Liverpool 2-2 Nottingham Forest: Same Problems, Bigger Questions Ahead

I came away from Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest disappointed, mainly because it felt like another game where the same problems were there for everyone to see.

The first half was slow, uninspiring and lacked any real urgency. Liverpool had plenty of the ball, but very little of it felt threatening, and once again Alexander Isak looked isolated for large periods.

That is becoming a concern.

Isak is obviously an elite striker, but Liverpool are still not creating enough clear chances for him. Too often he is dropping deeper to get involved or simply feeding off scraps. For the money Liverpool have invested in him, and his quality - the team has to find a way of getting him involved much more consistently.

The full-back situation continues to worry me as well, both defensively and offensively.

With Frimpong in particular, I am still struggling to see exactly what he offers this Liverpool side at the moment. He has pace and energy, but there has not been enough quality in possession, enough defensive security or enough consistency in the final third.

It also leaves the centre-backs horribly exposed.

Too often Liverpool lose the ball and suddenly the midfield has been bypassed, the full-backs are high and the centre-backs are being asked to defend huge spaces. It is very similar to what concerned me against Newcastle. One pass can seemingly take half the team out of the game.

I still think Szoboszlai inverting from right-back could give Liverpool more control and security in possession. The problem is that moving him there then creates another issue because the midfield depth simply is not there.

That is why this final part of the transfer window feels so important.

Gakpo has arguably been Liverpool’s best attacker so far this season, yet there is now the possibility of him leaving for Manchester City for around £85m if Liverpool can find a right-wing replacement.

I can understand the logic at that price, and with Barcola replacing him, but who actually replaces him on the other side?

You cannot lose one of your most productive and reliable attackers without having something substantial lined up. Liverpool need a quality RW, and in my opinion, ideally - left footed, but selling Gakpo would only increase the pressure on Richard Hughes to get that decision right.

There were other frustrations against Forest as well.

I thought the penalty was soft, but regardless of that decision Liverpool were once again far too open in transition. That cannot keep being dismissed as bad luck or early-season teething problems. At some point it becomes a structural issue that needs fixing.

The substitution situation was also ridiculous.

How does it take around three minutes to get substitutions onto the pitch? In a game moving that quickly, those minutes matter. The fact football still relies on somebody manually inputting numbers one at a time, verifying names and holding up a substitution board feels completely outdated, and Liverpool conceded before the changes could even be made.

You cannot say for certain the goal does not happen otherwise, but it certainly did not help.

Rio also does not look himself so far this season, although I do think constantly playing him on the right wing has contributed to that. He looks much more natural when he can receive the ball in areas that suit him rather than constantly being asked to hold width.

A real positive was Munoz.

I thought he looked VERY impressive.

The finish was excellent, but more than that I liked the energy he brought. He was direct, willing to take risks and did not seem scared of losing the ball. That is something Liverpool have lacked.

He looked comfortable on both wings as well, which could make him a really useful option if he keeps developing.

Another positive was Wirtz, who looked much better and far more involved than he has in previous games.

He was finding pockets, turning into space and actually influencing attacks. I think having more direct wingers who make runs in behind really helps his game, because it gives him space to operate and more clear options when he receives the ball between the lines.

If Liverpool can consistently give him that movement around him, I think we will start to see a lot more of the player they invested so heavily in.

None of this means Liverpool suddenly have a bad team.

There is far too much quality for that.

But another 2-2 draw has highlighted issues that are becoming difficult to ignore. Liverpool are too easy to counter against, the full-backs remain a concern, Isak is not receiving enough service and the squad still looks short in key areas.

And now there is potentially another major attacking departure to deal with.

The end of this transfer window is huge.

So are the next few games.

Liverpool need solutions quickly, because these problems are starting to look less like individual mistakes and more like structural patterns combined with a lack of quality/discipline in some areas.