Redknapp Offers Timely Advice to Liverpool Star

Jamie Redknapp believes Andy Carroll should forget about trying to 'play the Liverpool way' and instead concentrate on doing the things that resulted in his move to Anfield in the first place.

Such is the underwhelming form of Liverpool's record signing, rumours in the British media on Wednesday suggested Newcastle were interested in engineering a return for the 23-year-old.

Although the player's agent told the BBC there was "no truth" to the speculation, the aforementioned former Liverpool midfielder believes Carroll needs to start performing to the levels that made him the eighth most costly player in football history.

Redknapp suggests Carroll is too 'placid' in a Liverpool shirt despite making his name at Newcastle as an uncompromising centre-forward and a throwback to a bygone era of English strikers.

While acknowledging Liverpool's system as one of the fundamental reasons behind Carroll's perceived malaise at Anfield, Redknapp suggests the striker should stick to what he is good at. The Sky Sports pundit believes the towering England international would do well to watch videos of his time at Newcastle in order to recall what made him such a threat.

"If they can get him back to the player he was at Newcastle, he can be a success at Liverpool, there's no two ways about it." Redknapp told skysports.com.

"But for that to happen two things have to change; Liverpool must start playing to his strengths and Andy has to start showing desire, he has to really want to prove he can play for Liverpool.

"At the moment he doesn't look that up for it and he looks like he's low on confidence. When he was at Newcastle everything was about him in the same way that everything is about Demba Ba up there right now.

"He was the focal point of that team, he was the star player and every set-piece was dreamt up with him in mind, but that hasn't been the case since he arrived at Liverpool.

Redknapp believes Carroll has perhaps tried too hard to adapt to 'the Liverpool way' and in doing so has forsaken his main armoury.

Redknapp continued: "He's looked so placid to me and he doesn't seem to want to put himself about.

"Sometimes you go to a big club and you think you've got to change your game, but Liverpool signed him because he was a ferocious centre forward, who was great in the air and who would happily head the back of other players' heads to get on the end of crosses.

"Since he's moved I've hardly seen him make an aggressive challenge. He looks as though he's just happy to be at Liverpool and he's trying to play the Liverpool way. If he wants to be a success, he has to go back to playing the Andy Carroll way.

The former England international concluded: "If I was him I would stick on the videos from his Newcastle days and look back at why he was so good, why he scored 31 goals in 57 starts and why Liverpool were happy to spend so much money on him.

Carroll is likely to start Liverpool's Carling Cup tie against Manchester City on Wednesday night. Luis Suarez is currently suspended and the club's record signing looks set to deputise in the absence of the Anfield talisman.