The Everton Forum • Re: Thierno Barry

I’ll tell you what’s bothering me.

I think Moyes felt he had to play Beto from the start and I understand why - the shirt was Beto’s to lose and Barry has to come in and prove himself and take it. As it turns out, Beto has lost it without Barry having to really take it but it comes back to the same thing - I think Barry will start most games and Beto will come on to bully tired defenders later on.

Anyway, I digress, this is what bothers me:

Why aren’t we playing to our strikers strengths?

We got the best return out of Beto by playing through balls for him to run onto and face the keeper 1:1. Yet now we seem to want to drop it on his head from a mile up in the sky while he is stood still, heavily marked, with his back to goal around the edge of the centre circle. This is not where he flourishes.

Likewise Barry seems to be set up for quick one-twos and balls around the corner, playing off shoulders.

When one comes on for the other - do we see ANY difference in the way the team plays? I don’t think so.

I really think we need to lay to their strengths, it yielded good results with Beto and surely it yields better result with any player if we play to their strengths.

I’m not convinced about the calls for Grealish in the centre, but the one thing that I do think it would do is to give Barry someone with enough footballing intelligence to play him in where he wants it.

Statistics: Posted by MayorFarnham — Mon Sep 22, 2025 6:32 am