Jean-François Vulliez, trainer at Olympique Lyonnais of 22-year-old winger Bradley Barcola, spoke to L’Équipe newspaper about his former protégé. He was keen to point out that Barcola has always scored goals, and not just this year. He sees him progressing further to reach at least 25 goals a season in the near future.
Vulliez “ You shouldn’t imagine that Bradley only started scoring goals this season”
“You shouldn’t think that Bradley only started scoring goals this season. He was already scoring a lot at youth level, but even more so at U19 level and then in the reserves. The difference is that, at the time, you could sense that he was also giving priority to passing.
Today, I feel he takes more risks with his shots. He’s developed his range. He’s got that right-hand curl, he can use the point. He’s going to make further progress in that area, but as we saw in Marseille, he’s also capable of being in the right place at the right time in the box.
Vulliez “ His physiological characteristics will develop further”.
Over the next two years, he could reach 25 goals a season. His physiological characteristics will develop further. For example, he’ll be able to link up his shots more quickly. Then, his experience with top-level strikers and the experience he has accumulated in matches will serve him well. So, he can have this consistency around the 25-goal mark.”
Barcola is an atypical player. He’s never been mentioned as a nugget in the making, yet his humility, calm and hard work are transforming him into a major player of the future. He still has some way to go, and this season is pivotal in his evolution. Now PSG’s attacking leader, he has a duty to score more goals.
If he can score 25 or 30, the team will be in good shape, even if Luis Enrique has reminded us that we shouldn’t bet everything on a single player. There’s still a lot of work to be done, especially in front of goal, where Barcola needs to improve.
The room for improvement is there, but it’s not always easy to reach his full potential. The Champions League and his ability to score more goals will be very important this season.
