EXCLUSIVE: David Moyes got is spot on with his comments to Thierno Barry following his first goal reckons former Everton captain Alan Stubbs
Former Everton captain Alan Stubbs hopes Thierno Barry’s first goal can be a breakthrough moment for the £27million summer signing from Villarreal. But he believes Blues boss David Moyes got his tone spot on when reminding the striker that he now needs to keep on scoring.
The 23-year-old finally broke his duck with a cool finish in first-half stoppage time in Everton’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, after 17 matches, 737 minutes and 19 shots.
Lifelong Evertonian Stubbs, who made 193 appearances for the Blues and scored seven goals across two spells, told the ECHO: “I think for Thierno personally, it’s a huge moment. When that goal went in, you could really feel not just the excitement in the air, but the emotion too.
“It was a significant moment in his Everton career and I think David Moyes played it brilliantly after the game as well when he said that he’s got to do that more regularly if you want to be the number nine at Everton. That’s exactly right.
“He’s done the first part now and it’s taken longer than everybody would have expected, including Thierno Barry, but now hopefully he can go on a bit of a run.
“There’s no doubt that his performances have significantly improved the more he’s been in the team.
“As the manager has said though, there’s no guarantee of you staying in this team unless you’re doing your job and his job is to score goals.
“When we’re comparing where he’s been to where he is now, it’s a big ask.
“Not just the demands of the Premier League but the role you have to play when you’re by yourself.”
Stubbs, who was speaking via the best paying online casinos, added: “The expectation of David Moyes for that role is probably higher than anywhere else because of how he wants you to work hard and you’ve also got to be in the right place at the right time.
“You could see Barry’s performances improving, but we just wanted him to stay in the right place because when you’re searching for goals, you tend to run around and you can find yourself in the wrong positions.
“I think there’s been an element of that. He’s been so desperate to try and get a goal, but he needs to remember that the majority of them are going to come between the two posts.
“All credit to him, because it has been tough, but fingers crossed he can really build on that now.
“I’m not expecting him to get six out of the next six games, but if he can start to put the kind of chances away that he’s had more regularly, that can only bode well for Everton.”
The Blues return to action on Saturday when they travel to Chelsea, who sit one point and two places above them in fifth.