Bradley Barcola has questioned Liverpool’s approach after their 1-0 defeat by Arsenal, suggesting Andoni Iraola’s side need to control matches better and avoid relying so heavily on long balls.
The France international said Liverpool had created enough chances to win at home but believed they should have kept possession on the ground more often, given the quality within the squad.
Bradley Barcola calls for greater control from Liverpool
“I think we should have done better in a game like this. We had the chances to score, even to win the match,” Barcola said in an interview with Sky Sports.
He added: “I think we need to work on being able to control the game more and play more football. Often, when we’re in a game like this, we resort to long balls. But in my opinion, we should try to keep the ball on the ground more, because we have players with the quality to do that.”
The comments could be interpreted as a pointed message about Liverpool’s tactical approach under Iraola. Barcola has also faced scrutiny over his own form since joining the club from Paris Saint-Germain during the summer.
Discussing the defeat, he said Liverpool were disappointed but remained confident that consistency could help them as the season progresses.
“We were really disappointed after the game but we know what we have to do better at. We’re not going to give up. We know that other teams will drop points. So it’s down to us to remain consistent until the end of the season,” Barcola said.
Liverpool’s next fixtures are against Fenerbahce away in the Champions League and Crystal Palace away in the Premier League.
