Liverpool Must Be Ruthless Against Nottingham Forest, Says Frimpong

Jeremie Frimpong says Liverpool have been given one clear instruction ahead of their Anfield return against Nottingham Forest on Saturday: be ruthless.

Andoni Iraola’s first Premier League game in charge produced a breathless 2-2 draw at Newcastle United, but it also left a nagging frustration. Liverpool carved out chances at St. James’ Park, failed to kill the game, and needed a 99th-minute Dominik Szoboszlai penalty to escape with a point.

The lesson has been ringing in their ears all week.

‘Just finish the actions’

“The message has been: finishing your chances, finishing the actions, because that’s what gets you the result,” Frimpong told Liverpoolfc.com.

“You can keep the ball all you want but if you don’t finish then it stays 0-0 or they end up scoring, so [the message has been]: just finish the actions.”

Liverpool’s performance on Tyneside offered flashes of what Iraola wants – front-foot football, aggression, constant running – but it was also a reminder that a new era does not click into place overnight.

The Newcastle game was Iraola’s first competitive outing in the dugout. Frimpong expects the understanding between squad and head coach to grow with every session.

“It’s normal,” the right-back said. “I think every coach has their own type of system that they want to play and it takes time to adjust and for us to know, and get used to it [to a point] where we’re comfortable with it.

“So, we’re still working on it but I think it’s going the right way.”

A new role, and a fit-again Frimpong

One of the early tweaks under Iraola is Frimpong’s position. Last season he was shuffled between right wing and right-back. This time, the brief is clearer.

“This whole pre-season I played right-back and I’m getting more comfortable there,” the No.30 explained.

“Last season was a mixture of right wing and right-back, but right now it’s just been right-back. I feel like I’m defending more, I’m recovering more [and] I still attack, of course. But I like it, I’m enjoying it.

“Obviously first of all, [I am enjoying] just being on the pitch because last season [I had] injuries, so just being on the pitch and looking at my teammates and trying to help them out [is good].”

There’s a different energy to his words. Less about positions on a tactics board, more about the simple joy of being available, running, tackling, overlapping again.

‘This is home’

Saturday brings Liverpool back to Anfield for the first time in the league this season, and Frimpong’s voice lifts when he talks about it.

“This is home, this is where we’re comfortable at, this is where we are at peace,” he said. “So, it’s going to be a tough game, but we’re happy to be home again with all of our fans… when you’re at home with fans like Liverpool’s, it’s amazing.

“Obviously we would have liked to win against Newcastle but I don't think it’s a bad result coming from St. James’ Park. But we definitely want to win against Forest for sure. It’s going to be a hard battle but we’ll see what happens.”

Liverpool know the draw at Newcastle can be framed two ways: a late escape or a platform. Iraola and his staff are clearly pushing for the second interpretation, using the performance as a springboard rather than a warning sign.

The demand is simple: same intensity, sharper edge.

An accidental scouting trip

Frimpong will not go into Saturday blind. He has already had a close look at Oliver Glasner’s Forest side – almost by chance.

“I’ve watched Forest. They had a pre-season friendly against [Bayer] Leverkusen and I went over to watch them,” he revealed. “They play good football, they are really good.

“I really like how they play. Obviously they play similar to Crystal Palace last season because of the manager, and obviously we had a difficult time with Crystal Palace last season. So, like I said, it’s going to be a tough game, for sure.”

That Palace reference lingers. Glasner’s high-tempo, organised style caused Liverpool problems last term. Forest, under the same coach, will arrive at Anfield with a familiar blueprint and no intention of simply soaking up pressure.

Liverpool, though, have their own plan now. A new manager, a redefined right-back, a home crowd impatient to see this project catch fire – and one message echoing through the week:

Finish.