Steven Gerrard blasts Liverpool for being 'too nice' - and warns Andoni Iraola must add 'nastiness' to his team or risk being left behind by rivals

Steven Gerrard has blamed Liverpool's slow start to the season on the team being 'too nice'.

And the Reds legend fears that they will miss out on silverware this campaign unless Andoni Iraola can add some 'nastiness' to his squad.

Liverpool were forced to come from behind for a point for the second weekend running as Nottingham Forest earned a 2-2 draw at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

'I think this Liverpool team is a little bit too nice,' Gerrard told TNT Sports.

They lack a destroyer. They don't make many tackles or win many duels. They're a nice team.

That's the next development for this manager to change this team. They have to be more physical and aggressive.

Steven Gerrard says Liverpool are 'too nice' and need to find more 'nastiness' to win games

It took a moment of brilliance from Victor Munoz to ensure Liverpool took a point at Anfield against Nottingham Forest

'Last week, they would have won that game if they were more up for the duel, up for the tackle, people wanting to take yellow cards, people being nastier, uglier to play against.

'Sometimes you win games a different way. They've got a load of nice technical players, a load of top talents, but they lack nastiness, and that's what the manager has got to get in this team.

'If not, when the big prizes come out at key times of the season, Liverpool won't be there. They lack nastiness and oomph.'

While they dominated the ball with 69 per cent of possession, the champions from two seasons ago managed just four shots on target against Forest.

It took a superb cross from Cody Gakpo to unlock Forest's defence for Alexander Isak's goal, then a sizzling finish from Victor Munoz for the second.

Issues from last season resurfaced: Liverpool were vulnerable to counter-attacks and second-best in physical battles.

They twice had to come from behind. First, Dan Ndoye gave the visitors the lead in the 24th minute after a long ball over the top, then in the second half, Morgan Gibbs-White converted from the penalty spot after Alisson was judged to have fouled Neco Williams.

Iraola was furious at that decision and also how long it took fourth official Tim Robinson to prepare the board for the substitutes, which he was having issues with.

Andoni Iraola would be forgiven for thinking he was watching last season's Liverpool - the same issues keep popping up

They are still vulnerable to counter-attacks, lack ingenuity, and are second-best physically

'With the penalty, the situation has already finished when the contact appears. And it's not an aggressive contact,' Iraola told the BBC.

'But more than this we complained about the subs. We had to wait about three minutes.

'He was having an issue with the board, I don't know if it was not working, but we definitely wanted to do the subs the last two or three stoppages before the goal.

'It wasn't just that reason but everything helps.'

Speaking to TNT Sports, he added: 'A professional fourth official cannot take three minutes. We'd already given him the subs two or three minutes before.

'I was already angry because in the previous stoppage we couldn't make the subs and then before throw-in I thought we could do it.

'I don't know, they will have to explain it. But it has taken ages.'

But Gerrard felt that Liverpool simply should have dealt with the hand they were given better.

'You can understand the frustration - in this day and age, with all the technology, it can't be taking three minutes to make a triple substitution,' he told TNT Sports.

'But I think it's a small problem in the overall problem because it's a goal that can be avoided.'