The doctors looked at Liverpool’s problems following a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City and sent them to the pharmacy to pick up a dose of LASK to put them on the mend.
It was an inconvenient trip to Austria in midweek as a packed schedule commences, but the doctors were right; it’s the exact cure that the Reds needed.
Andoni Iraola’s side got over the hangover from Sunday’s defeat in style, hitting LASK for six and watching on as new signing Bradley Barcola finally announced himself.
With a trip to Brentford awaiting, however, Liverpool will be desperate to avoid the same thumping headache that Man City left them with last time out in the Premier League. And Barcola must play a big part in that.
Why Barcola has started so slowly in the Premier League
LASK was a reminder of his quality, but not even Barcola can deny that it has been a slow start to life in England. And, for Liverpool, it’s hardly a good look when last summer’s £100m+ signing is struggling at the same time as the latest big-money arrival. It sends serious questions towards the Anfield recruitment team.
Whilst the Frenchman was clinical and full of flair in Austria on Tuesday, he has looked subdued and out of ideas when he’s not been allowed the same space in domestic action.
There are many reasons for that and it would be harsh to conclude that the former Paris Saint-Germain star is already a transfer flop. After all, Liverpool have only played six league games.
The concern for Iraola should centre around how Barcola is struggling against the aggression of the Premier League, especially when sides press high against him.
Bradley Barcola in the Premier League per 90 | |
|---|---|
Minutes | 258 |
Goals | 0 |
Assists | 0 |
Take-on success | 35.7% |
Take-ons | 1.74 |
Dispossessed | 0.35 |
Touches in opposition box | 4.53 |
There’s been a hesitation in Barcola’s game which was rarely seen at PSG and certainly wasn’t on show against LASK. In the Premier League, he simply needs to be braver, enjoy more take-ons and reap the rewards.
Tuesday night’s hat-trick heroics should hand him the platform to do exactly that.
How hat-trick heroics can kick-start Barcola’s Liverpool career
With Alexander Isak still injured following the international break and Liverpool short on options in their frontline, it would have been easy for Iraola to rest the likes of Barcola. This Liverpool squad, with or without the Frenchman, would have been capable of taking the points in Austria.
Sometimes, however, games like LASK aren’t just designed to rest players. They’re also designed to hand star players a major confidence boost and that’s exactly what Barcola should have after his hat-trick on Tuesday night.
The £123m man was clinical, confident and brave in possession – three traits that he is yet to show in the Premier League. If there was a confidence issue, then it should be dead and buried after bringing home the match ball.
Bradley Barcola vs LASK | |
|---|---|
Minutes | 73 |
Goals | 3 |
Take-ons | 5 |
Chances created | 2 |
Touches in opposition box | 19 |
19 touches in LASK’s box tells the story for Barcola. For the first time in his Liverpool career, he was exactly where Iraola needed him and reaped the rewards as a result.
The good news for Liverpool doesn’t end there, either, as they’ve already agreed to sign a young player who should have been following Barcola’s performance every step of the way.
Liverpool have already agreed to sign next Barcola
A lot has been made about Liverpool’s transfer business over the last two summers, and rightly so. But it is worth noting how impressive their business has been at academy level.
Will Wright, who arrived from Salford, is proving to be a revelation; Rio Ngumoha is a first-team star these days, as is Trey Nyoni, and there is still plenty more to come.
Whilst Barcola is stealing the show for now, Sidy Barhama Ndiaye is on his way and looks like the perfect future replacement for the Frenchman.
The 16-year-old has already impressed at youth level, featuring in two pre-season friendly games for the U18s last season to secure a transfer which will become official when he turns 18 in December of 2027.
It was then that Ndiaye secured an assist against Charlton in a friendly for the U18s and instantly stood out for his speed and directness. It’s beginning to become clear why he is capable of following in the footsteps of Barcola.
The teenager initially caught Liverpool’s eye at the U17 African Cup of Nations, averaging close to nine dribbles per 90 minutes. Like Barcola, he is a right-footed winger who plays off the left, looking to cut inside on his favoured foot in devastating fashion.
The youngest player at the U17 African Cup of Nations last time out, Ndiaye is used to breaking records and could do the same when he arrives at Anfield in 2027.
Source: www.footballfancast.com
