Comolli costs costing Carroll

It is often said that money talks in football and Liverpool's new manager and current number 9 are surely all too aware of this. Brendan Rodgers has seemingly been forced into taking a decision on Andy Carroll's future before even seeing him in action as Liverpool manager. Through no fault of either manager of player, the striker's location for the coming season appears to be being dictated primarily by his £35m transfer fee and current market value rather than his talent or his new manager's opinion of him as a footballer. This situation is of Damien Comolli's making. His negotiating of the deal to bring Carroll to Liverpool 18 months ago means that time, patience and assessment of the player are not options currently available to Liverpool's new manager. Comolli's poor dealings during his time at Liverpool continue to have far reaching consequences and the people suffering from his mistakes (particularly Brendan Rodgers and Andy Carroll) are now in undesirable positions as a result of the Frenchman's poor performance in the transfer market.

Comolli and Carroll in happier times

Rodgers has talked about assessing his squad since the moment he took charge at Anfield, but the media speculation surrounding Carroll (and fuelled off the record by the club) over the past month suggests that the big number 9 was not included in this approach. Carroll's impressive end to the season and subsequent performances at Euro 2012 have seen his market value increase after a hitherto dismal time since January 2011. The problem is that his value, while improved recently, is still so far short of the incredible amount that Liverpool paid for his services that a sale this summer would still bring with it an eye watering financial hit on a player whose best days surely lie ahead of him. Rodgers was faced with the task of deciding whether to sell the striker while his value is relatively high now or gamble on keeping him and hoping he improves even further. He seems to have chosen the first option.

The problem isn't that Carroll is a bad player or that Rodgers has hastily decided that he wouldn't like the chance to try and integrate Carroll into his team. The problem is that Damien Comolli overpaid on Carroll to such an irresponsible level that recouping any decent amount of money on the player now has to be considered. Indeed, if Andy Carroll had been acquired for 'just' £18m, his future at Liverpool would probably be assured right now. Rodgers would be assessing him during pre season as is his wont and would more than likely give the Geordie target man opportunities over the coming season to prove his worth. It is obvious that significant talent lies within Carroll and it would be churlish to suggest that Rodgers wouldn't relish the opportunity of extracting and enhancing that talent. The problem is that Carroll's potential integration into the new managers system would likely require time and it is not guaranteed to be successful. If Carroll stays he may not be a regular starter under Rodgers and therein lies the main reason for his impending exit. How do you keep a £35m player at the club if he isn't a guaranteed starter?

With every poor performance or game spent on the bench, Carroll's value would only decrease and by this time next year, should Carroll fail to impress under his new manager, then the £15m-£20m being muted for his possible transfer right now will probably be double any offer Liverpool would receive after a season of under performance. Instead of being able to asses Carroll and try and utilise him as he sees fit, Rodgers must always consider the player's value as a primary factor. It all comes back to that £35m price tag. It is a sad situation that a young forward on a seemingly upward curve in his career may not be given the chance to prove himself at Anfield and it is all down to the irresponsible fee negotiated by Damien Comolli when he was at Liverpool.

Carroll may not be wearing red for much longer but who is to blame?

If further proof of Comolli's dealing being a significant factor in the future of Carroll is needed we only need to look to another of Comolli's expensive English signings. Stewart Downing showed far less promise last season than Carroll did but his future at Liverpool is under little scrutiny at this moment, not because of his ability to be an effective player for the club, but because any fee Liverpool would receive for his services this summer would be negligible given his age and form. Indeed, if Carroll hadn't demonstrated such an obvious improvement at the back end of the 2011/12 season his future at Liverpool would likely be as secure as Downing's as his value would also be so low that selling him wouldn't be worthwhile. It is ironic that Liverpool have to seriously consider selling a young striker in hot form rather than an out of sorts, ageing winger primarily because of the prices paid by Comolli and their current market value.

If and when Carroll moves on from Merseyside this summer he should feel a sense of injustice and disgruntlement, not towards the manager who will have moved him on, but to the man who brought him to Liverpool for such a ridiculously inflated fee. Damien Comolli has a lot to answer for. The money that he wasted during his time at Liverpool continues to talk loudly.

