Football News: Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool: brief review

A tough away game, a last gasp winner, 3 points in the bag. Liverpool dominated possession, but a stubborn Nottingham Forest sat deep and with lots of numbers. Forest looked to hit on the break and had some success first half, second half they were more muted. For the entire game, they were physical and it made Liverpool work very hard for everything. Teams sitting that deep for that long are tough to break down. We managed it, the 3 points are ultimately all that matter.

Forest

Physical, hard working, defensive, looked to hit on the counter. Kelleher made a smart save first half to deny them in a one-on-one situation. Second half they were inches away from scoring after good work from Hudson-Odoi on the wing. They were the two big chances they had. After Awoniyi came on they tried to be more physical, but against Van Dijk and Konate it didn't really work.

They had a strong shout for a penalty but, given Liverpool had a very similar one also turned down. I don't think there can be too many complaints about a decision changing a result. Nuno has them well organized, and they do have good attacking outlets on the wing, but a lack of finishers may see them really grinding out the final few months of the season.

Liverpool

Monopolized possession, carried the majority of the threat, but failed to convert that into meaningful chances. Diaz had the best of the first half, a good defensive block seeing it fly over the bar. Second half pressure built, but there were more good positions than meaningful attempts. The corner count racked up but, given Forest's aforementioned physicality, it never looked like we were in for another Van Dijk goal. Once again, substitutes changed the game (a theme for us this season), and Nunez and Danns really changed the dynamic of our attack for the better.

Nunez continues to be the man for the big occasion, hopefully he can avoid any more injuries as his influence has become ever more crucial. The team looked leggy and the 4 games in 11 days, combined with a lengthy injury list was perhaps taking its toll. It will continue to be intense, so I hope the team is able to ride out the fatigue and keep grinding these results out.

Player ratings

Kelleher - 7.5 - very good, made a couple of crucial saves. Most importantly, he is giving the defense confidence despite the absence of Alisson. Another strong performance and another clean sheet.

Bradley - 7 - very strong defensively, he made life really difficult for their winger and except for one run from Hudson-Odoi, kept them quiet. Did not have a big impact offensively, but another strong game. Did also invert at some points but does not really have the passing range of Trent so not quite as effective.

Robertson - 6.5 - offered a bit more offensively than Bradley but was also a bit more vulnerable defensively. It was a decent game from him overall.

Van Dijk - 6.5 - was solid at the back, dealt with their physicality well. Was caught out playing the high line, but it's always a risk with our style of play. Passing was good and he rarely gave it away.

Konate - 7 - really good showing, gave little away, tidy in possession, and dominated their attackers. He is getting better as he gets more of a consistent run in the team.

Gomez - 7 - played DM, LB and RB, and did not let anyone down. DM is not really his position, but he did ok. His presence at fullback was vital when Robertson and Bradley had both tired, and his versatility and quality of performance was vital.

Macallister - 7.5 - he is playing the CM position a bit more and it is allowing him to affect games more positively. Still has bite in the tackle but is getting on the ball more, which is where he shines. His assist for Nunez was top drawer.

Clark - 6 - was offering the most attacking threat of our midfielders first half but did not deal with their physicality that well. Also showed his youth by allowing himself to be drawn into committing fouls. Invaluable experience, but his substitution was necessary.

Elliott - 6 - didn't play badly, but struggled to make an impact on the wing. The more he plays, the less he looks like a winger. Great technique, nice passing, but does not have the pace to get in behind. Means his play from outwide is more predictable and easily contained.

Diaz - 6 - had a few chances but could not really get much on target. Caused them problems and was our most lively forward first half. Kept holding onto the ball for too long though and it made our attacks slow significantly. Would like to see him get his head up more.

Gakpo - 4.5 - not a good game for him, struggled to impact proceedings and linked up poorly with teammates. Shooting was wayward and on a few occasions, he took on a shot when looking for a pass would have been a better option. His substitution was not a surprise, the fact it did not come earlier was. Can and hopefully will do better next time.

Subs

Endo - 6.5 - came on and slotted into the DM role comfortably. Distribution was good, he was strong in the tackle. Another solid game, his is incredibly consistent.

Nunez - 7.5 - scored the winner. Our attack and our dynamic looked better when he was introduced, and we started having more and more meaningful chances once he was on the pitch. Great header as well. He is formidable in the air.

Szobozlai - 6 - looked very rusty to me which is unsurprising given his injury lay off. Looked to get forward and use the ball but did not quite click. Will probably see him improve significantly once he gets a few more games under his belt.

Tsimikas - 6.5 - picked up where Robertson left off and offered a good attacking outlet. Really good squad player to be able to use.

Danns - 6.5 - came on, got booked, should have had a penalty. Excellent energy though and good luck adding as well, helped knit our attack, which lead to an increase in threat from us. Looks another good academy prospect.

Klopp - these are difficult games when the opposition sits deep and looks to counter. The lack of cohesion in attack was our biggest issue, and his substitutions eventually helped us push the game in our favor. Danns introduction was really important and Klopp having the courage to introduce him at such a crucial stage, shows the quality of Danns, and the quality of Klopp. Hard to know how he could have set us up differently, maybe starting Nunez? But as a player coming off of injury, it is perhaps better he started on the bench.

Think he should perhaps look at putting Diaz on the right and Gakpo on the left in lieu of Nunez, Jota and Salah being unavailable, Elliott could be the false 9? This may not work but I think Gakpo needs to start on the left to get the best out of him, and I think Diaz's ability means he can play on either wing without issue - he was drifting all across the front line anyway so it wouldn't be difficult for him. Overall, Klopp keeps getting the points, that's all we can ask for.

Referees

Inconsistent game to game but at least somewhat consistent in the "controversial" issues this game. Head injury, but gave it back to the team not in possession - happened to them and us so not sure how or why such a fuss is being made. Penalty appeals similar, both ultimately rejected, so again no issue. What they did do was continually reward Forest for what can only be described as blatant diving.

It was laughable how, whenever they were caught in possession, they'd throw themself to the floor and win a free kick. How and why it kept happening, I do not know, but it disrupted our rhythm and game plan and muted our press because, whenever it was successful, free kick. Hudson-Odoi was the worst offender, but they were all at it. The time added at the end? Fully justified given the time-wasting tactics employed, again much ado about nothing.

Conclusions

Can we keep hitting stoppage time winners? I hope so, but odds are we will fall short at some point. Nevertheless, our mentality is excellent, and you need to grind out results. We are continuing to do so. One game at a time and all that, but my god is the next league game a big one - whatever happens against City, I just hope we are talking about at the end of the game and not referees or VAR.

Written by Seano_ March 03 2024 21:24:44