Interview'The message has been...' - Jeremie Frimpong reveals Liverpool's focus before Forest
Sharpening their cutting edge has been a major focus for Liverpool this week in preparation for their first home game of the new Premier League season.
The Reds host Nottingham Forest on Saturday lunchtime after returning from an opening-weekend trip to Newcastle United with a 2-2 draw.
Andoni Iraola’s side spurned several opportunities before Dominik Szoboszlai gained them a point by converting a 99th-minute equaliser from the penalty spot.
And Jeremie Frimpong has revealed what the main message from the head coach and his staff has been since.
The right-back told Liverpoolfc.com: “Finishing your chances, finishing the actions, because that’s what gets you the result.
“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.”
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Watch on YouTubeThe game at St. James’ Park last Sunday was Iraola’s first competitive match in charge and Frimpong feels it will naturally take time for the players to become fully in sync with the boss’ style of football.
He added: “It’s normal. 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.”
Since Iraola’s arrival, Frimpong has been deployed exclusively at right-back and he is enjoying the process of learning what the head coach wants him to provide.
“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].”
Frimpong is excited by the prospect of returning to Anfield on Saturday but is expecting Forest to provide a stern test.
He said: “This is home, this is where we’re comfortable at, this is where we are at peace. 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.”
Frimpong went on to reveal that he undertook something of a coincidental scouting mission on Oliver Glasner’s team a few weeks ago.
He continued: “I’ve watched Forest. They had a pre-season friendly against [Bayer] Leverkusen and I went over to watch them. 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.”