everybody welcome to redmond tv i am delighted to be joined by former

purple striker neil mell first off how are you made you good good yeah good good um

season's coming to an end it's been a bit of a different season to last season but there's

still some games left to support the reds yeah i mean just on that then you sort of how you

feel about the end of season looks like we're going to secure championship of

qualification which be the bare minimum in terms of objectives, I guess. But there is a sense of, because of Liverpool fans through there as well, and there is a sense of, like, just kind of wanting it to end now. Is that where you're at? I think because last season was so amazing to win the league and the hopes we had in the summer with the changes and hoping that the new players would help maintain us at that level, it hasn't been the case. I mean, you think about the amount of seasons Liverpool had been fighting to get in the Champions League and that was seen as a good season, whereas now we're pretty much guaranteed top four, Champions League football, and we're a little bit deflated, a little bit disappointed. That's the reality of where Liverpool are at the moment. We haven't been in a title race. It hasn't been the same level as last season. But football can change very quickly. You know, you look at the city and the dominance they've had over many years and how they've replenish their squad. Arsenal have maintained a decent challenge for a number of seasons.

But you look at United, you look at Chelsea, they have been off it for a number of years. We don't want to be in that position. So as much as we're saying, it's disappointing, we're still in Champions League. We know we can rebuild and hopefully improve on it next season. It is that what we do next and there's so much riders on it as well because you can fall into a bit of a trap like Manchester Night and Chelsea as you mentioned there and it becomes a vicious cycle. Whatever Liverpool do next, whether it be the manager or the player, the recruitment side of things, it just feels massively important and that will start with the summer of course. Just want to touch on the striker situation obviously the former number nine yourself. Before we dive into the individuals and maybe what they have and have and done and come to their sort of own performances and expectations, I want to ask you about the evolution of Liverpool in many ways, because obviously nobody could have anticipated Mohammed Salas drop off. That's been clear for all to see. You obviously watch every single Liverpool game, analyse a lot of Liverpool game for LCTV as well. Have we as a team, as a style, as a formation, if you like, have we platformed or given the number nine, whoever it may be, it's been a rotating cast of Ekatik, a lot, obviously a little bit of Gakbo recently, Isak when he's been fifth? Have we given the number nine, the ammunition, to be that main man?

I think there will always be the need and want for a number nine.

I think it's very different than nine we've seen this season to what we have in previous

seasons, going back to Bobby Famino, going back to sort of Darwin Nunes, Jota, Diazpah,

down the middle of a lot last season. And it's been very different because we've got the nine that we've sort of Darwin Nunes, Jotta, Diaz played down the middle a lot last season.

And it's been very different because we've got the nine that we've sort of known for many years in England as that sort of, not target man,

but that player who doesn't maybe get involved in the buildup as much as what we were used to with the nines.

We've created enough chances this season.

And you could argue that maybe we haven't settled on the right formula, the rightines. We've created enough chances this season. And you could argue that maybe we haven't

settled on the right formula, the right formation to suit, Eckertica and Isak

together, V. It's, you know, with all three playing together, how often has that happened? Not

enough this season. So in terms of the number nine, Eckertika is nine, EZAC's nine. They can play together, and I think there's flexibility to change the system, but there hasn't been a sustained period this season where you've gone, they've played together five or six times. So I don't know how good they can be and what formation going forward for Liverpool. We've always known it as the sort of the four three, three. Maybe we're going to start seeing two strikers playing for Liverpool and then we'll start being able to judge them on the goal numbers because this year the numbers haven't been good as a team. You know, what are we four, fifth, best, top scorers in the league? We were top scorers last season and I think that drop-off as being evident. We haven't scored enough goals. We haven't taken enough chances. But I think the fact we haven't had key players fit

regularly playing together, I think the fact we haven't had key players fit

regularly playing together, I think that has to be a factor. I think it's a fair point. Especially we consider the sheer amount of money spent on those three in particular with Ert, Akatika and Isak. You would have wanted them to have played a lot more minutes together and we just haven't seen it. involved of it in many ways. I think it's fair to say, and that's obviously primarily through injury.

We know I can see you guys going to be out for a while. more minutes together and we just haven't seen it. We've been robbed of it in many ways. I think it's fair to say, and that's obviously primarily through injury.

We know Akeke is going to be out for a while.

...