"Once I made the choice who I wanted, Damien went away and did a fantastic job of bringing them in..."
With that statement Kenny Dalglish has accepted full responsibility for Liverpool Football Club, and most significantly the signings made during his tenure. Given their performances this season, that is a huge burden Dalglish has heaped on his own shoulders.
Damien Comolli is a mystery wrapped up in an enigma, covered in marmite. Some people love him for his forays into the European market, some hate him for the eye bulging amounts spent on distinctly average players, but apart from a handful of people at Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool, nobody knows what he actually did.
At Arsenal he was little more than their scout in France. At Spurs he claims credit for bringing in Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, and Luka Modric, but unsurprisingly makes no mention of the £15million David Bentley, the £16.5million Darren Bent, the £8.2million Didier Zokora or £13.5million Roman Pavlyuchenko. His record at Liverpool is equally inconsistent - Luis Suarez and Luis Enrique have been their stronger performers; Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and most notably Andy Carroll have failed to get anywhere near matching their transfer fees.
All in all, Comolli's year and a half at Liverpool provided Dalglish with the perfect cover, and nobody would have doubted him if the Scot excused the millions splashed out on Carroll et al by blaming Comolli. The 'Director of Football' is a misunderstood title in Britain and Comolli's record hardly shouts value for money. Comolli's departure could have strengthened Dalglish's hand when it comes to funds for the summer.
Of course, it could be argued that Dalglish is actually being very astute, for now, and in time his views will change. At this moment in time, slagging off Comolli would be to slag off the men above Dalglish - John W. Henry and Tom Werner. Comolli was their man, the embodiment of the Moneyball philosophy they wanted to import into football. Insult Comolli, insult Moneyball, insult Henry and Werner, and while Dalglish is an Anfield legend and has the league cup in the trophy room, results in the league and the fall out from the Suarez affair have left relations between board and manager a touch strained. Dalglish would not gain anything by challenging his employers.
With great power comes great responsibility and either through action or inaction over the summer Dalglish will be the sole person to be judged. Liverpool need to show a marked upturn in their performances and results, and if those multi-million pound Brits fail to prove value for money, Dalglish will have to face the music alone.
It's refreshing to see a manager to take responsibility, something which Dalglish has not always done this season, but it may turn out to be a very foolish move. Dalglish's decisions in the summer need to be spot on.
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