Liverpool's Draw Against Forest: Isak's Warning on Control

Anfield heard the roar again, but not the one it craves.

Liverpool twice had to drag themselves off the canvas to salvage a 2-2 draw with Forest on Saturday, and when the noise finally died down, Alexander Isak cut through the emotion with something colder: concern.

Character? No issue. Control? That’s the problem.

The Reds are still waiting for their first league win under Andoni Iraola, and the early-season patience around a new project is starting to fray on Merseyside.

Isak’s warning amid the chaos

On a dramatic afternoon at Anfield, Liverpool showed their usual refusal to accept defeat, rescuing a point late on. Isak, though, was in no mood to dress it up.

"I think there's no problem in fighting spirit and never giving up. I think we showed that last week as well," he told TNT Sports, before turning the spotlight on the team’s recurring flaw. "Obviously we started the game pretty bad today as well. When we gained momentum by scoring a goal, that's where we need to be better, I think, because again today we conceded quite quickly after that."

That pattern is what bothers him: Liverpool battle back, ignite the stadium, then hand the initiative straight back. For a side with “lofty ambitions”, as the Swede knows all too well, that simply will not carry them through a long Premier League season.

Slow start, sharp punishment

Iraola’s Liverpool never truly settled in the opening stages. The tempo he demands was missing; the pressing triggers were half a beat late. Forest sensed it.

Midway through the first half, Dan Ndoye struck, silencing Anfield and exposing a backline that still looks unsure when the press is broken. The goal underlined Liverpool’s vulnerability in transition, a theme that has shadowed the opening weeks of Iraola’s tenure.

The response finally came on the hour. Isak, carrying the weight of being the new focal point in attack, produced the kind of finish Liverpool bought him for, dragging his side level and waking up the Kop.

The lift didn’t last. The pressure finally told at the other end, and Forest were back in front when Morgan Gibbs-White converted from the penalty spot, restoring the visitors’ lead and plunging Liverpool back into anxiety.

A striker’s burden

Isak knows exactly what he has walked into. Leading the line at Anfield is never a quiet job, and under a new manager, the scrutiny only intensifies.

Asked if he feels a greater sense of responsibility this season, he didn’t dodge it. "Yeah, of course. That's the job ultimately as a striker. Obviously I'm very happy to score the first one and hopefully it just keeps coming."

There was no talk of chasing records, no grand personal targets. Just the simple reality of his position.

"Not really. I think every striker wants to score in every game he plays."

His words matched his demeanour: satisfied with the goal, dissatisfied with the bigger picture.

Adjusting to Iraola

The shift from the previous regime to Iraola’s high-intensity blueprint has been one of the main talking points around Anfield. The Spaniard, whose reputation was forged at Bournemouth and Rayo Vallecano, demands relentless work without the ball and sharp, coordinated movement with it.

So far, Liverpool have shown flashes rather than full games.

"It's been good. There's always time to get used to a new playing style and a new manager," Isak said. "But we are really working hard to try to play the game he wants us to play and I think when we start doing that better, I have no doubt that the results will come."

The conviction was clear, but so was the caveat: “when we start doing that better.” Right now, they are stuck somewhere between old habits and new demands, and the league table offers no sympathy for a tactical transition.

Anfield’s voice, and the road ahead

One thing did not waver: the stadium. Back at Anfield, Liverpool were carried through the swings of the contest by a fanbase desperate to see this new era ignite.

"It was amazing. I think our fans were amazing. Really happy to be back here at home and I can't wait to be back here again," Isak said, visibly energised by the Kop’s backing.

Yet even that famous atmosphere cannot mask the defensive issues. The backline looks exposed on the break, and until that is fixed, the output of a talented forward line will be undermined.

Next up is a midweek trip to Ipswich Town. Early in a season, it should be just another fixture. For Iraola and Isak, it already feels like a test of whether this project can settle, or whether these warning signs harden into something more serious.