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Yakubu Ayegbeni has said pre-season goals can boost the confidence of Thierno Barry and Beto but has warned the pair that they must step up when the real action begins.
Barry and Beto were both on target during the 4-0 win at Dundee earlier this month, before drawing blanks during disappointing displays against Bolton and Stoke.
Everton have been linked with signing a centre-forward this summer, but there has been no movement on a deal to date, leaving Beto and Barry to compete for the Number 9 role.
The duo combined for 17 league goals last season, with only two sides to avoid relegation scoring fewer goals than Everton in the Premier League.
Speaking to ToffeeWeb in our latest Once a Blue conversation, Yakubu said scoring goals always improves confidence, but said summer strikes count for little if the pair cannot replicate it in the Premier League.
“Save the goals for the league!” Yakubu challenges Beto and Barry to step up amid Everton striker uncertainty
“I see strikers who score goals in pre-season, and then, when it comes to the league, they struggle. I always used to say to myself, save some for the season! Don’t score every chance in pre-season.
”I think it will give them confidence. They’ve been struggling with scoring goals. It’s good for them to score goals and give them confidence. But, as I said, we want them to keep the goals for the league! That’s the most important thing for us.
"In pre-season you learn a lot, learn from your mistakes. There are so many ideas in your head because you learn from last season. I spoke to my mate after Barry and Beto scored against Dundee and we said, we don’t need those goals in pre-season, we need them in the league! I hope they can bring that confidence to score goals in the Premier League. We need those goals in the Premier League.
"We struggled a lot in the league, and we really need them. At the moment we’re not bringing a striker into the club, and these two need to step up.
"Beto’s been there for three years now; he needs to step up. He can’t score one or two, and then go six or seven games without scoring. We need strikers if we want to play in Europe next season, and they’re experienced now. We know the Premier League is the toughest league in the world and it’s been hard for them, but they need to step up."
Read more - Still a massive amount of work needed as Stoke beat Everton
Reader Comments (94)
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2 Posted 29/07/2026 at 11:47:58
If anyone wants Barry, sell him ASAP. Or let him go on a loan. It hurts to see him play, and his work rate is very poor.
Beto tries, at least, but is not up to it, unfortunately. We need a striker now!!
3 Posted 29/07/2026 at 12:04:57
But neither possess the raw nasty angry 'bull in a china shop' aggression to be a nuisance on a regular basis either.
Out of the two, I'll imagine defenders prefer facing Barry than Beto, as Barry just seems to offer very limited fight against physical opponents.
4 Posted 29/07/2026 at 12:07:10
5 Posted 29/07/2026 at 12:11:51
What a load of cack! Sorry, but it is.
6 Posted 29/07/2026 at 12:22:25
Thank you, the Yak, you've restored faith in me.
7 Posted 29/07/2026 at 12:23:28
8 Posted 29/07/2026 at 12:35:15
9 Posted 29/07/2026 at 13:14:45
10 Posted 29/07/2026 at 13:58:35
As for Barry, whoever thought he was a centre-forward needs sacking. Maybe he's scouting Delap as we speak.
11 Posted 29/07/2026 at 14:38:31
according to his new birth certificate
12 Posted 29/07/2026 at 15:10:17
13 Posted 29/07/2026 at 15:12:32
If we get off to a bad start, we're pretty much fooked with these two upfront.
14 Posted 29/07/2026 at 15:40:16
You cannot make a silk purse from a sow's ear and that's what both Barry and Beto are.
Sure, given the minutes, they will score goals... but not often enough and their general all around ability (ball control, hold-up play etc) leaves a lot to be desired.
Everton at going nowhere until that situation changes.
15 Posted 29/07/2026 at 16:37:51
The other shite isn't working! 🤷
16 Posted 29/07/2026 at 16:58:23
17 Posted 29/07/2026 at 17:03:44
But given we can't even find a right-back, does anyone have confidence in our "Elite" recruitment team to find the answer???
Do any of us believe that, given the status quo, Spurs, Leeds, Forest and Fulham will finish below us again in the coming season??
