Bradley Barcola was in action for his country against Belgium in the UEFA Nations League, but the Liverpool ace was unable to make much of an impact at the Stade de France
Liverpool and France winger Bradley Barcola has faced criticism
Liverpool and France winger Bradley Barcola has faced criticism(Image: Franco Arland/Getty Images)
Liverpool new boy Bradley Barcola started for France in the UEFA Nations League on Monday, but the national press in his homeland were not particularly impressed by his performance.
Barcola was taken off in the second half when the scoreline was 1-0 to Belgium. Goals from Desire Doue, Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise (two) turned the game around, with all three players having been introduced off the bench.
"On the left wing, the Liverpool player, like his attacking partners, had very little space to make an impact," Foot Mercato wrote. "Not helped by his left-back, he was nevertheless able to be played through on a few occasions.
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"But as is often the case with the former PSG and Lyon player, his lightning-fast bursts of speed were followed by inaccuracies in the final pass. As a result, Les Bleus almost always attacked down the right flank."
It gave Barcola just 3.5 out of 10 in its player ratings, though fellow starters Ousmane Dembele and Maghnes Akliouche were also panned. The 24-year-old played 72 minutes before being replaced by his former PSG teammate Doue.
Elsewhere, RMC Sport was considerably more generous in terms of its rating, giving Barcola a six out of 10. However, it was still not that impressed by his showing.
Bradley Barcola is denied by Maarten Vandevoordt during France's game against Belgium
Bradley Barcola is denied by Maarten Vandevoordt during France's game against Belgium(Image: Getty Images)
It said: "The Liverpool winger started with two good runs down the wing and some crosses that didn’t find their target. He was one of the few players making runs in behind the defense.
"Very generous in his defensive efforts, he missed a one-on-one opportunity from a tight angle after 15 minutes. He was very provocative and had a deflected shot that went just wide before going out of play."
As has been an issue for Barcola at Liverpool so far too, there were promising signs without the last touch in the final third. In time, and fairly quickly, the $163 million (£123 million) man will have to deliver.
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"It’s not always easy when you’re used to a certain system and a way of playing, where everybody knows what’s happening at any time," France legend Thierry Henry said last week.
"He just arrived in Liverpool, he doesn’t speak English, and it’s a different style of play with different intensity in the league.
"I had to deal with it the same way, and then that little switch happened, and I was more comfortable. You start to speak English, you can joke around in the dressing room, you’re a bit less shy, and people start to know what you’re about."
Liverpool.com says: It is still early, but Barcola's end product will have to come sooner rather than later. If Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo are injured, the urgency for it will be even greater.