Bradley Barcola thought he had finally launched his Liverpool adventure. After a complicated start under his new colors, the French international struck a big blow on Wednesday evening by scoring a hat-trick against LASK in the Champions League. His first three goals with the Reds, enough to boost his confidence and hope to finally find his rhythm in England. Highly anticipated this Saturday on the Brentford pitch, the former Parisian therefore had a great opportunity to confirm his awakening and ride on this positive dynamic. But despite Liverpool’s victory (2-1), the 24-year-old winger once again delivered a mixed performance. Certainly, he delivered an assist to Alexander Isak on the winning goal, but above all he wasted two huge one-on-one opportunities with the opposing goalkeeper. Two failures which revived questions about his effectiveness and his ability to make a difference in the Premier League.
And these new missed opportunities have not escaped the British press, which is beginning to show its doubts concerning the Frenchman. THE Daily Mail was particularly critical. “Bradley Barcola missed two golden chances. He certainly scored a hat-trick in the Champions League in midweek, but he seems to be seriously lacking in confidence in the more demanding conditions of the Premier League. » Same observation on the side of the BBCwho believes that “the Frenchman, surprisingly, had excess confidence in front of goal”. Analyzes which underline the contrast between its newfound effectiveness on the European scene and its persistent difficulties in the championship. Despite his hat-trick a few days earlier, Barcola is still struggling to fully convince English observers.
Its pointed finish
The tabloid The Sun went even further by discussing the expectations surrounding the former PSG player. “Barcola is undoubtedly a quality player – he has, after all, won two Champions Leagues and been part of the French national team – but aside from that assist, he has yet to really show the English fans what he is capable of.”writes the British media, before emphasizing its finishing problems. “Since his arrival at the club, the Frenchman’s finish has been regrettable. He still missed big chances. And assuming he had a reasonable command of English, he must not have been amused by the chants of “What a waste of money” from the cruel Brentford supporters in the West Stand. »
However, not everything is negative in the analyzes of the English press. THE Liverpool Echo notably preferred to retain the progress shown by the French international since his arrival. “He was not destabilized by his failure in the first half and delivered a dynamic performance. Much better than when he started. He continued his great European week. » A more encouraging reading that highlights his ability to stay involved despite his missed opportunities, as evidenced by his assist for Isak. But overall, the observation remains fairly shared across the Channel: if no one really questions the talent of Bradley Barcola, his irregularity is starting to raise questions. After showing his full potential in the Champions League, the Frenchman must now manage to reproduce this level of performance in the Premier League to silence the first criticisms.
