Liverpool net late in Forest draw to avoid Anfield debut defeat for Iraola

Some of the billionaires behind Liverpool were present for the opening performance of Andoni Iraola’s Anfield reign but were given more food-for-thought than the feast they might have been expecting. Nottingham Forest were full value for the second 2-2 draw of Iraola’s tenure as Liverpool demonstrated they need sturdier foundations as well as the decoration of £123m Bradley Barcola. Oliver Glasner’s team, like Newcastle last week, exploited Liverpool’s defensive frailties regularly and were on course for a third successive Premier League win at Anfield before summer signing Victor Muñoz salvaged another late draw for the hosts with a superb equaliser. Dan Ndoye and Morgan Gibbs-White twice put Forest ahead only for Alexander Isak and Muñoz to level...

Signing of World Cup winner adds to sense that this is the summer when BlueCo got serious in transfer market Carlo Cudicini was a very good goalkeeper. However, José Mourinho was ruthless when he became Chelsea manager in 2004. Very good was not good enough. Mourinho wanted the best and one of the main factors behind the Portuguese winning the Premier League during his first season in charge was the decision to replace Cudicini with Petr Cech. There is an old line about a great goalkeeper being worth 15 points a season. It is not for nothing, for instance, that Brian Clough regarded Peter Shilton as one of his most important signings at Nottingham Forest. Shilton was key when Forest defied the odds by winning the Division One title in 1978 and there are plenty of other examples of promising teams taking the next step only after buying a top No 1...

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