Bradley Barcola has admitted that he feels more at ease at Liverpool compared to his time at PSG. The French winger, who joined the Merseysiders for £123 million this summer, compared the coaching styles of Andoni Iraola and Luis Enrique, revealing why English football suits him better.
After a challenging start to his career at Anfield, the 24-year-old is gradually finding his feet. He scored a hat-trick against LASK in the Champions League on Wednesday, helping Liverpool secure a 6-3 victory.
In an interview with Telefoot, Barcola shared that he has settled in well with his new teammates and praised the ideas of Iraola.
Barcola stated:
Everything is going well; I’ve already met my teammates.
We also have an excellent manager with great ideas. I'm trying to adapt because the atmosphere here is completely different compared to PSG.
Why is it easier for Barcola at Liverpool?
The winger highlighted that the key difference lies in tactical demands.
At PSG, Luis Enrique often asked his attacking players to switch positions regularly, while at Liverpool, Barcola enjoys greater freedom on his favoured left flank.
He elaborated:
The English league is different from the French one. I feel like there is less tactical rigidity here.
Perhaps it’s because I previously played under a coach who was extremely strict tactically.
Here, there’s less positional swapping on the pitch. Under my previous coach, I had to move into the centre and then return to the flank so another player could take my spot. It’s a completely different approach here.
Barcola was careful not to criticise Luis Enrique, suggesting instead that his comments reflect the contrasting styles of the two managers.
A hat-trick following a rocky start
This summer, Liverpool forked out £123 million for Barcola, hoping to secure one of Europe’s top wingers.
During his time at PSG, he played 152 matches, scoring 39 goals and providing 37 assists. He enjoyed significant success, winning the Ligue 1 title three times and the Champions League twice.
However, after moving to England, Barcola needed time to adapt. He went six matches without registering a goal or assist, raising eyebrows given his hefty price tag.
The hat-trick against LASK marked a much-awaited breakthrough for him.
Now, Barcola aims to carry this form into the Premier League, where Liverpool needs to rectify their less-than-ideal start to the season.
According to Barcola, the system under Andoni Iraola allows him to exploit his preferred position more often and focus on his strengths—speed, dribbling, and creating opportunities.
This is the kind of football Liverpool envisioned when they decided to invest £123 million in the French winger.
