Two games in, and it’s clear: Liverpool’s defense is a mess. Back-to-back draws, including a wild 2-2 nail-biter against Nottingham Forest, show manager Andoni Iraola has his work cut out for him if he wants to turn this ship around. Two points from two matches? That’s just not going to cut it, not for a club like this.
The Defensive Nightmare Is Real
It’s not just the results, folks, it’s *how* they’re happening that’s got everyone tearing their hair out! Forest carved up their wings like it was a Sunday scrimmage, getting easy looks right in the center of the box. We’re seeing flashes of last season’s team that still, somehow, can’t seem to make all their amazing individual pieces fit together into a cohesive unit. You got these big names, right? But the backline? Not meshing. New fullbacks Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, who’ve been on the squad since before the 2025-26 season, were struggling big time, and this latest game was absolutely no different. Kerkez’s passes were off all night, giving Forest free tickets to counter-attack city and leaving the entire defense hung out to dry. And come on, with Andrew Robertson already gone, there’s a screaming need at fullback. So why are all the transfer rumors about *more* attackers, like some expensive winger named Bradley Barcola? It makes absolutely no sense when your defense is bleeding goals!
Unbalanced Chaos and Rising Pressure
Then there’s the whole Dominik Szoboszlai saga. This guy is their best midfielder, hands down. But here’s the kicker, he’s also, somehow, their best *fullback* right now, and guess what? The team looked their most dangerous late in the game when he was playing on the right back position! That’s wild! But with Curtis Jones offloaded to Inter, how on earth can you even *think* about pulling Szoboszlai out of midfield? It’s created this totally strange, unbalanced setup across the whole squad. Florian Wirtz is stuck dropping way deeper than he should be, just trying to make things happen, and Alexander Isak, a striker who thrives on support, is left completely isolated up top. Poor guy. Manager Iraola walked into this job with massive pressure, and two draws with two goals allowed, even with new center-back Jeremy Jacquet supposedly shoring things up, just isn’t cutting it. Yeah, they did create enough to win in attack, but it was in these weird, disjointed spells, while Forest was consistently generating chances. And don’t even get me started on that Alisson penalty after Neco Williams lost the ball and the keeper clattered him… that felt super soft. When you’re a team like Liverpool, these kind of questionable moments shouldn’t be the deciding factor in a game. It’s frustrating to watch!
Next up is Ipswich Town in the league, then it’s straight into a Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid. The clock is ticking, and Iraola needs to figure out this defense *now*. Two points in two games just isn’t enough, not with Champions League play right around the corner. Can they finally get a win and tighten up that backline? We’ll be watching!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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