The striker department at Everton right now is a bit of a laughing stock.
Thierno Barry was left distraught on the bench as he watched Bournemouth take advantage of his missed chances to record a 2-1 win on Tuesday, and Beto failed to do much better with just four passes to his name in his 28 minutes of action.
The term ‘Chuckle Brothers’ has been used to describe the duo on social media regularly this season amid their struggles, and David Moyes must feel it is time to hand Braiden Graham a chance as a result.
Who was Everton’s biggest let down in that defeat to Bournemouth? 😤
There were a number of really poor displays out there! ❌
Jake O'Brien is sent off against Bournemouth.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Time for David Moyes to test Braiden Graham as Everton’s £53m duo flounder
As Everton fans watch Barry and Beto net a combined eight goals in their 26 Premier League appearances this season, the 18-year-old Graham is on fire in the youth ranks.
The boy from Ballygowan can boast 15 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions so far this season for the Everton U21 side, but despite that, Moyes has only named him on the bench for a Premier League game once, which came in the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest back in December.
We appreciate the majority of Premier League managers are hesitant to throw young talents in for debuts, unless there is an injury crisis or it’s a dead rubber at the end of the season.
In this instance, however, Moyes should at least be throwing Graham – who even has the lobbed finish in his locker – on for the last 20 minutes to see how the teenager handles Premier League football.
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The stage is set for David Moyes to be bolder with his team selections
Everton already have 37 points from 26 games and are highly unlikely to be relegated, so there is little danger in giving the Irish wonderkid a Premier League debut in the coming weeks.
Beto cost Everton £26m in August 2023 and has made 100 appearances – netting 19 times – while Barry is roughly averaging a goal every six appearances since his £27m move from Villarreal last July with five goals in 29 games.
Braiden Graham is doing things Beto and Thierno Barry could only dream of… 😳
The £53m duo have had enough chances, so it is time for them to move aside and give Graham a chance to see if he can translate his efforts in the academy to Premier League football.
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