Andoni Iraola has been left in no doubt over the future of Bradley Barcola at Liverpool after defeat to Fenerbahce.
Only a week ago there were premature suggestions that Liverpool might push Arsenal in a Premier League title race, but after the 3-2 defeat to Fenerbahce followed a 1-0 loss to the Gunners at Anfield, the “mood” has shifted.
Asked about Liverpool’s up and down season, Iraola insisted his side now “need a win” against Crystal Palace on Sunday to get their season back on track.
“I think that is the challenge, especially in a club like Liverpool,” he said.
“One week ago in this news conference [the talk was] we were on a run, everything was in a good place and we were in a better mood.
“Now, after two defeats [against Arsenal in the Premier League and Fenerbahce in the Champions League] it changes and it has to be like this in clubs like ours.
“Now we have to react after two defeats. We need a win against Crystal Palace away. We have been in similar situations against Bournemouth before the international break and after the Brentford game.
“So we have to go [to Palace], do a good job and win the game.”
Iraola experimented with £123m summer signing Barcola in the centre-forward position against Fenerbahce.
The Frenchman struggled to make any impact on the game and his performance has prompted an emphatic response from Emery.
Asked if he could be used as Liverpool’s No.9 again, Emery replied: “No, Bradley is a winger.
“Mostly he has played as a left winger and sometimes as a right winger, but also has played for PSG as a striker, which is something I wanted to try.
“I thought against their centre-backs he could be a threat, especially in behind [them].
“But he is a winger and he will be mostly – 90% of the time – used as a winger.”
Alexander Isak came off the bench to score his seventh goal of the season on Wednesday and Iraola says he’s the “closest thing to a guarantee” of goals.
“Alex is a top goal scorer,” Iraola added. “If we can put him more in the position to score he will deliver, that is not a guarantee but is the closest thing to a guarantee.
“Like every player, he can add more things to his game but we want to use [more] the things that he has. He is very good at attacking the space, attacking the channels, coming to receive the ball is very clean, also.
“We are trying to use Isak in the best way.”
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