Gary Neville has criticised Bradley Barcola's display in Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, saying the forward showed "no belief" and left team-mate Milos Kerkez frustrated.
The Reds failed to build on their momentum at Anfield and fell to a heavy loss, with Barcola unable to make an impact in attack.
Big-money signing yet to score
Liverpool agreed a £123million deal to sign Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, with the Frenchman signing a five-year contract. However, he has yet to score for his new club as he settles on Merseyside.
Neville, speaking on commentary, said: "He's been really disappointing in the first half Barcola, just no belief. Kerkez turning round, wants more from his forward players, giving it away in bad areas."
The former Manchester United defender also suggested that younger players Lewis Koumas and Victor Munoz had made better contributions than the club's high-profile signings.
"You would expect the big money signings Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola to do more but it is Munoz and Koumas who are setting the tempo for Liverpool," Neville added.
Ex-Liverpool players weigh in
Jamie Carragher agreed with Neville's assessment, saying: "You are right there Gary. On the back of Gakpo and Isak being out, you look at other players to stand up as they have been the two best attacking players."
Stephen Warnock suggested Barcola lacked sharpness, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: "There's got to be more from Bradley Barcola in forward positions. He hasn't quite got that sharpness that we're so used to seeing from him at PSG."
Daniel Sturridge felt Barcola spent too much of the first half focusing on defensive duties. "Barcola seems to have almost been defending the whole half, and we've not really seen him get on and play with freedom," Sturridge said.
Barcola on adapting to Premier League
Ahead of the match, the 24-year-old said he was settling into his new environment but acknowledged the Premier League posed a fresh challenge.
"Yes, I feel comfortable," Barcola said. "At the beginning, I had to adapt and now I feel that I'm adapting more and more. So, I'm very happy to start ahead and I hope to be even better on the pitch."
"I think it's very intense. It's very different from Ligue 1," he added. "But yes, you have to work hard to be ready for a lot of running and that's what I try to do in training to be prepared for every match."
