Bradley Barcola cannot escape £123m price tag pressure, warns Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has warned Bradley Barcola that he must learn to cope with the intense scrutiny accompanying his reported £123 million move from Paris Saint-Germain after the French forward announced himself with a Champions League hat-trick.

Barcola endured a difficult start to life at Anfield following his high-profile transfer, but delivered his best performance yet in Liverpool’s 6-3 victory over Austrian champions LASK on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old’s three-goal display offered a timely response to early criticism, although Iraola believes the expectations surrounding the forward will remain a constant feature of his Liverpool career.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Premier League trip to Brentford, the Liverpool boss stressed that players must accept the dramatic swings in public perception that accompany performances at the highest level.

“Football is like this. You win a game, you are incredible; you have a bad performance, you are a disaster,” Iraola said.

“It is going to be like this for Bradley, for everyone who works in football. We have to assume this.”

Barcola must build on Champions League breakthrough

Barcola’s performance against LASK provided a glimpse of the quality Liverpool expected when they reportedly paid £123 million to secure his services from Paris Saint-Germain.

However, Iraola believes the forward’s adaptation to a new league, a different tactical system and unfamiliar teammates will take time.

Rather than placing the entire burden on the Frenchman to deliver immediately, the Liverpool manager highlighted the importance of building relationships with his teammates and improving his understanding of the team’s attacking movements.

“Now it is a matter of finding the best condition and best connection with teammates, the level of understanding, the work of everyone, when to attack the spaces,” Iraola added.

“The more he plays with us, the more he plays with his teammates, the better he will become.”

Liverpool’s preparations have also been complicated by injuries to several key players, forcing Iraola to make regular adjustments to his team.

Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Dominik Szoboszlai have all missed the last two matches after sustaining injuries while on international duty.

The trio remain doubtful for the visit to Brentford, leaving Liverpool waiting to establish how many of their injured players will be available for the weekend fixture.

Their absence has disrupted the team’s attacking combinations, making it more difficult for Barcola to develop the understanding Iraola believes will help him deliver consistently.

Leoni’s return delayed by serious knee injury

Meanwhile, Iraola has revealed that Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni faces a longer wait before returning to action after suffering a serious knee injury.

The Italian centre-back sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his debut for the club in September last year, ruling him out for an extended period.

However, the extent of the damage was more complicated than initially expected, with several structures around the knee also affected.

“Talking to the medical department, it wasn’t just an ACL. It was a bad injury; a lot of things around the knee were involved apart from the ACL,” Iraola explained.

The Liverpool manager indicated that Leoni’s rehabilitation was progressing towards another milestone, with the defender expected to begin the next stage of his recovery during the upcoming international break.

“The plan now is that he starts in the next (international) break. It’s not that far off, but a little bit later than we expected.”

Liverpool will hope Leoni can make progress towards a return as they navigate a demanding schedule, while Barcola’s hat-trick against LASK has given the club encouragement that their record signing can begin to justify the expectations surrounding his arrival.