Meet the brand new boss, similar because the outdated boss.
No, don’t fear, we’re not making sweeping judgments of Andoni Iraola – though we’ll come on to him very shortly – however the Nottingham Forest supervisor.
Oliver Glasner, like Sean Dyche final season and Nuno Espirito Santo the yr earlier than, has rocked up at Anfield and uncovered Liverpool’s vulnerabilities.
Two years in the past, Liverpool’s bogey staff Forest have been the primary facet to beat Arne Slot on September 14, 2024. He didn’t lose one other league sport till April 6, 2025 they usually have been topped champions of England three weeks later.
Final yr, a 3-0 Forest triumph marked Slot’s eighth loss in 11 video games in a run that was the start of the top for the Dutch empire at Anfield.
This time it was solely a draw however the identical points have been on show for Liverpool. A susceptibility to the counter assault, an absence of ingenuity to interrupt down a cussed low block, second-best within the bodily battles.
Andoni Iraola could be forgiven for pondering he was watching final season’s Liverpool – the identical points hold popping up
They’re nonetheless susceptible to counter-attacks, lack ingenuity, and are second-best bodily
Had it not been for Alexander Isak’s first aim of the season and a thunderous strike for brand new boy Victor Munoz to get off the mark, Forest would have travelled again to Nottingham with three straight wins at Anfield.
Because it was, Iraola’s males confirmed battle and registered a degree, simply as they did at Newcastle six days earlier. A pair of Desmonds to begin the season isn’t good by any stretch however it may — and possibly ought to — have been a lot worse.
The brand new head coach continues to be ready to see his DNA on this Liverpool facet. For now, he’s seeing what he would have seen when learning them final time period.
It was nicely trailed that Iraola would take time to get his strategies working — he began with a horrible run at Bournemouth earlier than a growth interval noticed them fly up the desk and by no means look again, culminating in taking them to European soccer for the primary time.
Anfield isn’t one of the best place for any affected person experiments, although. The stadium is a spot fraught with nerves and frustration. When a move goes astray, the grumbles are clear. When an opponent has an opportunity, the nervousness spreads like a virus. Perhaps each of these are signs of a hangover from final season when it felt like Liverpool hit a brand new low every week.
Final week at Newcastle, weaknesses have been uncovered within the Reds’ midfield. There was a slight enchancment right here, as Iraola dropped Ryan Gravenberch, however the again 4 nonetheless resembled troopers coming into the battlefield with no armour.
Broad defence was the problem this week. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez have time on their facet however it’s laborious to flee the conclusion that they’re seismic downgrades on their predecessors. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson used to battle for help information, now the complete backs barely beat the primary defender with their crosses.
On the different finish, they’re focused and bullied. Dan Ndoye may have had a hat-trick right here if he had luck on his facet. Alisson gave away a penalty however the Brazil No 1 got here to the rescue many occasions earlier than that to bail out Liverpool’s lacklustre again 4.
It took a second of brilliance from Victor Munoz to make sure Liverpool took a degree at Anfield
Anfield is fraught with pressure – and the arrival of bogey staff Nottingham Forest amplified that
Munoz was a shining mild and the person of the match, although, in a single constructive. He appears to be like an actual expertise and a typical Liverpool signing at £34.5million from Osasuna. That’s a steal on this market and the Spain worldwide will definitely assist remedy Iraola’s attacking points.
Bradley Barcola will do the identical after which some. The Frenchman is about to pen a five-year deal, pending a medical. He’ll value £123m so, not like Munoz and birthday boy Rio Ngumoha, 18, Barcola should carry prompt success.
All of the pointers are that he’ll do this given he’s a two-time champion of Europe and was Paris Saint-Germain’s prime scorer in Ligue 1 final season. He performs like he has lightning in his boots and his tips are magic, and he ought to be the game-changer Iraola calls for.
Immediate success isn’t any assure for big-money buys, although. Nobody is aware of that greater than Liverpool’s switch chiefs. Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz value a mixed £241m however haven’t repaid the outlay but.
They did, although, make necessary strides to assist Liverpool thus far. Wirtz’s passing was crisper and he appeared to maneuver the ball ahead faster, slightly than filtering and taking part in protected. Isak took his aim nicely additionally, simply his fifth in a Reds shirt as we method the one-year anniversary of his arrival.
A lot better on each counts for 2 gamers who’ve proven glimpses however by no means had any consistency. One other stable efficiency at Ipswich on Friday evening is an efficient place to buck that development, possibly with Barcola to their left — although the Frenchman has been neglected of PSG squads and can want time to construct health.
It’s laborious to reach at an actual conclusion of Iraola’s staff as a result of, as we noticed right here, it’s concurrently honest to say that the sky is the restrict — if the big-money boys begin ticking — but in addition that the ground is worryingly low if final season’s points usually are not mounted.
Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz confirmed enchancment in opposition to Forest – the previous scored – however they’re but to repay their mixed £241million outlay
This match was watched by Liverpool’s new vice chairman Amit Bhatia and his billionaire father-in-law Lakshmi Mittal, alongside principal proprietor John W Henry.
It represents the beginning of a brand new period for the membership with the world’s third-richest man Jeff Bezos backing the challenge.
However not like most issues in Bezos’s world, Iraola won’t be capable to order success on next-day supply.
