Why Balogun’s Finch Farm U-Turn Transformed Everton’s Season
The collapsed Balogun Everton transfer this summer left plenty of supporters frustrated, but Tim Cahill sees the whole saga rather differently. Folarin Balogun was set to join David Moyes’ side from Monaco on a permanent deal worth £38.5million, and he’d even gone through a medical at the club’s Finch Farm base. Then, with no move confirmed, he walked away and the deal fell apart.
Cahill, in comments first reported in the Liverpool Echo report on Tim Cahill, called the whole thing a blessing in disguise. He believes the uncertainty around Balogun’s arrival actually worked in Everton’s favour, because it handed Thierno Barry the chance to show what he can do.
“I think when you look at the situation of missing out on Balogun, I think it’s a blessing in disguise, because there was a lot of uncertainty around the transfer, and it’s given Barry the opportunity to show himself. I was at the game against Wolves, and one of the good things about Barry, and even I went to training and I watched training, is he tries hard and he does give everything. And we know it as footballers, when you’re playing for Everton, it’s not going your way. It doesn’t matter what you do, there’s always that expectation from the fans. But the main thing is, it doesn’t matter who plays from the 21, it matters that everyone’s giving everything.”
It’s a fair point from someone who knows exactly what it takes to lead the line for this club. A striker arriving under a cloud of doubt rarely settles quickly, and Cahill’s suggestion is that Barry has benefited from starting with a clean slate instead.
How Thierno Barry Stepped Up After Beto and Balogun Exits
Everton’s forward line looked stretched once the transfer window shut. Beto had already departed for Fiorentina, and with the Balogun move collapsing at the last moment, Barry was left as the club’s only recognised senior centre forward.
Moyes has made his plan clear. Everton intend to keep Barry as their first-choice number nine until at least January, trusting him to shoulder the goalscoring load largely on his own in the meantime. It’s a big ask for a young forward still finding his feet in the Premier League, but the early signs suggest he’s embracing it rather than shrinking from it.
Cahill’s assessment fits a pattern here. He watched Barry closely both in training and during the win over Wolves, and what struck him wasn’t flair or finishing so much as effort. That work rate, in Cahill’s eyes, is exactly what Everton supporters want to see from a striker carrying this much responsibility.
Thierno Barry’s Early Season Numbers and Cahill’s Verdict
The numbers back up the eye test. Barry has five goals in seven appearances across all competitions this season, a strong return for a player who’s had to adapt quickly to English football while carrying the full weight of Everton’s attack.
His biggest moment so far came in the line-up against Ipswich Town, where Barry started, and scored the winner in a 1-0 victory. It was the kind of goal that settles nerves, both his own and the crowd’s, and it added weight to Cahill’s argument that Barry needed exactly this kind of opportunity.
Looking back, the failed Balogun Everton move now looks less like a setback and more like the moment that shaped Everton’s early season. Cahill’s verdict is simple: Barry has earned his run in the side, and the numbers so far support that trust.
Everton’s Unbeaten Start and David Moyes’ Call for Unity
Everton remain unbeaten in their opening five Premier League games, with two wins and three draws leaving them seventh in the table. It’s a solid foundation, built in part on Barry finding his scoring touch far sooner than many expected.
Moyes has used the moment to ask something of everyone connected to the club, supporters included. Frustration over the summer window, and the way the Balogun deal fell apart, hasn’t gone unnoticed by the manager.
“I must stress the importance of us all pulling together. We need to be strong again and there may be occasions when we have to find a way to get through some difficult moments. It is something you have all done in recent seasons. Everyone has pulled together for the good of the football club and we may need to do so again.”
That message echoes Cahill’s recent comments regarding club leadership, and it has produced a mixed response among the fanbase, not unlike the fan reactions to Cahill’s involvement in wider club matters this year. Whatever the mood off the pitch, Barry’s form and Everton’s unbeaten start give Moyes a genuine platform to build from as the season moves into October.
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