Our Everton jury have returned to have their say following the 1-1 Premier League draw with Sunderland and the upcoming home game against Fulham
Thierno Barry in action for Everton against Sunderland on Monday night
Thierno Barry in action for Everton against Sunderland on Monday night
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Everton’s wait for a Premier League win goes on after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sunderland on Monday night. Despite a bright start in which Iliman Ndiaye opened the scoring, the Blues once again paid the price for failing to take their chances.
Thierno Barry somehow blasted the ball over the bar from inside the six-yard box with Everton still leading. Carlos Alcaraz then wasted two opportunities in stoppage time as David Moyes' men chased a winner on the break after Granit Xhaka equalised a minute into the second half.
The draw at the Stadium of Light leaves the Blues 14th in the table, and with Fulham to come this weekend, our Everton jury have returned to have their say.
Paul McParlan - The Beto and Thierno Barry Strictly shuffle
For nearly 30 minutes, Everton played some exhilarating football at the Stadium of Light on Monday.
They dominated the game, created chances and could easily have been three goals ahead, with Sunderland struggling to deal with the wave of Everton attacks.
That they had only one goal to show for their dominance was down to the issue that has plagued them all season; apart from Iliman Ndiaye, they don't have someone who can score on a regular basis.
It has become a recurring theme for David Moyes. One week he will pick Beto to start, and when he struggles to make an impact, he is replaced by Thierno Barry at around 60 minutes.
The following week he will go with Barry to start and then take him off for Beto on around 60 minutes, but these switches do not make any difference and do not produce goals! Is this going to be the routine for the rest of the season? Seriously?
I felt quite sorry for Thierno Barry on Monday night. He started quite well, won some aerial duels and linked up well with the team. It was his challenge that gave the ball to Ndiaye, who went on to score.
But, when Barry missed that clear chance to score from Jack Grealish’s cross, he had blown his big opportunity, and he knew it!
Thierno Barry shoots over during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Everton. Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Thierno Barry shoots over during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Everton. Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
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Barry’s frustration led to him receiving a needless yellow card, which meant he was going to be hauled off sooner rather than later.
In his defence, he was in the right place to receive the cross. When Beto replaced him on 53 minutes, the look of dejection on Barry’s face spoke volumes.
His annoyance as he brushed past David Moyes when he came off was clear to see. It looks like they don’t have the best of relationships either, which bodes badly for his future.
All the reports from Villarreal indicated that last season the French striker took time to settle and struggled to find form.
But the club believed in him; he kept his place in the team and ended the season with 11 goals, helping Villarreal qualify for the Champions League.
The data analysts at Everton identified him as one of the best under-23 forwards in Europe.
That ability must still be there. When Ndiaye leaves for the African Cup of Nations in December, who is going to score our goals?
Barry has to be given another chance. But Moyes and the coaching team need to show their summer signing that they believe he can succeed in the Premier League.
Or the manager tells Barry that it hasn’t worked out and sends him on loan in January and brings in an experienced forward. Either way a decision has to be made.
Even those Everton fans who enjoy watching Strictly Come Dancing are growing tired of seeing the Beto and Barry shuffle every week. Time for a new routine.
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Mark McParlan - The only complaint I’d have
I’d like to commend how truly welcoming Sunderland fans were on Monday, an incredibly friendly bunch, with an unrelentingly positive view of Evertonians.
Throughout the town centre, pubs were mixed and jovial, a contrast with many of the Premier League’s other destinations. It’s a friendship that has only strengthened in recent years, solidified by the mini-rivalry with Newcastle and their ‘Scouse Mackems’ shout, by Bradley Lowery, and of course, by Jordan Pickford.
The only complaint I’d have is that away section – it’s unfair that Sunderland, like Newcastle, can get away with putting the away fans in the furthest tier of the ground, miles from any action.
After a brilliant start and a brilliant goal, a draw was the fair result after an awful second half. We retreated into our shells. Nonetheless, if Thierno Barry had fired into the net from two yards out, from Grealish’s perfect cross (deserved an assist for Jack), we would have won the game.
Meanwhile, on Iliman Ndiaye – honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever worried myself by thinking, ‘You know what, he could go in the summer’ if we finish about 13th, while he carries on like this, producing amazing goals from absolutely nothing.
After a promising start to the season, hitting the ground running right away, for the first time there are questions over Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s place in the starting XI.
Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall during the Premier League match between Everton and West Ham United. Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall during the Premier League match between Everton and West Ham United. Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
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Although Carlos Alcaraz has been panned for blowing that late counter-attack on Monday, he still deserves a chance to start a match which isn’t Manchester City away, stuck out on the wing. Unfortunately, Dwight McNeil’s was a dreadful cameo. I’ve been disappointed to see him in a place in the Everton team, but clearly it is no longer working.
Fulham is suddenly a massive match – David Moyes really must win, or more serious questions will start to be asked. We’ve already had our consolidation, safe-from-any-relegation-battle season last time out, so we were ideally hoping to secure a top-half finish, even with squad limitations.
Either way, it is imperative that we continue to get behind the team, as we did at Sunderland.
On another note, Harrison Armstrong continues to be an integral starter for a Preston North End side which is flying at the moment. Their supporters on social media are raving about his abilities at eighteen years of age.
I recall an FA Youth Cup match against Wolves I attended back in January, in which Armstrong was head and shoulders above every other player.
Near me, I heard two relatives watching another player turning to each other and asking, 'Who is number 8?' He is so good…’
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