For one night in Austria, Liverpool supporters finally got a proper glimpse of what Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola could bring to this team.
Barcola scored a hat-trick in Liverpool’s thrilling 6-3 Champions League victory over LASK, while Wirtz looked far more confident and supplied the assist for one of the Frenchman’s goals. It was exactly the sort of attacking performance Liverpool needed after the disappointment against Manchester City.
But it also left me thinking about something that has been bothering me.
If these two players have so much quality, why has it been so difficult for them to show it consistently in the Premier League?
Is it simply a matter of time and confidence, or are they discovering that English football demands something different physically?
I certainly wouldn’t write either player off. But I think it’s a fair question to ask.
LASK showed us what they can do
Let’s start with Barcola, because he deserved every bit of credit for his performance.
He had arrived at Liverpool with enormous expectations following his big-money move from Paris Saint-Germain, but his early performances had done little to quieten the criticism.
Against LASK, though, we finally saw the player Liverpool thought they were buying.
He was direct, confident and willing to take defenders on. His movement created problems, his finishing was clinical, and he looked like somebody who genuinely believed he could hurt the opposition every time he got the ball.
Three goals in one match is a fantastic response to the criticism.
Wirtz was better too. He looked more willing to attempt the clever passes and combinations that made him such an exciting player at Bayer Leverkusen. He created chances, linked the attack and appeared to enjoy having runners around him.
That last point matters.
Wirtz is at his best when he can receive the ball between the lines and make things happen quickly. Give him intelligent movement ahead of him and he can open up a defence with one pass.
Against LASK, we saw more of that.
But there is a difference between doing it against LASK and doing it against a Premier League side determined to close every space and turn every duel into a battle.
The Premier League is a different challenge
I think we need to be careful when we talk about the physicality of English football.
It’s not simply about whether a player is big or strong enough.
The Premier League demands repeated high-intensity running, quick decisions under pressure and the ability to compete physically while maintaining technical quality. There is often very little time to look up, pick a pass and get yourself comfortable on the ball.
Barcola has already acknowledged that challenge. He explained that the intensity and end-to-end nature of Premier League football make it physically demanding, while describing that challenge as part of the reason he wanted to come to England.
That is an important point.
He isn’t necessarily saying he cannot cope. He’s explaining that the demands are different.
And I would make a similar argument for Wirtz.
He has the technical ability to succeed in England. We’ve seen that in flashes. But when opponents press him aggressively, deny him space and force him into physical contests, he has to find ways of influencing the game without always having time to play the way he wants.
That is an adjustment, not necessarily a fundamental weakness.
Wirtz needs to be braver in the Premier League
This is where I have a slightly different concern about Wirtz.
I don’t think the answer is for him to become a completely different player or suddenly start trying to outmuscle every opponent.
That would be a waste of his greatest strengths.
Instead, I want to see him play with the same confidence he showed in Austria.
Against LASK, he attempted the passes and combinations that can make him such a dangerous attacking midfielder. He looked willing to take risks and trust his ability.
In the Premier League, there have been too many occasions when that confidence has appeared to disappear.
He doesn’t need to win every physical duel. He needs to recognise when to release the ball quickly, when to move into space and when to take responsibility for making something happen.
The quality is there. The challenge is bringing it out against stronger opposition.
Andoni Iraola has publicly backed both Wirtz and Barcola, insisting he trusts them to deliver for Liverpool and believes their contributions can be overlooked because of the attention surrounding their transfer fees.
I hope he’s right, because Liverpool need both players to become more influential.
Barcola has given himself a platform
The encouraging thing about Barcola is that his performance against LASK could give him a real confidence boost.
Before that match, he was still waiting for his first Liverpool goal. Now he has three.
That doesn’t automatically mean he has solved every problem, but it removes one of the biggest burdens hanging over him.
He can go into his next game knowing he has already shown what he can do in a Liverpool shirt.
The next step is translating that confidence into league football.
He needs to be more decisive in the final third, attack defenders with conviction and make those runs even when the opposition gives him less space.
And he needs to do it against Premier League opponents who will test him physically and tactically.
I don’t expect a hat-trick every week. I simply want to see the same willingness to take risks.
I’m not ready to give up on either of them
Here’s my verdict.
I don’t believe Wirtz and Barcola are unsuited to the Premier League. I believe they are still learning how to succeed in it.
There is a difference.
LASK gave them space and opportunities to express themselves. Premier League opponents will not always offer that luxury, and Liverpool cannot rely on European nights to be the only occasions when their expensive attacking signings look dangerous.
But that doesn’t mean their talent has disappeared.
Wirtz needs to trust his instincts, play with greater conviction and become more decisive when Liverpool need him to unlock a stubborn defence.
Barcola needs to build on his first Liverpool hat-trick and show that his directness and finishing can translate into regular Premier League contributions.
Both players have plenty to prove. The criticism hasn’t appeared from nowhere, and one excellent European performance doesn’t erase the difficult moments that came before it.
But neither should be judged solely on the price Liverpool paid.
For me, the real test is what happens next.
Can they take the confidence from LASK into the league? Can Iraola build an attacking structure that gets the best out of them? And can they keep producing when opponents make the game uncomfortable?
Those are the questions Liverpool need answered.
LASK showed us the quality is there. Now Wirtz and Barcola have to show they can bring it to the Premier League.
That’s the challenge — and I’m not giving up on either of them just yet.
By Jamie (The Kopite View)
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