My god, even the mighty Ipswich have brought in 2 wingers that we were supposedly interested in.
All I can say is this expensive "Elite" recruitment team can't hold a candle to Thelwell and that sums them up.
18 Posted 29/07/2026 at 17:13:22
High Value, piss poor, didn't want to come last year. It's all there for us.
19 Posted 29/07/2026 at 17:14:25
I think most Blues agree with you that neither Barry nor Beto are the answer and, as you say, they have had long enough to know these two aren't good enough.
But just looking at the goal stats for last season: Dewsbury-Hall scored 8, Ndiaye 6, Keane 3, Grealish 2, Gana 2, Garner 2, Tarkowski 2... the rest scored 1 or no goals.
So maybe we need wingers and midfield players who have decent goal-scoring stats as, even if we had Harry Kane, I doubt he would score 20 with this group.
Also, maybe Moyes needs to get more players in the box when we attack. Last season, we did well to get 2 or 3 at most. Yet Bournemouth and Brentford regularly had 4 in the box on many attacking occasions.
20 Posted 29/07/2026 at 17:23:46
Think I'm right in saying this: We have only had one striker, in all the seasons Moyes has managed us, who scored 15 goals.
The rest of Moyes seasons, the top scorer was between 8 and 11 goals.
100% down to the manager's tactics.
21 Posted 29/07/2026 at 17:28:24
And where would George play? If it's just to accommodate Barry and Beto, I'd rather not, thanks, although I do feel Aznou could play that role with Mykolenko behind him in a back three with Branthwaite and O'Brien.
I've just won my first Ballot ticket so I'll be at the Palace game. If my predicted back 4 of O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane and Mykolenko turns out, it will be my last ballot application pending change.
22 Posted 29/07/2026 at 17:39:32
Dibling has been poor since he signed for Everton, and according to a lot of fans, we would now be lucky to get £15M for him.
According to a lot of Evertonians, the silent Friedkins saved Everton... but, according to many others, they are sucking the fucking life out of the club.
It looks like we are going to lose our most entertaining player, but maybe if he reads Mike's suggestion @15, he might have other ideas.
We waited for a new stadium for years... believing it would help herald the start of a brand new beginning. But it's getting that bad that I'm now beginning to miss Goodison Park simply because I remember how many times the fans inside that stadium helped save the club from being relegated.
If things don't improve, then I expect one of two things: anger or apathy. But if the team do begin to struggle, then I'm not sure Bramley-Moore Dock is going to be a place full of defiance like Goodison was.
23 Posted 29/07/2026 at 17:47:30
We may look back on that severing from Goodison as the moment the club was finally taken away from the fans. I get the impression TFG would be much happier with a more transient less assertive fanbase, heading in the West Ham direction.
24 Posted 29/07/2026 at 17:57:46
The result would look weird but you never know! Or maybe we do. :)
26 Posted 29/07/2026 at 18:01:50
We maybe think we already had George and Rohl but the transfer fees for both are out of this year -- £40M plus. Add in Hackney and I'm wondering if that's it, apart from maybe a loan or two or a very cheap deal.
I'm not convinced we are able to operate in the markets that people think we should be operating in. I suspect and fear that any significant signing has to see an outgoing or two.
27 Posted 29/07/2026 at 18:06:33
If things don't improve, then I personally think that it's up to us fans to start showing these owners with a complete fan boycott of the friendly against LOSC Lille.
Let the fans have a jolly in Germany, and then make these people realise that it might be their money (How much money have they actually poured into our club?) but it will always be our fucking club.
It's not our club, Tony…. Doesn't mean we don't hold a hell of a lot of pull, if we could just unite for once.
28 Posted 29/07/2026 at 18:09:03
The paper-thin squad is smaller than it already was.
29 Posted 29/07/2026 at 18:24:05
They're that much financially in front from buying Everton, they probably won't be arsed if we do though.
30 Posted 29/07/2026 at 18:27:08
But I have a horrible feeling it won't all be re-invested.
