Bradley Barcola has joined Liverpool, but fans are still waiting for his first impactful contributions. The French winger has played three matches for the Reds (two as a starter) without finding the net or providing any assists.
In the match against Atletico Madrid, Florian Wirtz set Barcola up for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the Frenchman fired wide. That was a golden opportunity, and supporters are hoping to see more moments like that, but with a better finish.
That game was particularly intriguing from a tactical standpoint. Barcola was deployed on the right flank, while he typically operates on the left. This was an unusual decision from Andoni Iraola, as big-money signings are usually played in their preferred positions. However, in the current Liverpool setup, the right side could be the perfect spot for Barcola, largely thanks to the right-back.
On the left side, Milos Kerkhez is the attacking full-back who consistently joins the attack. This limits Barcola’s space to manoeuvre. The Frenchman enjoys drifting into the centre, but he doesn’t want to do that all the time, and Kerkhez's style leaves him with little room to operate on the wing.
The right flank offers a completely different scenario. Ronald Araujo has firmly established himself as the starting right-back while remaining a solid defensive player. The Uruguayan, primarily a centre-back, rarely ventures forward, providing Barcola with complete freedom to express himself.
Some forwards need overlapping runs from their full-backs to drift inside, but Barcola stands out with his tactical flexibility. In the game against Atletico, he could maintain width or cut inside without worrying about defensive cover, as Araujo reliably held down the fort.
This freedom is currently the best way to harness Barcola’s talents. Instead of constant interplay between the winger and the full-back during attacks, a perfect balance emerges: Araujo takes care of defensive duties while Barcola focuses solely on creativity.
