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[upbeat music] The Blood Red Podcast from the Liverpool Echo.

Yeah, and you're right.

I don't think that is really a slight on Mohamed Salah, particularly because in Nunez slot's first season they, they seemed to have had this arrangement where Salah's defensive responsibilities were reduced.

Obviously, things change when you get a proper number nine coming in, starting up front, and, and then you're switching your play-making duties more so to Virts.

Um, and maybe Salah was being asked to do a role that didn't really suit him that well last season, but I think it does suit Barcola.

I think it is probably more similar to, you know, how Liverpool were using their wingers last season a bit wider.

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How impressed were you with him?

Very, yeah.

I mean, I think that's without a doubt his best game for the club.

Admittedly, the bar's not particularly high.

Obviously, what we saw of last season, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this wasn't a £125 million striker, but I think he showed every bit why he is the other day.

Obviously, neither of those two efforts, funnily enough, show up particularly highly in XG on target, which is your measure of how good a shot usually is.

but that's because he's taking on shots in such an instinctive way in that game that he basically gives the keeper no chance.

But, you know, there were certainly question marks over some of the business that was done last year, I think.

I think I, I would agree with you, but I'm gonna, uh, I'm gonna let you explain what your thinking is.

Yeah.

So prediction number one is Liverpool to struggle at first, but finish the season very strongly.

I've gone for that because of a few reasons.

Um, obviously the style of play, as I say.

Uh, new training methods, um, different kind of levels of intensity within the game.

Um, all of this obviously just taking some time to, to gel while the new manager comes in, and in a similar way to what we saw at Bournemouth really.

[laughs]

What do you make of, of that as, as a signing? Is he, uh, one that you're on board with?

Well, um, I think, you know, for starters, it's important to set out what exactly Araujo has been brought in for, um, what his role in the team is going to be this season, and then kind of assess whether he's a good fit for that.

So I think the main reason, which is the reason I've been saying on all these podcasts recently, for Liverpool to bring in another center-back was to ease that pressure on Jacque and Leone.

Um, we're obviously starting with a new style of football compared to what these players have played with for the last couple of years.

We've already seen, which we'll come on to obviously later on, um, in pre-season, how taxing that can be for the players when they're not used to it.

Um, and I think we, you know, we could end up...

Well, well, we, we're probably going to have to be realistic about the way that this season starts.

There are lots of, of moving parts and, uh, and factors to, to come into this as well.

Where do you kind of stand on, on that?

[lips smack] Well, I think, I think we all probably need to get over the conception that we've got that the wingers are gonna play on one specific side.

I think everything that Andoni Iraola has said, um, would fly in the face of that assumption.

Um, and in terms of the players that we are targeting, the profiles we're looking at, Liverpool are clearly looking for wingers who can play on either side.

And i- in the case of Víctor Muñoz and, and also Barcola, players who can, who can do a little bit in the middle as well.

So Liverpool are looking for versatile attackers first and foremost.

Um, I don't think that what role he would play in the team is necessarily set.

Somewhere in that region between the two I think would be about fair for where that price tag should-

75.

75.

So yeah, it's a sad day for Liverpool because...

And from that period under B- Bill Shankly, when he was signed from Scunthorpe, I think it was 1971, he, um, he, he was only a young, I think he was like 20 or 21 or something like that.

He's, he's very, very young.

Signed with th- Ray Clemence they got from Scunthorpe a couple years before that.

So there's two big players of Liverpool's, kind of the '70s era, and he, he did epitomize the Liverpool in the '70s.

Yeah

Yeah.

"Like, let's cruise.

Cruise down, see another one." And he's like, "Uh, I think the one laying down's better." I'm like, "All right." So we ease back, walk up, go over to, like, the, a bottom of a hill, bottom of a valley, and he's...

There's a second valley, and then he's going up.

And I'm like, "Can y'all range it?" And he's like, "He's 413 yards away." And I'm like, "I'm gonna send it." And he was like, "What?" I was like, "I'm sending it." I was like, "What's this sighted in at on center? I've never shot this rifle before.

It's their rifle." He's like, "100 yards, and the second one's center 200 yards." I'm like, "All right, so if I drop..." And I'm, like, doing math in my head, like, super quick.