31 Posted 29/07/2026 at 18:28:39
32 Posted 29/07/2026 at 18:30:55
Will we spend similar this summer window?
Where the fuck is all the dry powder?
33 Posted 29/07/2026 at 18:33:24
And good gawd, can we please postpone the Lille friendly, they will make us look soooo baaaad.
If Moyes brings in DeCrap, there is no hiding from the fair criticism due. None of this, 'Let's see what he does first' stuff.
Oh yeah, one more thing, I am uncomfortable with Yak doing what an Everton manager or front office type should be doing. Maybe I'm off but this seems like some shirking of duties.
34 Posted 29/07/2026 at 18:35:12
Let's face it, he is feathering his nest by not being vocal and at the same time taking the fans for dickheads.
I seriously despise this club now: no ambition, no foresight and no hope. The ginger twat must have a transfer kitty.
35 Posted 29/07/2026 at 18:54:41
Warning signs were laid bare with the final 7 games of last season. He (Moyes) is not a steady-the-ship manager -- ask Sunderland fans if they want him back!
36 Posted 29/07/2026 at 19:09:56
I keep seeing adverts from the club telling the fans to come and visit our restaurants and watch the World Cup, come and hit golf balls onto the pitch, and laterly even drive through movies.
Quite ironic you can watch a movie from your car at Hill Dickinson Stadium but most days you cant get anywhere near the stadium in your car, even on non-matchdays.
But how about TFG telling the 50,000 that turn up on matchdays what's happening with our club? We have been in the wilderness for decades and sadly under this new ownership, it looks like it's going to carry on.
The excitement of going to our brilliant new stadium is waring thin. We hoped this would be the new beginning but it looks like only the venue has changed and not much else. We have become a Bottom 8 side with little expectation of change.
37 Posted 29/07/2026 at 19:22:58
Moyes won't want to be associated with taking us down after all these years in the top division; he won't be satisfied with the present squad. He's the manager but it will be the owners who will decide what's spent and when.
38 Posted 29/07/2026 at 19:42:23
Accept shite. Expect more of the same.
39 Posted 29/07/2026 at 20:31:50
Plus a few banners and posters, 'Moyes Out' outside the ground, or even inside, gets the message across loud and clear by the silent suffering majority!
If we act like sheep, we will get treated as such!
41 Posted 29/07/2026 at 20:51:06
Doing it with the TV being there is a bad idea, Sky and the pedo lovers (non advert channel) already “hate” us, this would just add fuel to that fire. 💙
42 Posted 29/07/2026 at 21:28:40
I don't believe so. I think what we've seen is all we are going to get. They are not of the quality we need to make us a threat to the Top 6.
Unless the powers that be have the guts to admit that and put feasible measures in place to remedy the situation, I think we could be in deep shit next season, particularly given our very suspect defence.
43 Posted 29/07/2026 at 21:52:53
45 Posted 29/07/2026 at 22:13:18
46 Posted 29/07/2026 at 22:23:49
Haaland = 109
Sesko = 148
Thiago = 149
Gyokeres = 158
Ekitike = 163
Beto = 172
Welbeck = 173
Watkins = 177
Pedro = 177
Richarlison = 177
Mateta = 184
Calvert-Lewin = 194
Barry = 237
Interestingly, some as bad or worse than Barry all seem to be players that we have had strong links to:
Woltemade = 237
Brobbey = 274
Delap = 1,092
Take from that what you will.
47 Posted 29/07/2026 at 22:26:11
Didn't happen when arguably the worst owner.. Blue Bill was in charge.
Didn't happen when arguably the worst owner... Moshiri was in charge.
Not going to happen when the jury's out on TFG.
48 Posted 29/07/2026 at 22:55:55
I know we live in the age of instant gratification, something of which I regularly remind my children. Didn't think I'd see it from grown fellas…
Our manager has managed the 3rd most games in Premier League history and I trust him more than I trust all you combined. Let's back the lads and give them 10 games before we get emotional.
