Thierry Henry urges patience with £123m Liverpool signing Bradley Barcola after slow start

Thierry Henry has called for patience with Bradley Barcola, insisting the £123m Liverpool signing needs time to adapt after a subdued start to life at Anfield following his summer move from Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcola has started three of his first five appearances for the Reds without registering a goal or assist, and the pressure on him to deliver is growing after injuries to Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo — two of Liverpool’s standout performers this season — during the international break.

Henry, who experienced his own difficult transition when he moved to Arsenal from Juventus in 1999, drew a direct parallel with Barcola’s situation. “People forget that the tactic, the team and how you play matters,” Henry said. “You can see that everyone who comes into Luis Enrique’s system shines — Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Doue, Barcola.”

The France legend pointed to the cultural and linguistic hurdles that can slow a player’s integration, noting that Barcola does not yet speak English. “It’s not always easy when you’re used to a certain system and a way of playing, where everybody knows what’s happening at any time,” he said. “I had to deal with it the same way, and then that little switch happened and I was more comfortable. You start to speak English, you can joke around in the dressing room, you’re a bit less shy and people start to know what you’re about.”

Henry acknowledged that Barcola’s hefty price tag will make supporters less forgiving of a slow start, but argued the raw materials are clearly there. “He didn’t ask for his price tag, but it’s on his back. We all know that one-v-one, he is deadly, and he has pace. The only thing he needs to work on is his finishing, but that’s normal.”

Reflecting on his own development, Henry added: “If you see my finishing when I was 19 or 20 compared to the end of my career, it was so different. Sometimes he is a bit raw in his finishing, but he creates a hell of a lot.”

Barcola’s next opportunity to make an impression for Liverpool comes on 11 October at Anfield against Premier League leaders Manchester City.