He's like, "You better make a decision before that thing gets up." I'm like, "Shh, I'm counting." And I'm, like, trying to figure out the radicals on there and what the MOA's gonna be on this gun I've never shot.

No, you're good

Morgan, as someone who frequently is consulted on medication use in pregnancy and breastfeeding, what are some of the most common misconceptions you encounter, and how do you address them?

I hear a handful of common misconceptions.

I would say a couple of the more common ones that I hear are things like all medications are dangerous in pregnancy, or it's safer to avoid medications and tough it out.

Um, and I think it's important to address those by presenting the facts that I know, um, similar to how Patrea mentioned.

I think validating the patient's concerns, asking open-ended questions to assess their understanding, um, and finding out where did you hear about this? What did you read? Show me where you saw this.

Um, and so finding out all of that information to understand where they're coming from in a nonjudgmental way, I think is also the most important thing is to be non-ju-judgmental about it.

And then just counseling them from, again, facts that I know.

In your practices, are there myths about over-the-counter or herbal supplements that pharmacists frequently see? What tips do you have for debunking them safely? Morgan, can you explain?

But I mean two, two huge talents, but it does feel like there's a, a fair bit of pressure on them to, to start well under Andoni Iraola.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, uh, but both of them look like great players.

Let's have it right straight off the bat.

Um, before I say what I'm about to say, I think both of them could go to the very top.

I mean, Leoni has, has had such an interesting career so far.

Obviously kind of came up in the Italian third division, um, then was loaned to a, a second division team, I believe.

I- is there any argument that he can be a part of, of Liverpool seriously next season because of, of what we've seen so far?

Who was John Lester Mitchell? Tell us about his attempt to register to vote back in 1951 and his death weeks later.

later.John Lester Mitchell was a 33-year-old World War II veteran who had lived in Opelousas his entire life.

Um, after serving in the Air Corps, he had come back home and was working in carpentry.

While he was trying to register to vote, he went to the registrar's office and was denied the access to register.

They had claimed that the stipulations that he needed to fulfill were not made, as in a reading test, knowing the Constitution, and being able to write, among other things that they had put in place for m- men and women to register to vote.

They had said that he was not able to meet those qualifications, and him, alongside two other individuals, filed provoted, um, suppression, basically explaining that this was voter discrimination and that they were going to create a voting rights, um, case.

11 days before the scheduled hearing that was supposed to take place for this case, John Lester Mitchell was out at the Chicken Shack, which was a nightclub in Opelousas, where there was some miscommunication, ruckus, and bottle fell on the floor, and he was asked to leave, and in doing so, he was asked to leave by David Lainclose, who was the deputy sheriff for, um, the Chicken Shack.

What did you find in your investigation?

But I mean, Yande Amartey, from what we've seen at Leipzig, from what we've seen so far at the World Cup, is, is he the right choice do you think?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Um, I think he probably is.

I mean, it's not a huge amount to work with, is it? At the end of the day, even those of us who can claim, which, you know, I, I can't really that, you know, that you might have sat down and watched quite a few B- Bayer Leverkusen games last season, still not a lot of football to work off one season with a player.

And, um, for the price that, you know, keeps seemingly going up for him, it's now I believe 130 million euros according to The Athletic, um, yesterday.

But, you know, this, this is a player that's gonna cost a lot of money for, for not a lot of football and, you know, if, if you're gonna be throwing that kind of money around, you need some, some good character references I think, and he, he's definitely had that.

So I mean, what, what would be your priority, do you think, out of, of those three? I, I think that's fair, isn't it? Center back, right back and, and midfield are, are kind of the, the next parts.

I mean, is, is he another one that you would be, would be very keen on as well for Liverpool?

Yeah, yeah.

I definitely think he's of the level.

Um, I don't think there's any shame in not getting into that PSG front three at the moment.

He, you know, prefers the left-hand side, and he's currently behind probably the favorite for the Ballon d'Or this year in Kvaratskhelia, um, if, if it's not gonna be Harry Kane.

Um, I think, you know, potentially this summer might have a say in that.

We'll see.

But, I mean, that's, that's the kind of midfield player that I'd like to see Liverpool sign this summer, but again, not gonna be cheap.

