Hodgson calls the shots at Liverpool, insists Comolli

Liverpool’s director of football strategy Damien Comolli insists Roy Hodgson makes the final decisions at Anfield.

Speculation suggested the former Tottenham Director of Football may take charge of transfer operations at the Merseyside outfit after the Frenchmanbwas appointed by new owners New England Sports Ventures in November.

But Comolli denies the rumours and insists he would not attempt to bring a new player to the club without the permission of the Liverpool manager.

“It is about collaboration,” he said in the Sunday Telegraph. “A lot of people ask: who is going to make the final decision? I can guarantee you, 100 per cent, that in this job – especially in England – I have never signed a player without the manager agreeing to it. Never, ever.

“I don’t care what people say. And it won’t happen here. If you sign a player that the manager doesn’t want you are just throwing money into the bin.

“We had a very long meeting last week with Roy about the window. We went through the list and there was one player who Roy said ‘This one, I really don’t like him, I know him well and I’m not comfortable with him.’ so we took him off. It’s not an issue.”

Comolli believes that the position he has taken up, despite being somewhat untested in English football, will help bring silverware back to Anfield and cited the success that clubs such as Chelsea have had with people in similar positions.

“I definitely think English football is ready to understand,” he said. “Now a lot of people look back at what we did at Spurs and think it was the right thing because you see the players that are playing now.

“They see now how it has worked at Chelsea, where Frank [Arnesen] has done a fantastic job. His relationship with Ancelotti is very good and they have won trophies.

“I think people are opening up the idea now because they realise that in the world of football, especially if you are at a big club in the Premier League, is worldwide.

“Everything is global: scouting, transfers, coaching, academy methods. I think that’s why people have realised that this is probably the way forward, or at least one way forward. The bigger the club, the more useful it will be.”

Comolli also suggested the Reds board may be willing to sanction moves for a number of signings in the January transfer window and hinted they may move for some high-profile players at continental clubs that are struggling financially.

“My feeling about it is that in this economic recession there are so many clubs that are in trouble abroad, more than in England,” he added.

“These clubs are under enormous pressure to sell. So this January window could be a very different window from what we have seen previously.

“Players that we would never have thought would be available could be. So that’s why we are working away, thinking that if there is the right opportunity we should do it. Strange things could happen.”