Lewis Koumas defended Bradley Barcola after his LASK hat-trick, revealing how "hard" it’s been for the Frenchman to settle in at Liverpool.
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FBL-EUR-C1-LASK-LIVERPOOL | BRANISLAV RACKO/GettyImages
What really goes on inside a dressing room when a £100m-plus marquee signing goes six games without a single goal or assist?
When the noise outside Anfield grows deafening and the online criticism comes out, it’s easy to assume the pressure gets to everyone.
But as Liverpool put six past LASK in a wild 6-3 Champions League rampage in Linz, the real story wasn't just Bradley Barcola taking the match ball home it was the quiet, unified wall of support that had been built around him long before the first goal went in.
Barcola stole the headlines on a freezing cold Wednesday night in Austria, and rightly so.
His hat-trick was clinical, devastating, and long overdue. But running him a close second for man of the match was Lewis Koumas.
The 21-year-old was quietly sensational once again, registering a goal and an assist to write his name alongside Steven Gerrard as only the second player aged 21 or under to score and assist in a Champions League match for the Reds.
Yet, when LFCTV presenter Peter McDowell caught up with Koumas after the final whistle, the young Welshman didn't want to talk about his own history-making night. Before the microphone was even fully turned toward him, his thoughts immediately went to Barcola.
When asked why he was so keen to bring up his teammate, Koumas offered a insight into the realities of modern football that fans rarely get to hear:
"Because I think it’s been really hard for him," Koumas revealed. "Not in terms of on the pitch, because in the changing room we all know how good he is, but, you know, moving country and trying to settle in fast is tough."
Having spent time out on loan away from Merseyside himself, Koumas knows a thing or two about the mental strain of adapting to a new environment even if his own journey didn't involve crossing the English channel from Paris Saint-Germain under the harsh glare of a massive price tag.
"I found it tough on loan, so changing countries completely must be something else, so I’m just really happy that he showed how good he is tonight and I just hope he carries on doing it now," Koumas added. "He’s unbelievable. He’s an unbelievable talent and I’m sure he’ll be unbelievable for Liverpool."
That bond was clear on the pitch in Linz. It was Koumas who reacted fastest after an 18th-minute penalty shout was waved away, squaring the ball perfectly for Barcola to open his Liverpool account with a crisp, low finish.
The relief on the Frenchman's face was palpable and every single player in red sprinted over to celebrate with him like he’d just scored a cup-winning goal.
When Koumas got his own moment of glory later in the second half converting a Jeremie Frimpong delivery to make it 6-1 after having two earlier efforts ruled out for offside it capped off a dream European night for the academy graduate.
Describing his goal, Koumas broke down the split-second instinct behind the finish:
"Jeremie has got it out of his feet and crossed and it's taken a bounce. I've just focused on the contact and getting it on target. I've done that and it's gone through his [the goalkeeper’s] legs."
For all the attacking fireworks, nobody watching from home or high in the away end at the Raiffeisen Arena will pretend all of Liverpool’s issues have vanished overnight.
Conceding three times to LASK including a late double against a newly introduced backline shows Andoni Iraola still has plenty of defensive tightening to do ahead of Saturday's grim, physical scrap at Brentford.
One 6-3 win in Austria won't completely silence the critics or answer every question surrounding Liverpool's summer rebuild. But hearing a young home-grown talent speak with such genuine empathy about a high-profile teammate tells you everything you need to know about the spirit inside Iraola’s squad.
The new era may have taken a few weeks to find its footing, but with Barcola off the mark and Koumas thriving, the momentum is finally shifting.
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