Thierno Barry has fallen to number two in the pecking order at Everton – but Michael Keane has given the striker his full backing.
The Frenchman is coming to the end of his first full season at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and it’s been a mixed bag.
Thierno Barry was very slow to get going, although that could be put down to adapting to the Premier League, which everyone knows is one of the toughest to play in.
He hit form at the start of the year, scoring four goals in five games.
But Barry recently lost his place in the starting XI to Beto, and Barry also came in for criticism after an altercation involving his friends in the crowd against Arsenal. This led to boos for Barry in the next game against Chelsea.
Now, Keane has shown his support for his teammate.
Michael Keane insists Everton need Thierno Barry for run-in as he calls for support
Thierno Barry playing for Everton.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
The Liverpool Echo have now reported that Barry is working hard to get back on track at Everton, after coming into the spotlight for the wrong reasons over the past few weeks.
Supposedly, the scrutiny he has come under has not been lost on his teammates.
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And one has now come out in support of him in the form of Michael Keane, who sent a subtle message to fans about the Toffees number 11.
He said: “He’s always trained well, he always trains hard and obviously the reception he got at the stadium wasn’t ideal. These things happen, but I think it’s important now for us all to stick together.
“I think he’s a great lad, he works hard, he’s scored some important goals so far and we’re going to need him for these last seven games. So hopefully we can all stick together and get behind him and get him back to scoring goals again.”
Barry still has big part to play for Everton
People have been critical of Barry again recently, and it has been disappointing to see his purple patch at the start of the year only really lasted a few weeks.
But we should take Keane’s word for it that he’s working really hard to try and get back into form. The defender is right – Everton will need Barry fit and firing in the coming weeks.
Beto is the clear main choice at the moment to start up top for Everton, but Barry still has an important role to play in the run-in.
Seven games left and on 46 points – how many points do you expect Everton to finish on? 🤔
David Moyes, manager of Everton, claps fans after a 3-0 win in the Premier League match between Everton and Chelsea.
Credit: Getty Images/Jorge Horsted/News Images/NurPhoto
If he isn’t starting games, then it’s vital he’s still giving everything in training to ensure that he is pushing Beto all the way for minutes. We know that Beto struggles for consistency.
Barry will undoubtedly be called upon in games by Moyes and he needs to be ready to take his chance.
He has frustrated fans a fair bit so far this season. But he could yet become a hero as Everton seek to secure European football for next season.
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