Iraola has ‘100% trust’ in Wirtz and Barcola but tells others to step up
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola says he has complete faith in Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, despite their limited output so far, and wants other players to help replace the goals of three injured forwards. The comments come after Liverpool’s first defeat under Iraola and ahead of their Champions League match against Lask in Austria.
Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai are unavailable with minor injuries picked up on international duty, and Iraola could make further changes after players sustained knocks against Manchester City. Barcola, who arrived for £123m, has no goals or assists in six appearances; Wirtz has one assist this season. Iraola said Liverpool’s response after Ryan Gravenberch was sent off was also affected by conceding immediately, while Virgil van Dijk is set to captain the side for the 200th time.
- Iraola says he fully trusts Wirtz and Barcola.
- Liverpool are without their three leading scorers against Lask.
- Barcola has no goals or assists in six appearances.
New here? Start with this
Liverpool are managed by Andoni Iraola, who took charge after the club’s previous coach. Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola are attacking players expected to help create and score goals, but both are still settling into the team and have yet to produce much in the way of goals or assists.
Liverpool’s squad is missing several forwards, including Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, after injuries on international duty. When key attackers are unavailable, other players may need to contribute more in front of goal; the team is also balancing domestic matches with European competition.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Backing Wirtz and Barcola shows trust in players who may need time to adapt, particularly amid injuries and a disrupted attack. Iraola can reasonably expect the rest of the squad to share the scoring burden rather than place the pressure solely on two high-profile signings.
The case against
At a club competing at the highest level, limited returns from expensive attacking signings are a fair concern, especially while several forwards are unavailable. Asking other players to step up may help in the short term, but it does not remove the need for Wirtz and Barcola to turn their chances and ability into goals and assists.