Liverpool's foundation must remain

When an architect is designing construction plans for a new project, his or her starting point will invariably be the foundations. They must be sturdy and reliable otherwise what lies on top will ultimately tumble to the ground. The same principle applies to Brendan Rodgers' imminent construction of a new Liverpool.


For all the talk of tiki-taka and fluid attacking football, perhaps the most crucial aspect for Liverpool this season is the base of the team and, in particular, it's centre half pairing. The centre of Liverpool's defence is not an area of the squad that carries sufficient depth at this moment. Say what you want about Jamie Carragher's experience or Sebastian Coates' raw potential, as we speak, Liverpool have two just two ready made central defenders of the required quality to move the club forward. To use one of Brendan Rodgers' favourite phrases: Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel are fundamental.

Foundations: Skrtel & Agger are something for LFC to build on

A Liverpool starting eleven containing Agger and Skrtel on a regular basis is what everyone, particularly the new manager, is surely hoping for this coming season. Unfortunately, there are currently some lingering doubts about how often the pair will be together in Liverpool's team next season, if at all. Both player's reputations have never been higher, as illustrated by reported interest from Real Madrid and Manchester City recently. After years of Agger seemingly flying under the radar of other top clubs due to injury problems and Skrtel's inability to maintain his best form on a consistent basis, Liverpool now must face the problems that arise with having two in form Premier League defenders in their prime years (both are aged 27). Other clubs with greater finances and more potential of immediate, tangible success are now apparently casting envious glances towards two of the Reds' most important players. It is no surprise.


Skrtel is coming off his best season by far at Anfield. He was undoubtedly one of the outstanding defenders in the Premier League last term and was deservedly voted Liverpool's player of the season. Meanwhile, Agger impressed a wide audience with his performances at Euro 2012 for Denmark and perhaps more significantly, made 27 league appearances last term, his level best total during an injury plagued 6 years at the club. Skrtel's new found consistency dispelled the previous widely held assertion that he isn't reliable enough to play week in week out for a team with trophy aspirations while Agger's relatively high number of appearances will have eased fears about his previously terrible fitness record. The pair now look accomplished, reliable, proven top level players and it is Liverpool's job as a club to retain their services in the face of interest from others.

Which brings us neatly on to the pressing matter of contracts. Both players current deals expire in 2014 and offers need to be made soon by Liverpool if they are to secure the futures of their outstanding defensive duo. The club cannot afford to let negotiations drag on for too long and the ideal scenario would be both players signing new, improved, long term contracts in the coming weeks. Agger has talked of his desire for opening negotiations and Skrtel's agent has made noises in the press about an improved deal which is encouraging for the club and it's fans. Brendan Rodgers has today himself made positive noises regarding the situation of both clubs and hopefully this will be ironed out soon enough, but if deals are not struck in relatively short time frame then clubs like City and Madrid will likely be upping their current levels of interest. 

Brendan Rodgers has many obstacles to negotiate

The importance of retaining the services of Agger and Skrtel really cannot be overstated in a footballing sense for Brendan Rodgers. Liverpool badly need to keep both players on the pitch next season with sustained regularity. Agger's technical ability, calmness and poise on the ball will be of paramount importance when it comes to the team implementing Rodgers' methods successfully. It is debatable whether there is a more technically assured centre half in Europe than the Dane and his quality will be a priceless commodity to Liverpool if they are to adopt, as expected, a more possession based approach to games. Rodgers' likes his teams to play out from the back and in Agger, he currently holds a perfect player to do this. If he does indeed remain at Anfield for the forthcoming campaign, Rodgers' medical staff will also be charged with keeping him fit and building on the progress that he made last season in this area. A fully fit Agger playing the vast majority of games is a luxury Liverpool haven't had since he signed back in 2006 and this becoming a reality is more vital now than ever before.


Skrtel's emergence as a ultra reliable, dominant centre half last season was one of the few bright sports for Liverpool as he finally matured into an indispensable member of the team. The worrying propensity to concede unnecessary free kicks was all but eradicated, his aerial presence in both boxes was improved and he became a leader on the pitch. That he compliments Agger's more cultured approach is another bonus. When they are paired together Liverpool are an infinitely better team and it is of imperative that this remains the case next season. 


