Liverpool F.C. are coming off a 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid on Sept. 9 in the UEFA Champions League, but the Reds have a quick turnaround as they are facing Fulham F.C. on Sept. 12 at Anfield.
Nonetheless, ahead of this match, Liverpool’s new arrival, Bradley Barcola, has become a topic of conversation in the media. Barcola played 60 minutes in the win over Atlético Madrid and had three total shots, but couldn’t find the back of the net.
As a result, talkSPORT’s Darren Bent is urging Barcola to sort out his finishing, or this could become a bigger issue as the season goes on.
“Hit the target,” Bent said in a Sept. 10 video from talkSPORT. “Just hit it. If you hit the target, you probably score. I think, under Andoni Iraola’s kind of guidance and playing with those players, I think he’s going to get better.’ I think Liverpool fans will absolutely love him as well.
“But he needs to score. He needs to score because if that keeps happening, the pressure will build up with the papers, with the media, with the press, and the fans.”
Liverpool Attacker Bradley Barcola Praised for His Pace
While Barcola’s finishing concerns Bent, the talKSPORT host did note that the attacker’s pace is outstanding. Nonetheless, if Barcola can polish his finishing, it could take him to another level as a consistent scoring threat.
“Bradley Barcola, who I absolutely love,” Bent noted. “Doing what Bradley Barcola does: unbelievable breakaway, gets away with the feet, slips him in, chooses the right pass. Barcola just streaks away and then puts it wide. I’ve seen him do that. If he can improve that last aspect, that last little bit, the finishing aspect of playing as a forward player, PSG wouldn’t have let him go, full stop.
“His pace, first of all, is an asset that you can’t mark. You can mark someone who’s quite clever, who’s got a nice first touch, but someone who’s got that raw pace, there’s nothing you can do about it. So when he goes through the middle there, no one can touch him.”
Bradley Barcola Won’t See Several Scoring Chances in Premier League
Barcola moved from Ligue 1 to the Premier League, so in terms of league quality it’s a step up. As a result, Bent also notes that the French forward won’t get as many chances as he did playing in France for Paris Saint-Germain.
“When he was at Paris Saint-Germain, he did score a fair few goals,” Bent said. “But my only issue with that is, again, I’m a fan of his. I really like him. He got 13 goals last season.
“The Premier League is not like Ligue 1, where in Ligue 1 you’re probably going to get three or four chances a game. So you could, in the Premier League, like that. Sometimes it might be the only one [and] it might be the only chance you get.”
Barcola has two games across all competitions with Liverpool since joining the Premier League side near the transfer window deadline day. It will be interesting to see whether he can find the back of the net against Fulham and quiet any concerns about his finishing.
Liverpool’s Bradley Barcola Given Clear Message Before Fulham Match