Our Liverpool FC fans' jury share their thoughts on the draw at Newcastle United and look ahead to Nottingham Forest and the final days of the transfer window
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - AUGUST 25: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Andoni Iraola, Head Coach of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on August 25, 2026 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Nikki Dyer/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola during Tuesday's Liverpool training session at the AXA Training Centre(Image: Nikki Dyer/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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Liverpool kick-started the Andoni Iraola era with a 2-2 draw at Newcastle United in their Premier League opener on Sunday. While it was very much a point gained, after a nerveless 99th-minute penalty equaliser from Dominik Szoboszlai, the performance highlighted the improvements that will be need to made on the training field, and more pressingly, in the transfer market.
The Reds have moved closer to sealing a blockbuster deal for Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain that looks set to see the club pay a £100m+ fee for the third time in two summers.
But with five days to go until the window closes, Barcola cannot be the only business done by Liverpool, who play their first home match of the campaign on Saturday when they entertain Nottingham Forest.
And it's against that backdrop that we get the thoughts of our Reds' fans' jury...
James Noble
The small sample size and notable time for discussion at this stage of a football season can be useful, but can also make bigger-picture assessments tricky. Sunday’s lively 2-2 draw at Newcastle United - a fitting tribute to Kevin Keegan - certainly looked a Premier League opener that Andoni Iraola and Co. could take plenty of valuable information from.
There were encouraging elements - Liverpool appeared better set to impose themselves, while forcing that late equaliser bodes well persistence-wise. Concerns over midfield balance, turnovers and decision making also make sense, but the Tyneside experiences - and those factors’ interrelatedness - offer routes to improvement. The ongoing development process can, hopefully, be enjoyable.
And the longer-term picture remains mobile. A deal for Bradley Barcola, promisingly, is reportedly edging closer, with further ins and outs possible. Curtis Jones’ departure felt a shame, but his Reds career is one to be proud of. Meanwhile, this week’s Champions League and Carabao Cup draws highlight the additional intensity 2026/27 will soon take on – and the importance of squad depth.
Saturday lunchtime’s first competitive Anfield outing under Iraola is, in itself, reason for excitement. Oliver Glasner’s Nottingham Forest have started with two home defeats to Leeds United and are themselves a work in progress, yet ought to provide a stern test. Coherent on-field and off-field work over the coming days can platform positive short and long-term development.
Matt Whitty
The two goals Liverpool conceded at Newcastle exposed two different problems. Andoni Iraola could adjust the shape after the first, but better positioning only gets you so far. The players still have to recognise when danger simply has to be stopped.For Newcastle’s first goal, Ryan Gravenberch had glided through midfield to carry Liverpool forward, but then chose the wrong option on the edge of the box and gave the ball away. With so many players committed ahead of the ball, Newcastle suddenly had the space to run straight at us.
Iraola adjusted that tactically. For the second goal Liverpool were better set when we lost the ball in a similar area and had enough bodies back. Yet Yoane Wissa was still allowed to waltz through Florian Wirtz, Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai without anyone making the tackle or taking the foul.
Even if Liverpool signed a No.6, this would still be a collective responsibility. A specialist could add balance and free up the more creative players, but everyone still has to recognise danger and stop it.
Iraola can fix the shape. The players have to supply the edge.
Rhys Buchanan
The way the club has handled its business this window is starting to look increasingly erratic. Dialogues with the likes of Yankuba Minteh and Ismaila Sarr this close to the deadline have felt slightly last-gasp and desperate. What’s more, unsuccessful developments in those negotiations feel embarrassing.
The reality is, we’ve all known about the need for a rapid winger ever since Luis Diaz left us. I think last Sunday against Newcastle highlighted the urgent need for some established players who can come on and win a game. Seeing a player like Florian Wirtz looking like he’d seen a ghost on the bench left me feeling completely deflated as we looked to turn the scoreline around. That being said, I was very impressed by the likes of Lewis Koumas and Victor Munoz, who ultimately salvaged us a point, but the lack of options off the bench is currently very worrying, although it does sound promising over Bradley Barcola.
All that being said, I was left so frustrated by Jamie Carragher’s inflammatory comments on Monday Night Football about last summer being the worst transfer window ever. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and his comments, one game into the season, will only pile more pressure on the manager and squad. It’s so early in the season, yet somehow three points tomorrow feels so crucial.