Beto believes that David Moyes’ “tough love” is producing the best football of his career but admits he’s still unsure about his Everton future beyond this season.
The 28-year-old moved up to double figures for the second straight season with his goal in the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday. Eight of those efforts have come since the turn of the calendar year with five in his last five matches.
And Beto said: “This is the best period of form because I’m better than I was last season. Last season, I was confident and everything but now, even if I’m not 100% fit, I can read the game more and I can analyse the game more.
“I’m cleverer in my play, I understand my body more and I understand the Premier League better and how it works. This isn’t just physically, because mentally I have improved from last season.
“It’s not just the last few months. I’ve been working since the beginning of the off season.
“I analyse games, I have a small team of two or three people, we analyse the games, we see the games and I come back to the club and do the work as well as working at home. I’m trying to get better in every aspect.
“In the first half of the season, I was still working but I wasn’t scoring. You’re not going to score every time so this is why I asked God to give me the strength to handle the pressure and the difficulties, and I will do the rest.”
The Guinea-Bissau international spoke earlier in the season about how he has a “good relationship,” with David Moyes but the Everton manager is “always on my toes.” In terms of continuing to work on his game, Beto admits his Glaswegian gaffer remains a harsh taskmaster.
He said: “It’s tough love. Gana and my friends they all say: ‘It’s tough love,’ because with me there are no nice words, it’s: ‘Keep going, do it better, you need to score, you need to receive, tighten it up’.
“It’s like this with him and me but I understand he wants me to get better, and better and better in these type of moments to celebrate with the team. I know he was happy when I scored.”
Having struggled to hit the back of the net in the first half of the campaign, Beto was linked with a move away from Hill Dickinson Stadium in the winter window. This summer, he is set to enter the final 12 months of his current Blues contract, but he insists he remains in the dark over what happens next.
The Lisbon-born player, who joined Everton for £25.8million from Udinese on August 29, 2023, said: “Every January, it’s the story of my life. I’m not even bothered about that, I don’t get angry or anything because I have big faith in God and I know he is going to protect me and give me strength to handle every type of pressure.
“If people think that I am not able to be here, it’s okay, it’s life. I’m just blessed to be here and play for Everton, I have the number nine and what more can I ask for?”
On his future, Beto added: “I just want to win against Sunderland. I don’t think too far.