So how much do you think shooting regional one-day matches contributed to your performance on the two-day deal?

Oh, that's...

You know, okay, I think that's the best practice a guy can get.

And I still think that's the best learning experience for anyone, period.

Like if you're like, oh, I kind of need to figure this out before I show up, that's the wrong attitude.

You need to go and figure it out.

not not do the other way around because you're going to learn more in in just an afternoon or a just a day then you're going to learn anything else because you you're going to be like sit there and try to come up with a plan under stress and then and then have to execute a plan under stress and then go that works that didn't work and then take that move on see all the gear you need see what you want to change, which one do different.

It needs to be consumable by a more general audience.

But I mean, again, that's a team that, that Liverpool fans will have a, a keen eye on, I'm sure.

Yeah.

Yeah, definitely.

I mean, three Liverpool players in the team, and there's honestly not a lot of Liverpool players at this World Cup, all things considered.

I mean, especially now we...

You know, if you kind of count in the fact that obviously Salah, Konate, and Robertson have all left now.

So, you know, we are gonna have an eye, an eye on the Netherlands, and Gakpo in particular I think obviously didn't have the best season at Liverpool.

But I don't know how likely that is on the evidence of, of the last few months.

The Blood Red Podcast from the Liverpool Echo.

I mean, it's, it's no secret even though I'm not, um, you know, setting off fireworks or anything, that I've been calling for a change for a little while now.

I think the style of football was a massive part of that.

I think, you know, it's, it's not necessarily that Liverpool needs to be wedded to one exact style of football.

Um, I, I don't agree with that.

But I do think what we need to see, um, is a type of football that can feed off the Anfield atmosphere.

Um, a- the kind of football that allows us to, to become a scary team for, for opponents to play against when we're at home again.

The Blood Red Podcast from the Liverpool Echo.

I'll admit, I can't think of too many examples where that's happened, but I d- I don't know whether this is, is the same as, as that scenario.

No, I mean, yeah, I'm, I'm maybe on the more popular side of the debate, but I don't get any satisfaction from this position.

[laughs] You know, I watched a man win the league last season in his first season, and he was a god, you know.

His picture was on bins around the city.

You know, that's, that's what we're talking... [laughs] Like, you couldn't walk down the road without seeing his, his shiny, bald head with a little crown on it or whatever.

Like, I would've loved more than anything if he'd, you know, carried straight on.

And like you say, with what happened last summer, it was pretty unlikely that we were gonna have a season as strong as last year.

So it's, it's a bit of a tactical conundrum I think, not just in terms of fixing it defensively, but also fitting in a couple of the players that Liverpool have got.

I mean, it didn't feel nice for Arne Slot, put it that way.

No.

No, I mean, I was shocked.

Uh, I w- I was shocked.

Um, I've never booed the team before.

I, I don't particularly like doing it, but I'll be honest, in that moment I did join in because I feel like it, it felt like an opportunity to, to voice some discontent towards the manager's decision-making.

I feel like when you're booing at the end, uh, which I didn't join in on.

Mm.

[laughs]

I'm in agreement broadly that, you know, when players reach that age that they are no longer performing to the standards that they were.

Your, your best, y- your best, your best option basically is to look for replacements.

Obviously I think with Alisson it's a little bit different because I haven't really seen his levels drop massively this season.

I think what, you know, what Ian said about the chances that we've been giving up, you know, it's...

There's only so much you can do about that.

With the other two I think Robertson's been on the decline for the last couple of years.

Although Liverpool won there this season, didn't they? But, you know, um, the, that's the sort of signing you'd like to see come in.

Yeah, he is.

But, um, you know, you, you see that he's able to get himself into those positions, and that bit of pace that he's got is just something that we don't have.

I mean, basically nobody is as fast as Frimpong in the league, I would say.

So, I mean, he's, he's gotta be an option there.

But I think we signed him as a right-back, I think he will probably play as a right-back, and obviously now Conor's injured, which, you know, we can only hope is not as bad as it looks.

Um, he's probably gonna be asked to play there a bit more but, you know, with the future of Salah up in the balance, you never know.

I think I want to give a shout-out to Quakes as well, since you mentioned the full-backs.

So what, what- you know, what, what is he doing? What are, what were your thoughts on the incident, Morgan?