REUTERS/Scott Heppell
Well, that's two 2-2 Premier League draws to kick off the Andoni Iraola era at Liverpool. Rome was never going to be built in a day after such suffering last season, but it's clear that there are numerous issues that still need fixing.
Fundamentally, this is an imbalanced squad. Liverpool lack fluency and progression on the ball. Both full-backs are erratic and specialists in carrying the ball forward, not passing with the range and gusto of predecessors Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Nottingham Forest were well worth their point at Anfield, whose flat atmosphere made a telling comment on how many improvements need to be made over the coming weeks and months.
REUTERS/Scott Heppell
FSG need to deliver a few more signings: out wide and in the middle of the park. However, newbie Victor Munoz stepped up and salvaged a point with a thumping late strike. He looks the real deal under Iraola's wing.
How Victor Munoz performed at Anfield
Munoz joined Liverpool in June after FSG pulled off a hijack, swiping the 23-year-old Osasuna winger away from Newcastle United. Sometimes, shrewd signings can be just as impactful as big-money buys, and he is certainly proving that after joining for a £35.5m fee.
Munoz started down the left wing at Anfield, and a spirited, albeit wasteful, display looked to have petered out before he latched onto Florian Wirtz's through ball late on and rifled a thunderous effort past Matz Sels. It was the punchy attacking effort that Liverpool have been craving, and he has done his chances of cementing a starting berth later down the line no harm at all.
He has made a strong start to life at Liverpool, not only making a substantial contribution on his Anfield debut, but winning the penalty that secured a last-gasp point at St. James' Park one week ago.
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Victor Munoz in the Premier League
Match Stats
Minutes played
Goals + Assists
Touches
Shots (on target)
Accurate passes
Chances created
Crosses completed
Dribbles completed
Ball recoveries
Def. contributions
Duels won
However, Munoz's late strike did spare a few blushes at Anfield. Several players are struggling to gel, with one of the Spain star's teammates surely in line to be dropped after only two games this season.
Liverpool must instantly drop Slot signing
Liverpool have got their share of problems to sort out in the coming days, but it doesn't look like there is going to be space or time to sign a right-back.
However, there are amny within the Liverpool persuasion who would argue this should be a priority, with Jeremie Frimpong flattering to deceive once again.
REUTERS/Scott Heppell
The Arne Slot signing from Bayer Leverkusen has had a rather torrid time since joining the club one year ago, affected by injury last year and still struggling to sustain a run of form down the right.
Against an organised and resilient Forest side, he could neither break his opponents down nor effectively protect his goalmouth, and he is already at risk of being dropped by Iraola.
He has shown that he can make an impact, but the 25-year-old's erratic and wasteful performances are suggesting that he might struggle to cement himself as Liverpool's first-choice right-back in the long-term.
Against Forest on Saturday afternoon, he left a lot to be desired once again, hooked after 71 minutes having failed to complete a dribble, register a shot or find a teammate with a cross. He attempted four. He was dribbled past too easily by the likes of Dan Ndoye and Neco Williams, Liverpool academy graduate, and he was nowhere to be seen as Ndoye found space to open the scoring in the first-half.
Let's face it. Frimpong is becoming a real problem for Liverpool, lacking the defensive nous to help protect a shaky backline who have now only kept two clean sheets across 19 outings. Moreover, his ball-playing has been shoddy, attempts to cross in the box routinely hitting the first man, or careening over the huddle and out for a throw-in. In all, he lost the ball 11 times from 64 touches.
Last summer, when Liverpool spent £30m to bring him over from Bayer Leverkusen, it felt like shrewd business, but the Dutchman has been poor, and with Conor Bradley still sidelined through injury, it does feel like Szoboszlai may have to move to right-back, where he featured prominently as Slot's side were in crisis last year.
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Szoboszlai's 2025/26 Season at Liverpool by Position
Position
Attacking midfield
Central midfield
Right winger
Right-back
Centre-forward
Frimpong is a popular presence in the dressing room, but Liverpool are not getting bang for their buck on the pitch. If Iraola does not make a change, this could become a tiring and repetitive theme for a side so desperate to climb back into the ascendancy and challenge for the biggest titles once again.
This team is a work in progress, but if Iraola persists with Frimpong as Liverpool's right-back, we are going to be covering the same frustrating ground over the coming months.
Ismaïla Sarr
Ismaïla Sarr