Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong on Finishing Chances Against Nottingham Forest
Jeremie Frimpong has a simple message ringing in his ears as Liverpool prepare to walk out at Anfield on Saturday lunchtime: finish.
The Reds return home to face Nottingham Forest after a chaotic opening-weekend 2-2 draw at Newcastle United, a game that should have been killed off long before Dominik Szoboszlai’s 99th-minute penalty salvaged a point.
They created enough. They just didn’t punish.
“Finishing your chances, finishing the actions, because that’s what gets you the result,” Frimpong told Liverpoolfc.com, summing up Andoni Iraola’s core demand since that trip to St. James’ Park. “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.”
Iraola’s ideas take root
Newcastle was Iraola’s first competitive game in charge, a frantic introduction to life on the Liverpool touchline. The patterns were there, the intent was clear, but the sharpness in both boxes lagged behind the ideas.
For Frimpong, that is all part of the process.
“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.”
There were flashes of what Iraola wants: aggressive pressing, quick transitions, full-backs pushed high and wide. The structure will tighten with time; the demand to be ruthless in front of goal is non-negotiable now.
A new life at right-back
No.30 has been handed a clear role in this new era. Since Iraola’s arrival, Frimpong has been used exclusively at right-back, a shift he has embraced after splitting time between right wing and right-back last season.
“This whole pre-season I played right-back and I’m getting more comfortable there,” he 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.”
There is also a personal edge to that enjoyment. Injury problems disrupted his previous campaign; simply stringing games together now feels like a victory in itself.
“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].”
The role demands more defensive discipline, more recovery runs, more duels. It still leaves space for his attacking instincts, but the balance has shifted. Iraola wants a complete full-back. Frimpong sounds eager to become one.
Anfield, “home” and a hard battle
After the noise and hostility of St. James’ Park, Liverpool step back into familiar surroundings. For Frimpong, that matters.
“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.”
The mood around the draw at Newcastle is measured. Two goals scored, two conceded, a point taken, and plenty to improve.
“Obviously we would have liked to win against Newcastle but I don't think it’s a bad result coming from St. James’ Park,” Frimpong admitted. “But we definitely want to win against Forest for sure. It’s going to be a hard battle but we’ll see what happens.”
The target is clear: turn dominance into three points, not late rescues.
A chance scouting trip
Forest will not arrive as strangers. Frimpong has already seen them up close, by chance as much as design.
“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 comparison will not be lost on Liverpool supporters. Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace side caused them problems last term; his Forest team carries the same principles, the same organised aggression, the same capacity to frustrate.
Liverpool know what is coming. They have seen the patterns, felt the difficulty, watched the tape. Iraola has hammered home the message all week.
Now it comes down to what Frimpong keeps repeating: when the chances arrive at Anfield, will they finally finish the actions?
