. Currently on loan at Blackpool. Signed from Charlton.

Youth team players with chance of making grade:

Raheem Sterling: 17, winger. Signed from QPR.

Jack Dunn: 17, midfielder.

Jordan Lussey: 17, midfielder.

Adam Morgan: England U18s striker.

Jamie Stephens: 18, goalkeeper. Signed from Swindon.

Seyi Ojo can be added to the 1st list too.
[/quote]

Not convinced. How many of the Academy players coming through did Comolli actually bring to the club? How many of the young players signed from elsewhere will make it? Neither category of player has exactly been swamping the first team at Tottenham since he left. Jury's still well out, for me.
[/quote]

I've noticed you talk about Comolli's reign at Spurs as being a complete disaster. I don't understand why, because they are still benefiting from his time there:

Corluka, Ekotto, Bale, Modoric, Berbatov have all proven to be great signings for Spurs.

 

[Judge Jules]

I've actually taken care *not* to say that. On the contrary, I've been explicit about the fact that his time at Spurs saw them sign excellent players as well as dross. What I've said, and what I stand by, is that his record there is distinctly patchy. Spurs themselves definitely didn't mourn his departure.