Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has addressed Bradley Barcola's position ahead of Sunday's trip to Crystal Palace. The France international was deployed as a central striker in midweek, with Iraola explaining the tactical thinking behind the experiment.
Iraola explains Barcola's midweek central role
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has outlined his plans for Bradley Barcola ahead of the Premier League trip to Selhurst Park. The France winger moved away from his typical flank role to lead the line centrally during Wednesday's Champions League clash against Fenerbahce.
The Reds visit Crystal Palace looking to maintain their unbeaten top-flight record on the road this season.
Iraola confirmed that while Barcola remains primarily a wide player, his versatility offers valuable tactical solutions.
Iraola details winger alternatives and PSG history
Addressing Barcola's tactical flexibility, Iraola highlighted the 24-year-old's previous experience in France while explaining his choice to test him centrally.
"Bradley is a winger," Iraola stated at his pre-match press conference. "Mostly he has played as a left winger, sometimes as a right winger, but he also has played in PSG as a striker."
"It's something that I wanted to try. I thought against their centre-backs he could be a threat, especially in behind," the manager added.
Tactical options when main strikers need rest
Iraola clarified that Barcola will spend the vast majority of his time in wide areas, though he remains an option to rotate with central forwards like Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak.
"He is a winger and he will be mostly – 90 per cent of the time – used as a winger. But it's alternatives that I sometimes want to try," Iraola explained.
"I tried with Cody against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup. Not maybe from the beginning but it's true that during the game, I think it's options that we can use when Alex is tired and we need another type of striker," he noted.
Reds look to extend strong away record
Liverpool travel to London seeking a fourth consecutive Premier League away victory, having taken 10 of their 15 points on the road this term.
Iraola himself remains unbeaten in all 13 of his Premier League away fixtures in 2026, putting him on the verge of joining an elite group of managers.
The Reds will assess their attacking setup carefully as they target three points at Selhurst Park.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
