Iraola backs Barcola, Wirtz to come good for Liverpool

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has expressed confidence in the future performances of new signings Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, despite their underwhelming starts at Anfield. Wirtz, who made a high-profile £116 million move from Bayer Leverkusen last year, has only managed seven goals in 56 appearances for Liverpool. Barcola, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain for £123 million, has yet to register any goal or assist for his new team after six games.

Iraola, however, remains optimistic about the duo's potential, acknowledging that they have had both good and bad games this season. He believes they will deliver strong performances, highlighting that Barcola's display in a recent 3-0 loss to Manchester City could have been viewed more positively if Lewis Koumas had scored from his pass.

The manager also reassures that he has full trust in both players, even though they face increased scrutiny due to the absence of other star players like Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, and Dominik Szoboszlai, who are recovering from injuries. Liverpool's next matches include games against Brentford, Villarreal, and Brighton, with Iraola expressing uncertainty about the readiness of the injured players.