Liverpool rescued another point at Anfield, but the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest has left me with more questions than answers.
There were positives.
Florian Wirtz looked much more dangerous, Alexander Isak finally scored his first Liverpool goal and Víctor Muñoz produced another huge moment to rescue his team.
But once again, Liverpool exposed some of the same weaknesses that were visible against Newcastle.
Two games.
Two draws.
Four goals conceded.
And there are five things in particular that really concern me.
1. The full-backs are still a major concern
I don’t think we can keep ignoring this.
Both Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez struggled again.
Frimpong did have some good moments going forward and was involved in the build-up to Wirtz’s disallowed goal, but defensively he looked vulnerable and his final delivery was inconsistent.
Kerkez was also disappointing.
He gave the ball away cheaply, struggled to influence the game and was eventually taken off.
The biggest concern is that Liverpool don’t appear to have particularly convincing alternatives.
Tsimikas can provide experience, but he’s hardly a long-term solution.
And with Conor Bradley and other options unavailable, Iraola’s choices are limited.
Liverpool have spent enormous money on attacking players.
But watching this team, I keep coming back to the full-back positions.
2. The options off the bench are worrying
This is perhaps the biggest problem of all.
When Liverpool need to change a game, who can Iraola actually turn to?
Against Forest, the manager made changes, but there wasn’t exactly an embarrassment of attacking riches waiting on the bench.
The squad is extremely thin.
Young players such as Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha are being asked to contribute, while injuries have made the situation even more difficult.
That isn’t a criticism of the youngsters.
Quite the opposite.
They are being thrown into situations where they shouldn’t necessarily have to carry the responsibility yet.
Liverpool are going to be competing in the Premier League, Champions League and domestic cups.
You need depth to survive that.
And right now, I’m not convinced Liverpool have enough of it.
3. Alexander Isak still isn’t getting enough service
Yes, Isak scored.
And I’m delighted for him.
But we have to look beyond the goal.
He had just six touches in the first half and finished the match with only 12, according to This Is Anfield.
That’s nowhere near enough.
Liverpool have spent £125m on Isak because he’s supposed to be one of the most dangerous strikers in world football.
Yet we’re seeing him isolated for long periods.
The problem isn’t necessarily Isak.
It’s the service.
Liverpool need to get the ball into dangerous areas quicker.
They need runners around him.
They need Wirtz and the wingers finding him earlier.
They need their full-backs delivering better balls.
Because there’s absolutely no point spending £125m on a world-class striker if we’re going to leave him watching the game from the edge of the action.
His goal against Forest was encouraging.
Now Liverpool have to build on it.
4. That penalty was never a penalty — far too soft
I’m sorry, but I simply didn’t think this was a penalty.
Neco Williams went into the box, Alisson came out and there was contact.
But for me, it was far too soft to award a penalty in a Premier League game.
Even Alisson appeared furious with the decision and was booked for his reaction.
Forest obviously won’t care.
They were given the penalty and Morgan Gibbs-White converted it brilliantly.
But from a Liverpool perspective, I would be incredibly frustrated.
Liverpool had already been punished for their defensive mistakes.
To then concede from what felt like such a soft decision made it even more difficult.
Of course, Liverpool shouldn’t have allowed the situation to develop in the first place.
But that doesn’t change my opinion.
I’ve seen much more contact waved away.
5. The midfield is still a concern
This is the one that really worries me.
Liverpool’s midfield still doesn’t look balanced.
Against Newcastle, we saw how vulnerable the team could be when the midfield was too attacking.
Against Forest, there were again periods where Liverpool struggled to control the game and protect the defence.
Alexis Mac Allister’s return helped.
Dominik Szoboszlai worked hard.
But I still don’t think Liverpool have solved the fundamental problem.
Who is the midfielder who protects the defence?
Who wins the ball?
Who stops counter-attacks?
Who gives the centre-backs protection?
Who allows Wirtz, Szoboszlai and the attacking players to concentrate on creating?
At the moment, I’m not sure Liverpool have that player.
And if they don’t address it, better teams than Nottingham Forest will punish them.
The bigger picture
This is why I’m finding it difficult to look at these two draws and simply say:
“It’s only the start of the season.”
Yes, it is.
Yes, Iraola needs time.
Yes, new players need time to settle.
But these aren’t isolated problems.
The same issues keep appearing.
The full-backs look vulnerable.
The midfield lacks balance.
Isak isn’t getting enough service.
The bench doesn’t have enough depth.
And Liverpool are giving opponents too many opportunities.
The positive is that there is clearly attacking quality in this team.
Wirtz looks increasingly dangerous.
Isak has opened his account.
Muñoz has been fantastic.
And Bradley Barcola is on his way.
But Barcola isn’t going to solve every problem.
My verdict
Liverpool have shown plenty of character by coming from behind twice in both of their opening games.
But character shouldn’t have to rescue Liverpool every week.
At some point, the performances have to become more convincing.
Iraola needs help.
And Liverpool’s hierarchy need to look at this squad honestly.
Because if they believe this group is strong enough to compete on four fronts, they’re asking an awful lot of the manager.
There is still time to strengthen.
And after watching Liverpool’s first two games, I’d argue they need to.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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