Thierno Barry and Jarrad Branthwaite have been making the headlines for Everton who go into the international break unbeaten after defeating Ipswich Town 1-0
Thierno Barry during the match between Everton and Ipswich Town at Hill Dickinson Stadium on September 19, 2026
Thierno Barry during the match between Everton and Ipswich Town at Hill Dickinson Stadium on September 19, 2026(Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
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Thierno Barry still needs to knock off the rough edges to his game, but Everton manager David Moyes will be worried if his only recognised striker gets injured reckons a former Premier League star.
Barry netted the Blues’ match-winner against Ipswich Town on Saturday with his fifth goal this term – a tally it took him until January 26 to reach last season – and could have had a sixth had his headed second not been disallowed for Brennan Johnson having been deemed to have been interfering with play when standing in an offside position.
With last season’s top scorer Beto sold to Fiorentina on transfer deadline day and a deal for Monaco’s USA World Cup star Folarin Balogun collapsing, Barry is now the only centre-forward in Everton’s first team squad.
Speaking courtesy of BestBettingSites.co.uk, Alan Smith who won a brace of League Championships with Arsenal plus the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup-Winners’ Cup, netting 115 goals in 351 games, told the ECHO: “Will Barry be able to knock off the rough edges? Time will tell, he’s still young.
“It’s an obvious shortage there. I was looking at him at the weekend and you can see the weaknesses in his game, but he’s a very game player as well.
“He always gives 100%, but you do wonder if he’s not there, what they’re going to do. They’re going to have to play a false nine or something like that.
“David Moyes will be a little worried about what happens in the event of Barry getting injured, but even with him in the team, it’s not ideal. But that’s when you’ve got to look to people like Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to provide some goals and not just depend on the centre-forward.”
The 63-year-old added: “There’s no doubt what happened on transfer deadline day leaves Moyes short. He’s trying to put a little spin on it, saying he likes to work with a smaller squad, but maybe not this small.
“So, Moyes will be disappointed that players didn’t come in, having let those lads go. He’s going to have to use all of his experience and expertise, this season.
“I think they’ll keep their heads above water, and we saw against Spurs and Ipswich what a well-organised outfit they can be, and they might have to depend on that even more this season because of the shortage of options.”
Smith has also been impressed with the re-emergence of Jarrad Branthwaite, who was restricted to just 10 games last season due to hamstring injuries, but has been called up to the England squad for the first time under Thomas Tuchel and now has the chance to add to his one cap to date. He said: “It’s good to see Jarrad in there, and he was one of the men of the match against Spurs, I think.
“There have been some brilliant back four displays, and he’s next to James Tarkowski. We talk about a shortage of players, but that enables understandings to grow sometimes, because there aren't maybe too many other options.
“Those two present a formidable barrier, I think, they will do that to a lot of attackers. So, it’s good to see him enjoying his football and nailing down that place at the moment.”