A malfunctioning electronic board will not have been on anyone’s bingo list of Liverpool complaints for the first Anfield game of Andoni Iraola’s tenure, but others sounded all too familiar. A slow start, a lack of intensity and defensive shortcomings were again evident as Liverpool salvaged a point against Nottingham Forest, while showing stronger foundations are required along with the excitement of £123m Bradley Barcola.

In front of some of the billionaires behind Liverpool, Iraola’s opening act on home soil offered more food for thought than the feast they may have been expecting. Forest were good value for the second 2-2 draw of the new Liverpool head coach’s reign and created enough clear openings to justify their frustration at the final outcome. A superb finish from Liverpool’s summer signing Víctor Muñoz cancelled out Morgan Gibbs-White’s penalty, after Alexander Isak had done the same to Dan Ndoye’s opener.

• Live updates from Anfield 12.30pm kick-off (BST)

• Email Scott | Reds finalise £123m Barcola deal

The teams are out! Liverpool all in red, Forest wearing a third-choice shirt that looks awfully like a recent Manchester City number. You’ll Never Walk Alone rings out, as Liverpool principal owner John Henry and the new vice-chairman Amit Bhatia watch from the stand. We’ll be off in a minute … and that minute will see fans remember the legendary Kevin Keegan, the star of Bill Shankly’s second great team, who recently passed. The warmest applause from all four corners of the ground, a mosaic on the Kop that reads KEVIN 7, and a chant of One Kevin Keegan.

On the subject of Forest and big-money transfers … David Ornstein of the Athletic was on TNT Sports earlier, reporting the possibility of their buying 19-year-old midfield prospect Harrison Armstrong from Everton for £40m. Should that come to pass, it’ll probably result in the Hill Dickinson toppling into the Mersey, but only after the whole structure is launched a couple of miles into the air by the steam from Everton supporters’ lugs. Armstrong is extremely highly rated, but Forest have pockets full of cash after selling Elliot Anderson to Manchester City, so this one is worth keeping an eye on.