Steven Gerrard has accused Liverpool of being 'too nice' and lacking a 'destroyer' as he outlined what Andoni Iraola must address to take the team to the next level.
The Reds twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Nottingham Forest on Saturday, with goals from Alexander Isak and Victor Munoz. Iraola remains unbeaten in the Anfield hotseat, but the wait for his first win since succeeding Arne Slot continues.
Gerrard's blunt assessment
Speaking on TNT Sports, Gerrard felt Liverpool need to show more aggression after being bypassed in the first half against Forest. The 46-year-old believes the next stage of Iraola's side is becoming harder to play against and showing a different side to their game.
He said: "I think this is a Liverpool team that is a little bit too nice. They lack this destroyer, they don't win too many tackles, too many duels, they're a nice team, that's the next development for this Liverpool team."
Physicality and aggression needed
"They have to be more physical, more aggressive, they would have won last week, if they were a bit nastier, uglier to play against. Sometimes you win games a different play, Liverpool have got a lot of nice technical players, a lot of top talent in positions but lack a bit of nastiness."
"That's what the manager has to get in this team because if not, when the big prizes come out, Liverpool won't be there, they lack nastiness and a bit of oomph."
Team-wide issue
Gerrard stressed it is not an individual problem but a collective one: "It's not just one player, it's throughout the team. When teams come to Anfield, the first 45 pass them by, they're nice, they play nice passes, you've got to get the crowd behind you by being a nasty team as well."