The aforementioned transfer speculation, injury doubts and unresolved contract situations means that there are currently several obstacles lying in the club's way regarding Agger and Skrtel but if the new manager, his staff and his superiors can overcome them, then Brendan Rodgers will have his foundation to build Liverpool's future on. Exactly what an architect needs.

Euro 2012 Alternative Team of the Tournament

Forget Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, Balotelli, Iniesta and Xavi, even Shearer, Hansen and Lawrenson could pick out their brilliance this summer. Instead, lets delve a little deeper into the tournament as a whole and give praise to some outstanding performers who left the competition early or were simply overlooked by the media.

What a team this lot would've made. Still wouldn't have beat Spain mind.....

Rui Patrico - The Sporting Lisbon number one conceded four times but the strikes from Van der Vaart, Gomez and Bendtner (yes, him) were all pretty much unstoppable. He made two crucial saves from Iniesta and Jesus Navas in the semi final against Spain. Both saves demonstrated lightning fast reactions and gave his side a shot at glory in the penalty shoot out in which he saved Xabi Alonso's effort, but the profligacy of his team mates from 12 yards cost him a place in the final. 


Gebre Selassie - Selassie's high octane performances down the right during the Czech's run to the quarter finals were a real outstanding aspect of the tournaments early stages. His ability to offer an attacking threat for a pretty ordinary side was a huge boost to his teams chances and allied with his solid defending he impressed immensely. Energetic, enthusiastic and technically sound, his performances epitomised the full modern full back role and he was a joy to watch unlike many of his team mates. He has earned himself a summer move to Werder Bremen and will be one to keep an eye on in the Bundesliga next term. 


Daniel Agger - Denmark left the tournament after the group stages, but their captain excelled and can be proud of his efforts. He made an average of seven interceptions per game during his time in Ukraine and looked every bit the assured, leader of his team. In a career that has only been held back by persistent injuries, Agger again showed that he has the class to join the group of the world's elite defenders. If his body holds up, he could be Liverpool's key to success next year and he is more than likely to be Denmark's defensive linchpin for years to come.


Matts Hummels - Until Antonio Cassano embarrassed him in the semi final, Hummels had performed with distinction for an excellent German team who, for many, were favourites to win the competition. Aged only 23 years old, it is little wonder that European club giants across the continent are casting envious glances towards Dortmund in admiration of this cultured centre back. He was Germany's most solid defender throughout the tournament and a player who appears to be on the cusp of greatness which will surely come when a little more experience is gained. He will have learned a lot from this summer and it will stand him in good stead for future.


Glen Johnson - One of England's few outstanding players this summer. Threatening in attack, particularly in the early stages of England's quarter final against Italy where he was arguably his country's brightest hope of a goal. The notion that he cannot defend remains for some strange reason, but he excelled in this tournament to confound his critics. Amazing to think that if Kyle Walker had been fit he probably wouldn't have even been starting any matches this summer. It remains to be seen whether Hodgson will maintain his faith in the attacking full back for the World Cup qualification campaign.


Wesley Sneijder - As the Dutch imploded, one man stood head and shoulders above the uninterested, egotistical, squabbling masses that surrounded him. Sneijder manfully battled to the bitter end of Holland's disastrous outing and was the one bright spot for his country. After a patchy season at Inter it was nice to see him recapture something like his best form. He also played the pass of the entire tournament against Denmark when he delivered a stupendous pinpoint 30 yarder executed with the outside of his boot. It took the breath away. Typically, the recipient (Klass-Jan Huntelaar) missed the chance that Sneijder had magically conjured and Holland lost the game anyway. Sneijder deserved better but Holland didn't.


Luka Modric - The only midfielder in the tournament to outshine Iniesta, Xavi et al when matched directly against them. In the match between Spain and Croatia, Modric was everywhere and wouldn't have looked out of place playing for La Roja, which is just about as high praise as you can bestow upon a midfield player these days. He was phenomenal as his side pushed the eventual winners right to the death and arguably should have won the match. Rumours of Real Madrid seeking his services are not unexpected and would be a huge coup for La Liga as a whole such is his quality. He led a spirited campaign from the Croats who were ultimately unlucky to depart from their extremely difficult group which contained both finalists in Spain and Italy. 


