Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has publicly backed his high-profile signings Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, insisting he trusts them completely despite their struggles. The pair are under pressure with the club's three leading scorers, Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, all sidelined with minor injuries.
Iraola confirmed the attacking trio will miss Wednesday's Champions League trip to face LASK in Austria. He does not yet know when they will return, increasing the onus on other players to contribute goals. Both Wirtz and Barcola had difficult outings in Sunday's 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City.
Manager calls for patience
Barcola, a £123 million arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, is yet to register a goal or an assist in six appearances for the club. Wirtz, who cost £116 million from Bayer Leverkusen last year, has provided just one assist this season. Iraola argued that the focus on statistics can be misleading.
“Bradley and Flo are players that I trust 100%,” the head coach said. “They have had good games and bad games this season like everyone else.”
He pointed to missed chances against City, suggesting Barcola's performance would have been viewed differently if a teammate had finished one of his passes. Iraola also noted Wirtz's recent goal for the German national team during the international break as a positive sign.
“The numbers are not there, but the feeling is good,” Iraola added. “The goal will come for Bradley. For Flo, he scored for Germany and that is important for his confidence.”
Squad stretched for busy run
The injury crisis comes at the start of a congested run of six matches in 18 days. Iraola admitted he will be forced to rotate his team for the match in Linz due to fitness concerns and minor knocks sustained against City.
“We have some players who are not 100% fit after the City game, and with the schedule we cannot take risks,” he explained. “We will use the squad. This is a moment for the whole group to show they can contribute, not just the two new players.”
While unhappy with the collective reaction to Ryan Gravenberch's red card in the defeat, Iraola said he was pleased with the team's overall spirit and work rate. Virgil van Dijk is set to captain Liverpool for the 200th time in all competitions against LASK.
Iraola concluded by reiterating his faith in the squad's depth. “The responsibility is shared. We signed these players for the present and the future. They are adapting to a new league and a new style.”
Read the full report at theguardian.com
