Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong during the Premier League match at Anfield. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.
Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong during the Premier League match at Anfield. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.
Premier League: Liverpool 2 Nottingham Forest 2
You don’t tend to realise the value of something until it’s gone and when it comes to Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool must be quietly wishing they could go full-back to the future.
Andoni Iraola’s players made a Nottingham Forest side comfortably nullified by Leeds United with two shutouts in three days look capable of scoring on every attack as the Spaniard encountered teething troubles at every turn on an Anfield curtain-raiser which provided far more questions than answers.
Chief among those remain the doubts, originally nagging, now bordering on the full-blown, over £70m (€82m) duo Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, who continue to struggle to fill the chasm left by two of the finest full-backs to don a red shirt in recent decades.
A long-term knee injury suffered by Northern Ireland international right-back Conor Bradley hasn’t helped Iraola, with the current incumbents looking susceptible in defence and largely non-existent going forward.
Frimpong, caught offside as Florian Wirtz found the net before half time, even cost his side a goal.
Perhaps Bradley Barcola can play right-back?
That lack of cutting edge down the flanks has played its part, along with injury, in Alexander Isak’s far-from- smooth transition 12 months on from his acrimonious departure from Newcastle.
When he has been fit, service has been at best sporadic for the Swede, who displayed his predatory instincts by drawing the hosts level for the first time with a trademark poacher’s finish from Cody Gakpo’s inviting low centre.
A fourth goal in 10 Premier League starts with only his ninth touch of the match hints at brighter times ahead if the number nine can stay fit and focused.
After Liverpool failed to secure victory in an opening home game for only the second time in the last 14 attempts, Alexis MacAllister discussed, with some justification, how the methods of the new head coach will take time to bed in, as they did at Bournemouth before reaping significant rewards.
“The manager wants us to be on the front foot and to press quite high,” the Argentina midfielder said.
Victor Munoz rescued a late point with a thunderous equaliser which flew in off the underside of the bar but a sixth game without a victory sees Liverpool on their longest winless run in the Premier League for 14 years.
MacAllister added: “There were some misunderstandings, which is normal when you start working and playing in a different way. We see things that we’re doing well and we’re moving in the right direction in terms of what the manager wants — but at this time it is not enough.
“We know we need results because this is Liverpool and if we want to fight for the title, we need to start winning.”
Iraola’s side have come from behind four times in their opening two draws and MacAllister added: “Our mentality when we are losing is something very positive but it’s not enough. We are Liverpool; these are not transition years.”
Given the trigger-happy nature of the Nottingham Forest owner, transitions at the City Ground could almost be measured in minutes, given the indecent haste with which some managers have been shown the (revolving?) door.
Forest have acquired a more-than capable head coach in Oliver Glasner, who has spoken to his players of the time it will take to implement his blueprint in a side who led through a first league goal in more than a year from Swiss forward Dan Ndoye.
Morgan Gibbs-White restored the lead, sending Alisson Becker the wrong way from the penalty spot after the Brazilian fouled Neco Williams when the former Liverpool defender was released into the area by a quick throw from new £50m arrival Liam Delap.
What is it about the Delap family and throw-ins?
“I think he got that instinct from his dad,” James McAtee reflected after a man-of-the-match display in the Forest engine room, referencing former Republic of Ireland midfielder Rory Delap’s prowess in hurling the ball to all corners for Stoke back in the day.
McAtee, who looks more than capable of filling the Elliot Anderson-shaped hole in the Forest line-up following the England midfielder’s move to Manchester City, added: “The gaffer has backed me from the start. Last season was tough; there was another manager after another manager, but this one coming in, I think it’s settling the lads.
“He’s said that it’s going to maybe take a few weeks, a few months, but once we all get used to the formation we can do something special.”
Given an owner whose timescales at best run to hours and days, it’s to be hoped Glasner at least gets a modicum of time to help Forest see the wood from the trees.
LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Becker 5; Frimpong 5 (Gravenberch 71, 5), Jacquet 6 (Araujo 77, 6), van Dijk 5, Kerkez 5 (Tsimikas 71, 5); Szoboszlai 6, MacAllister 5 (Nyoni 77, 6); Munoz 7, Wirtz 7, Gakpo 7 (Ngumoha 71, 5); Isak 7.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (3-4-2-1): Sels 6; Jair Cunha 6, Milenkovic 6, Murillo 6; Aina 7(Netz 86, 6), Schlager 7, McAtee 7 (Hudson-Odoi 90, 5), Williams 7; Ndoye 7 (Delap 66, 7), Gibbs-White 7; Igor Jesus 7 (Dominguez 90, 5).