2025/26 Thierno Barry

[Marcus Kendall]

You have to wonder what the thought process was amongst these millionaire decision-making directors at Everton.

Situation: You have a single striker in the squad, and he is crap. He's a big tall gangly fella with a terrible first touch. You have £30m to strengthen your options, knowing that you cannot get it wrong. What do you do?

A. Invest the money in a more experienced striker, proven or not in the Premier League, that would at least offer something different than being all legs and a target for hoofball football.

B. Spend all £30m on one unproven lad from abroad in exactly the same mould as your current, crap striker, and simply hope he'll be able to hit the ground running in his first season, knowing that if he doesn't then the team is in big trouble.

C. Split the available funds between two up-and-coming strikers that each offer something different, perhaps a speed merchant and one with a clinical record in his short career so far. £15m each should get two interesting prospects from abroad.

(Obviously there would be further options open to the club, loans with options, obligations, selling players to generate more money, etc.)

I have no idea how they thought option B was the way to go. They are surely sorely regretting that now.

The problem is there's no obvious striker that was available who'd be instantly on it with guaranteed goals unless you can think of one? Personally I'd of had a gamble on Tammy Abraham even though his injury record hasn't been great

 

[Lanolin]

Don't get the criticism tbh. Some nice touches and link up play yesterday that completely evades beto. Better in the air as well, won more flick ons and looked more of an aerial threat in the box. What he gives away to Beto in physicality he more than buys back in guile. Also a much better presser; helped to funnel the Wolves build up play around the back into some traps, which we won the ball back from (we just didn't do anything with it).

Did as much as Beto did in a half, and the latter had a better run of it with the quality he had in behind him and the extra fatigue of the players he was up against.

I wonder if he hadn't have got booked whether he'd have been removed. Probably not, but needed to learn his lesson. And that was such a foul, got absolutely flattened (a foul that was given in identical fashion to the same centre half about a minute later, infuriating how inconsistent the game was refereed by Poorson). Another lesson, however - to expect that kind of physical contact and either beef up to take it, or adapt his game to evade it.

I think we need to be careful not to fall into the trap of treating him as if he's an 18 year old from the academy being thrown in in an emergency, as sometimes happens with these players. He's a big money (for us) signing with a decent amount of experience under his belt, we don't need to applaud him for getting the ball under control or finding his man with a pass, that's the absolute bare minimum. It's concerning that in the half dozen or so games i've seen him he just hasn't really given any indication of being threatening in the slightest, or any attributes which make it clear how he will be.

As i've said a few times, it's obviously early days and this certainly isn't to say he won't be a success even this season nevermind longer term, but I don't see the point in pretending his performances so far have given any reason to be excited about him, they just haven't.

 

[Simon Buttle]

The problem is there's no obvious striker that was available who'd be instantly on it with guaranteed goals unless you can think of one? Personally I'd of had a gamble on Tammy Abraham even though his injury record hasn't been great

Mikautadze who replace Barry at Villareal for around the same sort of fee from Lyon is who we should have gone for, different sort of profile which would have given us another option., the guy who scored against us last night came from the Belgian league and was top scorer there. There are strikers out there.

 

[Bez2k2k]

I think he looks terrible me. No pace, can’t head, no positional awareness, all in all so far an awful signing.

 

[Tony Hibbert's Wife]

I read something on the Beeb in the summer that stated a large proportion of his goals last season had come from one touch finishes.

Reminded me of how Sandro at Málaga (?) had outperformed his xG massively because loads of his goals had been unlikely worldies.

Maybe he'll improve. Barry, that is. Sandro will be eternally dreadful.

 

[ElGato]

I think we need to be careful not to fall into the trap of treating him as if he's an 18 year old from the academy being thrown in in an emergency, as sometimes happens with these players. He's a big money (for us) signing with a decent amount of experience under his belt, we don't need to applaud him for getting the ball under control or finding his man with a pass, that's the absolute bare minimum. It's concerning that in the half dozen or so games i've seen him he just hasn't really given any indication of being threatening in the slightest, or any attributes which make it clear how he will be.

As i've said a few times, it's obviously early days and this certainly isn't to say he won't be a success even this season nevermind longer term, but I don't see the point in pretending his performances so far have given any reason to be excited about him, they just haven't.

Oh he hasn't tore up any trees don't get me wrong.

Equally I don't think he's had any stinkers. Just think he's been pretty average; and I also think there's plenty of context that helps to explain that.

I appreciate that one needs to force themselves into a starting position, but I'll judge him once he's had a good run in the team - with quality teammates behind him that are creating chances. Other than a quarter chance when put through against Villa and a gilt-edged chance in pre-season which he fluffed, I actually can't recall a single goal scoring opportunity that he's had, can you? Otherwise have only been able to judge him on his link up play around the halfway line, pressing off the ball and aerial duels... which I think (for the rest of his game) looks fine.

You can't judge a goal scorer for not scoring goals if they're not getting the chances.

