Liverpool 'Part Ways' with Director of Football Responsible for Andy Carroll

Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, Jose Enrique, Sebastian Coates and Craig Bellamy.

Those are the highest-profile players brought to Liverpool during Damien Comolli's stint as director of football. It is hard to imagine that the struggles of the majority of those players to make an impact at Anfield played no role in Wednesday's announcement that Comolli was leaving the club.

Liverpool's ownership group called Comolli's departure a mutual decision in a Wednesday statement to the club's official website.

Principle owner John Henry wished Comolli the best and said Liverpool "are grateful for all of Damien's efforts on behalf [of the club]."

For his part, Comolli cited family concerns as his reason for the split:

"

I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to work at Liverpool and am happy to move on from the Club and back to France for family reasons. I wish the Club all the best for the future.

"

The $55-million (US) purchase of Andy Carroll from Newcastle in January 2011 will stand as the most significant single acquisition overseen by Comolli during his tenure.

With just nine goals in 50 appearances for Liverpool, Carroll has so far failed to reproduce the form he showed during his last season and a half at Newcastle.

Speaking after the announcement, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish refused to scapegoat the former director of football for the underwhelming string of transfers.

Saying he wished Comolli the best, Dalglish emphasized, "Everyone who has come into the club since Damien has been here was of my choice."

It's a statement that will do Dalglish no favors as his own position comes under review after Liverpool's disastrous run of form over the second half of the Premier League season.

Despite flirting with the top four early in the campaign, Liverpool are now struggling to maintain a place in the top 10 after winning just three of their last 14 matches.