Joao Moutinho - While Cristiano Ronaldo was predictably racking up the column inches for his goals and (lack of) penalties, Moutinho was quietly going about his business as the fulcrum of Portugal's industrial midfield trio. His intelligent movement, precise passing and perpetual motion were key to his sides success as his hard work alongside Meireles and Veloso freed up Ronaldo to take centre stage in the attacking areas. The midfielder, often touted for a Premier League move since his teenage years, provided a master-class of a game against the Czech Republic and if big European clubs were watching closely this summer it may just have persuaded them to finally take a punt on the diminutive Porto man.


Daniele De Rossi - Clearly hampered with a sciatic nerve problem throughout the tournament but epitomised Italy's returned strength of character and will to win. He played as a sweeper to great effect against Spain and Croatia before returning to his more familiar role in central midfield later in the tournament. He has become a leader for Italy, a warrior and a captain in all but name. The Roma stalwart who recently committed his future to his boyhood club will have a huge part to play if Prandelli's team are to maintain their progress going forward. 


Alan Dzagoev - Started in a blaze of glory just like his entire team with two goals in their opening match against the Czech Republic where he was excellent. He followed that up with another crucial goal against Poland but Russia's inept performance against Greece coupled with the shock 1-0 score line sent the impressive young forward home. Even in that game, a wonderful flicked header came this close to saving Russia's bacon. At only 22 he looks to have a great future ahead of him and CSKA Moscow will surely have to fend off some interested parties this summer.


Antonio Cassano - Not a bad tournament for a man who suffered a mini stroke not so long ago. Was obviously not fit enough to play 90 minutes and was used wisely by his manager. He was clearly exhausted in the final which was a shame, but his assist for Balotelli's opener against Germany will live long in the memory. A classy forward who knitted Italy's attacking play together in a very understated but proficient manner. Technique and touch were his weapons rather than pace or power and he used them delightfully, to the great benefit of the Azzurri. 

Five talking points from Euro 2012 Final

Silva strikes gold to set Spain on their way.

Balotelli is Maturing


Only a few months ago Mario Balotelli put in a negligible, petulant performance as Man City went down 1-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates stadium. He was given a red card late on which summed up his efforts that day. He was roundly castigated for his lack of fight, intelligence and passion. His performance had contributed greatly to City's defeat which, at the time, looked as though it had cost them the Premier League title. The Italian front man was self destructing in front of our eyes during the entire game before his deserved dismissal. It was to no ones surprise. The young man's attitude had been in question for much of the season and that day in London he reached his lowest ebb. Fast-forward to last night and, with Italy on the ropes against a numerically and technically superior side, many would have been expecting a similar response from 'Mad' Mario. From the start of the game Ramos and Pique were obviously intent on testing Balotelli's temperament. Both of Spain's centre halves were physical when dealing with Balotelli and several fouls and several more words were exchanged. Indeed, at one point Ramos did manage to provoke a small reaction from the Italian but the anger from the forward thankfully dissipated quickly. Forced to chase, press and harry his opponents more than he would have liked throughout the match and especially in the tortuous final half hour when Italy were down to ten men, Balotelli worked like a trojan. He tracked back, he tackled and he kept trying. Even if the majority of his efforts were wayward punts from range and ultimately ineffective, it was impossible to ignore the fact that Balotelli was still giving it his all and the anguish of Italy's impossible task was written all over his face which was encouraging for his supporters given the all to oft repeated notion that Balotelli just doesn't care enough about his football. Given all the attention and pressure heaped on his young shoulders last night, it felt significant that we saw little of the petulance and lack of effort that has been all too prevalent in his career previously. In its place was a young man battling until the bitter end and, while his two goal salvo against Germany will be his defining moment from this tournament, last nights performance from Balotelli could eventually prove to be his most significant as it hinted at a maturity that we hadn't previously seen.