 

[Marcus Kendall]

Mikautadze who replace Barry at Villareal for around the same sort of fee from Lyon is who we should have gone for, different sort of profile which would have given us another option., the guy who scored against us last night came from the Belgian league and was top scorer there. There are strikers out there.

Mikautadze is a wide forward isn't he? That Wolves guy hasn't done anything yet to suggest we missed out as its too early to judge

 

[Lanolin]

Oh he hasn't tore up any trees don't get me wrong.

Equally I don't think he's had any stinkers. Just think he's been pretty average; and I also think there's plenty of context that helps to explain that.

I appreciate that one needs to force themselves into a starting position, but I'll judge him once he's had a good run in the team - with quality teammates behind him that are creating chances. Other than a quarter chance when put through against Villa and a gilt-edged chance in pre-season which he fluffed, I actually can't recall a single goal scoring opportunity that he's had, can you? Otherwise have only been able to judge him on his link up play around the halfway line, pressing off the ball and aerial duels... which I think (for the rest of his game) looks fine.

You can't judge a goal scorer for not scoring goals if they're not getting the chances.

No it's not that he's had stinkers, and he's shown occasional nice flashes which is good. As I said, I'd like to see a bit more of him looking like he could create a chance for himself or at least turn a half decent ball into an opportunity. As it is he just seems half a yard off it most of the time. He can't just wait around for a chance to be served to him on a gold platter at this level, he's going to have to use his own movement, pace, strength, touch etc to get chances and so far I haven't seen him do that, which is disappointing.

 

[mikel_88]

Not sure why people think be has bad movement\ positional awareness or whatever as i think has prob been the best side of his game. He does seem to make good runs that one we havent been hitting the pass to him or been on the same page. Even makes runs to get the defenders out of positions to create space. Last night frustration got the better of him just couldnt deal with the physicality of the wolves cb. Really not sure why the club does not hire a cf coach becuase would help massively.

 

[ElGato]

No it's not that he's had stinkers, and he's shown occasional nice flashes which is good. As I said, I'd like to see a bit more of him looking like he could create a chance for himself or at least turn a half decent ball into an opportunity. As it is he just seems half a yard off it most of the time, he can't just wait around for a chance to be served to him on a gold platter at this level, he's going to have to use his own movement, pace, strength, touch etc to get chances and so far I haven't seen him do that, which is disappointing.

I hear that.

I think his movement is decent in behind, few times he hasn't been found by the pass though. That's normal for a new striker - their team mates aren't used to their trigger movements and neither are they to theirs. Mansfield game springs to mind in particular, but a few times in the Brighton game I thought he made the right movement as well but was ignored. Aside from last night, are those his only starts? Thought he looked pretty good in the Brighton game in particular and was involved in both of the goals.

I think/hope he'll come good after a run of starts, but it is up to him to force his way in.

 

[Bedfordblue]

I think we need to be careful not to fall into the trap of treating him as if he's an 18 year old from the academy being thrown in in an emergency, as sometimes happens with these players. He's a big money (for us) signing with a decent amount of experience under his belt, we don't need to applaud him for getting the ball under control or finding his man with a pass, that's the absolute bare minimum. It's concerning that in the half dozen or so games i've seen him he just hasn't really given any indication of being threatening in the slightest, or any attributes which make it clear how he will be.

As i've said a few times, it's obviously early days and this certainly isn't to say he won't be a success even this season nevermind longer term, but I don't see the point in pretending his performances so far have given any reason to be excited about him, they just haven't.

He’s played 142 minutes of Premier League Football.

 

[davids]

The problem is there's no obvious striker that was available who'd be instantly on it with guaranteed goals unless you can think of one? Personally I'd of had a gamble on Tammy Abraham even though his injury record hasn't been great

Not particularly guaranteed goals, someone to hold the ball up and link the play and we'd have got plenty of goals from midfield. Our defenders are ponderous on the ball and more often than not have to play it long and with Barry or Beto,it's coming right back.

 

[Lanolin]

He’s played 142 minutes of Premier League Football.

Yes, which is why i've been very clear in saying i'm not making long term conclusions about anything. I also saw him play in pre season and cups though funnily enough. I thought you were going to take a break from posting after you cried that somebody replied to you last time, shame you didn't.

 

[Simon Buttle]

Mikautadze is a wide forward isn't he? That Wolves guy hasn't done anything yet to suggest we missed out as its too early to judge

Can play anywhere across the front 3, the wolves guy scored against us and scored over 20 last season in Belgium, Barry has done sod all so far. There are a raft of strikers in South America we could have gone for. We are just not very good at the recruitment thing no matter who is in charge imo.

 

[Blast_of_Cannock]

At the weekend Beto was poor in the first half, got hooked at half-time and Barry looked better. Last night Barry was poor in the first half, got hooked at half-time and Beto looked better. At the moment neither look like great options.

We should try starting the game with no strikers, then bring Beto & Barry on at half-time.