Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest showed subtle signs of improvement but Andoni Iraola has a major problem with his midfield profiles
Dominik Szoboszlai could solve a problem for Liverpool on the right side of midfield
Dominik Szoboszlai could solve a problem for Liverpool on the right side of midfield
View 5 Images
More of the same, then. At least, that was the feeling inside the ground when the final whistle blew on Andoni Iraola's first official game at Anfield as Liverpool's head coach - while the new boss's fresh ideas are welcome, frustrations are lingering with many of the same problems that plagued the Reds last season still readily apparent.
"I think this is a Liverpool team that is a little bit too nice." That was Steven Gerrard's assessment, speaking on TNT Sports after the game ended 2-2 with Iraola's side made to share the points with a Nottingham Forest team that had won their previous two Premier League games at Anfield.
Gerrard continued: "They lack this destroyer, they don't win too many tackles, too many duels, they're a nice team, that's the next development for this Liverpool team.
"They have to be more physical, more aggressive. They would have won last week if they were a bit nastier, uglier to play against. Sometimes you win games a different way: Liverpool have got a lot of nice technical players, a lot of top talent in positions but lack a bit of nastiness.
"That's what the manager has to get in this team because if not, when the big prizes come out, Liverpool won't be there, they lack nastiness and a bit of oomph.
"It's not just one player, it's throughout the team. When teams come to Anfield, the first 45 pass them by, they're nice, they play nice passes, you've got to get the crowd behind you by being a nasty team as well."
Gerrard's assessment - as a player who never shied away from embracing the dark side during his esteemed career as Liverpool's warrior-midfielder - mirrored concerns shared by pundits including Daniel Sturridge after the Reds drew their first game under Iraola away at Newcastle United by the same scoreline.
Despite widespread calls for a new defensive midfielder, the window for transfer business is swinging towards its close and Liverpool may well need to address their physicality problem internally.
But another issue, masked by his stellar performances for large parts of last season, could well be found in the profile of a player often compared to Gerrard: Dominik Szoboszlai.
Szoboszlai is probably the Reds' best player - but is he suited to the role he is being asked to play?
Midfield pairing better on the ball
Last week on the banks of the Tyne, Liverpool's midfield pairing looked horribly unbalanced. Between Szoboszlai's off-the-ball runs and and Ryan Gravenberch's proficiency carrying the ball forward, the midfield department was left vacant for countless Newcastle breaks and played a major role in both of the goals conceded.
Against Forest, some of the same problems remained - and we'll definitely get into those later - but, with Szoboszlai deployed to the left of Alexis Mac Allister, the Reds' midfield at least looked a little more sensible in possession.
It may sound simple, but Mac Allister's tendency to stay behind the ball was key. Staying much more positionally-disciplined than Szoboszlai, the 27-year-old made 21 line-breaking passes - behind only Jeremy Jacquet (24) - serving as a timely reminder of the value he adds to the team with his intelligent distribution.
Alexis Mac Allister's Opta heatmap graphic: Macca kept most of his work in the centre of the field, operating as a disciplined pivot player
Alexis Mac Allister's Opta heatmap graphic: Macca kept most of his work in the centre of the field, operating as a disciplined pivot player(Image: Opta)
View 5 Images
Dominik Szoboszlai's Opta heatmap graphic: Szoboszlai played much more freely than Mac Allister, noticeably getting into wide areas with frequency
Dominik Szoboszlai's Opta heatmap graphic: Szoboszlai played much more freely than Mac Allister, noticeably getting into wide areas with frequency(Image: Opta)
View 5 Images
It was a self-sacrificing performance from the Argentine, but Szoboszlai was as involved as ever around the ball. He attempted 10 crosses - double the tally of Liverpool's next-closest player in Cody Gakpo - but also made the most defensive contributions (13).
Combine that with tallying the second-most shots (3) for the Reds behind new signing Victor Munoz (4), and it's everything you've come to expect for Hungary's captain - always influential, but never in one place for long.
Switching off still a problem
As strong as those numbers sound in the abstract, they conceal a fragility that continues to plague Liverpool. Despite posting 69.1% possession, the Reds conceded a whopping 2.30 xG (expected goals) against Forest.
On the surface, that could indicate a weakness in transition, but Forest's open play xG (the overall number being distorted heavily by Morgan Gibbs-White's penalty) was just 1.16 - an improvement on what Liverpool conceded against Newcastle.
Though the numbers can lie, the eye test doesn't. There were still moments in the game when the Reds were cut through by Forest too easily, none more so than the opening 15 minutes.
During this part of the game, possession was an even 50% each, but Liverpool won only 25.0% of the duels they contested. The Reds also conceded five fouls in the 15-minute spell, attempting just one tackle and not winning it.
These numbers began to improve thereafter, but Forest's first goal after 19 minutes was a shocking one to concede. Some sympathy should be spared for Gakpo - playing in an unfamiliar role on the right and otherwise performing admirably - but the Dutchman was caught ball-watching when he should have been tracking Dan Ndoye, who was allowed to sweep the ball into Alisson's net unchallenged.