Prandelli refuses to abandon philosophy


Perhaps in hindsight, Italy should have played more like England. If they had defended in numbers and boycotted any attacking ambition then perhaps they would have been more effective in their efforts to blunt a razor sharp Spain who looked unbelievably threatening whenever they countered Italy's forward forays. When Italy were attacking near the end of the first half and playing pretty well, Jordi Alba all but killed the game in the blink of an eye. The Italians were left light at the back as they threw caution to the wind and they were duly punished by Spain. That goal demonstrated clearly why teams seldom try to attack against the world champions: If you leave even a tiny amount of space, Xavi, Iniesta and co will punish you. It is to Cesare Prandelli's credit then, that his Italy team refused to take the easy option that so many teams have done against Spain over the past few years. Italy tried to beat Spain by sticking to their own style of play rather than simply 'parking the bus' and trusting to hope (Hello, Roy). They attacked at every available opportunity and for 60 minutes, despite Spain's obvious superiority, Italy did manage to carve out some decent chances and were a lucky bounce away from a goal on several occasions. Iker Casillas was called into action several times and while Spain looked awesome on the break, an Italian goal was not out of the question. Even in the second half, if Antonio Di Natale hadn't squandered a wonderful opening, Italy could have had a route back into the game. Despite the ultimate failure to win the trophy and the demoralising scoreline at the end of the game, the Azzurri must return home with immense pride. They have restored their reputation after a dismal World Cup and have inflamed interest in Italian football because of the way that they have played. Perhaps there has never been a more progressive and attractive Italy team and Prandelli's cycle is still in its infancy. Catenaccio seems a long way away when you're watching this incarnation of Italy and that is to be celebrated. 


Spain finally have their defining performance


Forget the drivel about Spain being boring, they needed a performance of this magnitude for another reason. For all their excellence and their previous triumphs at the World Cup in 2010 and Euro 2008, Spain have never had a performance against top class opposition on route to those triumphs that has completely demonstrated their undoubted superiority over this extraordinary period. Last night they delivered. Big time. In a first half where Italy actually performed well, Spain still had enough in their armoury to destroy them with two beautiful, clinical goals. By the nights end, they had made the scoreline harsh on Italy's deflated and fatigued ten men but it is hard to deny Spain the empathic scoreline, for their play had merited it. They beat a very good Italian side by a huge margin and finally displayed their astounding brand of football consistently in a huge game at a major tournament. In the future, the people who will argue that Spain are the greatest national side of all time now have their Exhibit A in their evidence log. It's taken a while to arrive but Spain's defining moment was worth waiting for. They now truly belong to the ages.

We've seen this before somewhere......

Italy's legs couldn't last


Football is often cruel and it was difficult not to sympathise with the men wearing Azzurri last night. After giving the tournament so much and exceeding every expectation along the way, the Italian players didn't deserve to the humiliation that was belatedly handed to them last night. Despite battling manfully throughout, it seemed that footballing fate had gone against them last night. Giorgio Chiellini, injured earlier in the tournament, had to depart after just 20 minutes. Antonio Cassano, who has lit up the tournament with his guile and demonstrated a remarkable hunger and desire to return from his health issues, seemed leaden footed. The diminutive forward has regularly departed the play after 50-60 minutes during this tournament due to his conditioning following his mini stroke and last night seemed like a bridge too far for him. He left the match at half time Italy missed his brand of genius which was absent even when he was on the pitch. Thiago Motta's pulled hamstring eventually extinguished any hope the Italian's had when his departure created a numerical disadvantage but tired legs were evident throughout. Daniele de Rossi and Leonardo Bonucci were limping at various stages and there could not have been a worse team to play against with tired legs in the ranks. Spain ruthlessly exposed Italy's physical deterioration further in the closing stages to give the scoreline a harsh look for those in blue.


Xavi makes the difference


It's amazing that a player who has achieved so much and been hailed for so long still feels under appreciated. From an Italian and neutral viewpoint, prior to the final all the talk was of Andrea Pirlo's wonderful passing master-classes against England and Germany. From a Spanish point of view the focus was mainly on Andrea Iniesta, the man voted player of the tournament. Iniesta was again fantastic and instrumental in the opening goal as his ball to Fabregas opened up Italy's defence but it was his mentor, Xavi, who controlled the game throughout and made the difference. It was the Barcelona metronome whose exquisitely weighted through ball released the rampaging Jordi Alba to give Spain their 2-0 lead when Italy were still in the match and he repeated the trick twice more releasing Fernando Torres on both occasions in the dying minutes to give the scoreline some added gloss. As age and injury have slowly crept up on Xavi over the past year or two, it was heartening to see a modern great at his best on the biggest stage. He has been the brain behind this Spanish team during their reign of dominance and it was a sight to behold this tiny, slight man showing the world once more that size and power and no match for touch and technique.