A pattern forming that nobody at Anfield wants to see

Two matches into the Premier League season and Liverpool are yet to hold a lead for close to 200 minutes of football. That is not a statistic you can wave away with talk of new managers, new systems, and the inevitable teething troubles that come with both. It is a problem. A real one. And Saturday's 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at Anfield, watched from the directors' box by principal owner John W Henry and new vice-chairman Amit Bhatia, only underlined what most of us already suspected: this squad, as currently assembled, is not finished.

The grumbles from the stands during the first half were telling. Liverpool supporters have been through a difficult twelve months and their reserves of patience, whilst not entirely depleted, have clearly not been fully restocked either. When Andoni Iraola's side concede from opponents' first shots on target in back-to-back weeks, frustration is not just understandable, it is inevitable.

Munoz shines, but one bright spark is not enough

For all the anxiety around what this team still lacks, Victor Munoz gave supporters something genuine to smile about. The summer signing from Osasuna was direct, energetic, and never stopped trying to take the fight to Oliver Glasner's Forest. His finish to make it 2-2, set up neatly by Florian Wirtz, was the kind of moment that makes you think the club have found something useful at a sensible price. Steven Gerrard, watching for TNT Sport, was not holding back: "The finish was world class. For £34m in today's market, Liverpool could have a steal here."

Munoz should be starting on the right side right now, and that much feels settled. But here lies the tension at the heart of Liverpool's situation: a player who was never meant to be the headline signing this summer has become, by necessity, the most important new face on the pitch. That says everything about the work still to be done before Tuesday's 11pm deadline.

The transfer window cannot close without more business

Bradley Barcola, with a reported £123m fee attached, is set for a medical this weekend and his arrival will address a summer-long search for a winger on one flank. But another wideman is needed on the opposite side, and the notion of selling Cody Gakpo at this stage borders on the absurd. Even if Gakpo himself has designs on a move to either Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool need him in the building. Gakpo's work in helping create Alexander Isak's equaliser on Saturday showed exactly what he contributes when given the right platform.

Isak's goal, a tap-in after excellent play from Gakpo, was the sort of finish he will need to make a habit. It was, in fairness, only his second full ninety minutes in twelve months as a Liverpool player, and he tired visibly as the match wore on. A more settled system with the proper personnel around him would help, and that is precisely the argument for getting the window right before it closes. Gerrard put it plainly after the final whistle: "You can tell that it needs new additions. Hopefully the owners can dig deep and do that in the final few days."

What Henry and Bhatia saw must sharpen the focus

Jeremy Jacquet showed promise at centre-back and Ronald Araujo brought the physicality this squad lacks in depth, while Munoz gave Iraola reasons for optimism. There is genuine talent emerging in this new-look Liverpool side, and it would be wrong to paint the picture entirely dark. But Forest's second goal told its own story: a quick throw from substitute Liam Delap, Neco Williams racing onto it, Alisson Becker conceding a penalty, and Morgan Gibbs-White converting from twelve yards. Sloppy, avoidable, and the sort of lapse that better options at full-back might prevent.

Iraola, sporting director Richard Hughes, Henry, and Bhatia all know what is required now. The squad needs reinforcement across multiple positions and the window is almost shut. Barcola is a good start, but the next forty-eight hours need to be enormous if Liverpool are to walk into Wednesday morning's training session with something resembling a complete group. The foundations are there. Whether the building gets finished on time is the question.