Opta momentum graphic: Liverpool were the more threatening team and much improved in the second half. The early momentum spike conceals a scrappy start in which Forest had chances
Opta momentum graphic: Liverpool were the more threatening team and much improved in the second half. The early momentum spike conceals a scrappy start in which Forest had chances(Image: Opta)
View 5 Images
Liverpool switched off again at the end of the half, only winning one of the five duels contested in added time. If not for Alisson's world-class save against his compatriot Igor Jesus, the home side would have been 2-0 down at the break.
Forest's second goal, scored from a penalty awarded amid a kerfuffle on the touchline over a delay in getting the substitution boards to cooperate with the three planned changes, was another example of the Reds being too easily distracted.
It was a smart throw by Liam Delap to put Neco Williams one-v-one with the keeper, but Iraola's side were second to the ball twice in quick succession to concede the penalty.
These moments in the game hurt Liverpool's overall duel balance (winning only 45.1% of their duels across the match), but they don't fully account for the Reds' failure to impose themselves physically over the 90 minutes.
The physical battle is typically won and lost in the midfield, and Liverpool's starting pair ultimately did not do enough.
One problem solved, another emerges
One of the key concerns from last week was the yawning chasm between Liverpool's defence and midfield, particularly in relation to the positioning of captain Virgil van Dijk.
Van Dijk was more aggressive in his positioning here, playing more in-line with Jacquet in possession, and the gap between the two departments of the pitch was made more compact accordingly.
Opta average position graphic: Liverpool condensed the space between midfield and defence against Forest, making for fewer counter-attacks through the middle
Opta average position graphic: Liverpool condensed the space between midfield and defence against Forest, making for fewer counter-attacks through the middle(Image: Opta)
View 5 Images
Neither of the two goals Liverpool conceded came from similar situations to the ones that led to Newcastle's goals in the previous game, instead coming from lapses in concentration rather than breaks spanning the whole length of the pitch.
Forest simply didn't have as much space to run into as the Magpies had been afforded, and the Reds were savvier this time in moments where they would have been caught out in that game.
Florian Wirtz's tactical foul on 58 minutes could have been more discreet - leading to the German being booked - but it prevented a potentially dangerous counter-attack, and Liverpool scored through Alexander Isak two minutes later.
Mac Allister was unafraid as ever to stick a foot in, too. Answering Iraola's call to make a foul when required, the Argentine finished with three and never shirked his responsibilities.
Leaving Mac Allister on his own to deal with such situations, though, has already been shown to be far from the best idea. The 2022 World Cup winner lacks the physicality (in both speed and strength) to match his technical ability, and was frequently caught out last season when playing as the deepest midfielder.
Indeed, despite probably playing his best game for Liverpool in some time, Mac Allister failed to win a single one of his three attempted tackles and - through no fault of his own - was bullied in the air, winning just one of his six aerial duels.
In total, Mac Allister won six of his 16 duels contested (37.5%). Szoboszlai won a higher percentage of his duels but still fewer than half (45.5%), and notably competed in fewer of them overall (11) than his partner, confirming what the eye test suggested - he was less involved in the heart of the midfield battle.
With another player alongside Mac Allister who is able to sniff the danger, this doesn't need to be as much of a problem. But with Szoboszlai partnering him in the midfield - a player who wants to do everything and will regularly leave his position in the pivot - it is only a matter of time until the Argentina international is caught out in one of these scenarios again.
The profiles don't fit
There were subtle signs of improvement in this game - not least the positioning of the defensive line, which was much better - but Liverpool will continue to be troubled by counter-attacking teams until both of the players in the double pivot are control-focused midfielders whose positional intelligence allows them to win the ball back a higher percentage of the time.
This may sound conservative, but in reality it would make the Reds a better counter-pressing team more capable of sustaining wave after wave of attack and suffocating teams into submission.
Neither of Liverpool's midfielders had a terrible game by any means, but this only emphasises the point: the Reds don't have bad players in midfield, they simply have the wrong players in midfield.
With his more expansive style and unbridled energy, Szoboszlai is not a player naturally suited to holding the fort in a double pivot. That could improve with time and experience, but Iraola could arguably far better harness the Hungarian's undeniable ability in areas of the pitch where he can play the game his way without sacrificing the team's control.
One option could be to play him as a right-sided midfielder, similarly to how Iraola often used Marcus Tavernier with another, more out-and-out winger on the opposite flank.
This is a role Szoboszlai knows well from his time at RB Leipzig. It would allow him to unleash his attacking power in the final third without compromising the midfield, while assisting with Liverpool's defensive troubles down the right-hand side (where Forest directed 44.6% of their attacks).
It was a big change to move away from Jurgen Klopp's time-honoured three-man midfield in Arne Slot's last season, and it is a change Liverpool have still not fully figured out.
With a second manager now confronted by the same problem, it is time for the Reds' ecruitment team to pay attention to this issue and ensure Iraola has the midfield profiles available to win the physical battles and earn the right to play his exciting brand of football.
*All statistics used are from Opta unless otherwise stated.