Andoni Iraola's decision to play Bradley Barcola up front against Fenerbahce has received mixed reviews, although the Liverpool boss isn't the first to try him out in the position

While Andoni Iraola’s experiment with Bradley Barcola playing up front didn’t work as intended, it seems the Liverpool boss won’t be discouraged from shifting the winger away from his usual position again.

Barcola was utilized as the Reds’ frontman against Fenerbahce on Wednesday as Alexander Isak was afforded a slight rest in Turkiye. The Swede eventually made his way onto the pitch, and he made an instant impact within moments of coming on, scoring to make it 2-1 to the visitors.

Liverpool though couldn’t hold on to continue its perfect start in the Champions League as it fell to a 3-2 defeat, and the decision to move Barcola hasn’t won over too many fans.

The 24-year-old certainly didn’t look all that comfortable leading Liverpool’s line, and it’s unlikely to be a ploy that is utilized again in a hurry - although Iraola is not ruling it out completely.

“Bradley is a winger,” Iraola said on Friday. “Mostly, he has played as a left-winger, sometimes as a right-winger, but has also played at PSG as a striker, and it’s something that I wanted to try.

“I thought against the center-backs he could be a threat, especially in behind. But he is a winger and he will be, mostly, 90 percent of the time, used as a winger.

“It’s an alternative that I sometimes I want to try. I tried with Cody [Gakpo] against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, and maybe not from the beginning, but it’s true during the games, I think it’s an option we can use when Alex [Isak] is tired and we need another type of striker, we can use the other strikers we have, but also the wingers can do a job there."

As Iraola points out, it wasn’t the first time Barcola has had to move from his favored position. Back at Paris Saint-Germain, where competition for places on the wing was fierce, Luis Enrique - perhaps the best manager in club soccer right now - also saw fit to shift the French international.

"His position depends partially on the team,” Enrique said back in March ahead of his side’s meeting with Chelsea in the Champions League last-16.

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“We know that all of the players have a favorite position, but wherever Bradley plays on the pitch, he can help the team, and that's what matters the most. We and the players are able to adapt, and everything also depends on how a particular match is going."

It’s likely we’ll see Barcola back in his usual position when Liverpool heads to Crystal Palace on Sunday, with Isak - touch wood - back to lead the line.

As much as Wednesday’s experiment didn’t go to plan though, don’t be surprised if we see Barcola back as a striker for Liverpool.