Former Liverpool and Tottenham director of football Damien Comolli says the nature of this year's Premier League means English clubs may struggle in the Champions League.
The former European scout for Arsenal was speaking to Off The Ball tonight, and highlighting how the Premier League is even more competitive now that the middle tier of clubs are stronger, he said that will have a knock on effect for the teams involved in European competition.
"The downside is I think it's going to be a major struggle for teams to perform well in Europe because of the intensity and competitiveness of the games they will play three or four days prior to playing a Champions League game," he said.
Comolli also suggested that data does not make great reading for misfiring Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney as he approaches his 30th birthday.
"The strikers peak around 26-27, then there is a huge decline - not from 30 but from 31 years old. He's playing as a striker, I'm not sure it's his best position, I'm not sure it's the best thing for him at the moment. They must be thinking about succession planning for his age," he said.
Comolli also talked about the data collected during his time at Spurs which showed the vast potential goalkeepers Manuel Neuer, Hugo Lloris and Joe Hart had before they peaked and suggested that players in their position tend to be undervalued and underpaid.
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