Source: Telegraph
Damien Comolli's challenges as Liverpool's new director of football strategy
Comolli's challenges are: [LNB]Youth Products Though no immediate changes are planned at Liverpool's Academy, that just two of what was largely a second string - the youthful Jay Spearing and the veteran Jamie Carragher - graduated from the club's development scheme proves that much work needs to be done to improve the supply of local talent. [LNB] Related ArticlesHodgson: we owe debt of gratitude to GerrardLiverpool 3 Napoli 1Cech: Liverpool must prove aspirationsLiverpool v Napoli: as it happenedLiverpool's victory cannot mask challenge facing Damien ComolliHodgson keen to work with ComolliFuture Investments Comolli's work at Tottenham suggests that much of his focus will be on securing some of the world's most promising young players. The likes of David Ngog and Jonjo Shelvey do not come into that category, evidence that Liverpool have had to take risks at all levels in recent years, so precarious has their financial position been. [LNB]Needs Must New England Sports Ventures will not pump untold fortunes into the club, and Comolli will still need to be able to bring undervalued players to the club to improve their worth. Deals like those which brought Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Milan Jovanovic to Anfield, though, will be rare, on grounds of age and wage demands respectively. [LNB]Inflated Fees NESV are unlikely to be willing to spend significant sums on ageing players, and it is likely that, had they been in charge in the summer, neither Paul Konchesky nor Christian Poulsen would have come to Anfield. Comolli can expect only to pay premium fees for players under the age of 27, while long contracts for players nearing the end of their careers will also come to an end. [LNB]
