David Moyes was speaking after his Everton side beat Newcastle United 1-0 at St James' Park
Thierno Barry of Everton celebrates after scoring (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Thierno Barry of Everton celebrates after scoring (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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Everton manager David Moyes hailed match-winner Thierno Barry after the Frenchman secured back-to-back wins over Newcastle United but he reckons his only recognised striker might have twice as many goals this season than he’s actually scored.
Barry equalled his tally from last season with his eighth goal this term as he converted a 49th minute tap-in after Magpies keeper Lukas Hornicek allowed an effort from Tyrique George to squirm through his hands.
Moyes said: “I think he’s scored some really important goals already, but if I’m being honest with you, we’ve also had some big misses, which, if he could have got, he’d probably have about 15 or 16 goals by now.”
Another squad member who has impressed the Blues boss is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and the 63-year-old said: “He’s a really good player. I think he’s been a little bit unlucky that he’s not quite made the England squad.
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“But I think if he plays at the levels he’s playing at the moment, he’ll certainly get closer. I think England have got so many good players and in the sort of roles he plays and that might be the reason he can’t make it. But I actually think in the last two or three games he’s really stepped up, he’s made a big difference for us in how he plays and what he’s doing and he’s just given us that little bit more at the moment which we’ve required.”
Moyes though is delighted with the efforts being put in by all of his already tiny pool of players by Premier League standards, which has shrunken further due to Jack Grealish’s absence after he was disciplined by the club. Everton recorded a brace of wins over Newcastle in the space of five days and he said: “They are so good in what they do. They give everything they’ve got.
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“They’re a brilliant group of players. Look, they’ve had it tough as well.
“They want to keep winning and they’ve found it difficult with the way things have gone, but they’re pulling it out. They’re doing their best to be in all the games.
“It’s never easy. We know we beat Newcastle on Thursday night and then to beat them again today, that’s not an easy thing to do for any club at the level. So, to come here and get a good win tonight was a great result for us.”
Despite the victory, Moyes also picked up his second yellow card in as many Premier League fixtures after both he and his former player Mikel Arteta, in the opposition dugout, both went into the book in the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The former centre-half quipped: “It’s sort of the level I used to get when I was a player!”
Asked if he was perplexed by the decisions, Moyes added: “A little bit, because, you know, it’s the small things they’re picking up on him, and I think they’re a bit pedantic.”
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Jack Grealish (Photo by Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images)
Jack Grealish (Photo by Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images)