Liverpool star Bradley Barcola has yet to find the net for the Reds following his mega-money move from Paris Saint-Germain and his performance against Manchester City has come under scrutiny
Bradley Barcola must show more, according to Gary Neville, and left one of his Liverpool team-mates frustrated in defeat against Manchester City. The forward failed to make an impact as the Reds failed to capitalise on their momentum at Anfield before falling to a 3-0 loss.
The Reds agreed a £123million deal to sign Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, with the Frenchman signing a five-year deal. But Barcola has yet to find the net for his new club as he settles on Merseyside.
Former Manchester United defender Neville was frustrated with Barcola's performance and suggested he lacked conviction in his forward player, while his team-mate Milos Kerkez grew frustrated behind him. Neville believed the likes of youngster Lewis Koumas and Victor Munoz had better contributions.
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"He's been really disappointing in the first half Barcola, just no belief," Neville said on commentary. "Kerkez turning round, wants more from his forward players, giving it away in bad areas."
"You would expect the big money signings Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola to do more but it is Munoz and Koumas who are setting the tempo for Liverpool," Neville added.
Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher agreed. "You are right there Gary," he said.
"On the back of Gakpo and Isak being out, you look at other players to stand up as they have been the two best attacking players."
Bradley Barcola
Bradley Barcola needs to show more(Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
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Barcola's performance came under scrutiny from a number of ex-Liverpool stars. There was disappointment over his limited contributions in forward positions.
Stephen Warnock suggested that he lacked sharpness. “There’s got to be more from Bradley Barcola in forward positions,” he said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“He hasn’t quite got that sharpness that we’re so used to seeing from him at PSG.”
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Former Red striker Daniel Sturridge suggested he spent too much time with the wrong focus during the opening half. “Barcola seems to have almost been defending the whole half, and we’ve not really seen him get on and play with freedom,” Sturridge said.
Ahead of the game, Barcola had said that he was settling into his new environment but admitted that the Premier League posed a new challenge.
"Yes, I feel comfortable," the 24-year-old said, "At the beginning, I had to adapt and now I feel that I'm adapting more and more. So, I'm very happy to start ahead and I hope to be even better on the pitch."
"I think it's very intense. It's very different from Ligue 1," he added. "But yes, you have to work hard to be ready for a lot of running and that's what I try to do in training to be prepared for every match."
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