Crikey we almost went out of business a couple seasons ago. Our squad, our reputation, and our business was damaged during those dark days but we are rising from the ashes. It's not going to be quick…
I've been waiting 36 years to watch good football, one more won't hurt…
Many on here wanted Thomas Frank and Graham Potter once upon a time... 🤣 😂 how did that go? Thomas Frank was holding Brentford back as it transpires. They have been better since he left!!
I'll take Moyes all day.
49 Posted 29/07/2026 at 22:58:34
50 Posted 29/07/2026 at 23:00:44
It was not in any way near certainty.
Look again, damn it, at how many points 18th finished on.
51 Posted 29/07/2026 at 23:01:54
We were 18th with 30 minutes left of the season!!
52 Posted 29/07/2026 at 23:04:31
Take him to the Scottish FA Headquarters please, bud!
53 Posted 29/07/2026 at 23:16:45
But if Jake starts at RB for the first game of the season, I'll be the first one with the pitchfork.
54 Posted 29/07/2026 at 23:41:38
Arteta obviously the most unlikely manager to be sacked.
Moyes... second most unlikely.
55 Posted 29/07/2026 at 00:02:32
That was not the least bit clever.
56 Posted 29/07/2026 at 00:02:59
Because it certainly can't be trusted to win trophies, he hasn't won one single domestic trophy in his entire managerial career.
I wouldn't trust him with a junior school team.
57 Posted 29/07/2026 at 00:45:05
How on earth their awkwardness and related lack of balance was not spotted by our scouts is beyond belief.
58 Posted 30/07/2026 at 01:25:01
He has one year left on his contract, and we are run by penny pinchers… so the chance of him being bounced out before his contract ends is absolutely zero unfortunately.
I'm not saying I like the fella's style, but it doesn't take a genius to know that he's not going anywhere this season, and that we'll finish about mid-table at worst.
Any other manager would struggle to do anything with the crop of players we have, so it's not just Moyes. Our team isn't great. Besides Jarrad and Jordan, I don't think any of our players get into a top half team.
Hopefully by the time Davie's time is up next summer, our squad is younger and fresher and can be handed over to a better manager. What could even Pep or Zidane do with no right-back and Mykolenko on the left?
Tyrique George is a good start; Delap, whilst not a world beater, would still be better than Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum that we have now.
Hopefully it's Tarkowski's last season too; then, next summer, we get a fresh start with a younger team and new manager. That was the plan this whole time, I believe. Rome wasn't built in a day and all that.
59 Posted 30/07/2026 at 05:04:20
What asinine comments. I hope that The Yak is not being paid for this crap.
As for his erm ‘views', there is nothing so far of any note that has not been said by one or many more of us. The Yak trots out the company line for his free seat.
I can't wait for a sentence or two in this series that actually questions what is happening at our club.
60 Posted 30/07/2026 at 05:08:51
What impact will banners and posts have on absence and silence? Saint-Daniel-the-Absent will not give a shit; Saint Angus-the-Silent will do what he is told.
We are already sheep!
61 Posted 30/07/2026 at 05:11:11
How about a few cots out in front of the stadium with some signs reading, "Spare change for transfers"?
You do realise that cots are things to put babies in?
62 Posted 30/07/2026 at 05:21:44
(55) 'We may well still end up with Richarlison, Grealish, and Ben White for all we know. There is still time!!…'.
(60) 'Hopefully by the time Davie's time is up next summer, our squad is younger and fresher'.
As it surely will be if we end up, as you hope Mr Kearns, with Richarlison (29), Grealish (31 in September), and Ben White (29 in October).
Par for this course.
63 Posted 30/07/2026 at 07:15:41
Last season, last 8 matches -- a possible 24 points -- how many did he achieve? 3!
Now any other Club would be sacking their manager with that sort of poor return... but No! He is hailed a hero on TW by some. Please get real!
64 Posted 30/07/2026 at 08:46:40
Complete and utter tosh from the Yak.
65 Posted 30/07/2026 at 08:48:28
66 Posted 30/07/2026 at 08:53:55
I'd much rather hear him talk about himself than this toe-the-club-line shite.
Who is next, I wonder, Osman, Howard, Jagielka, Hibbert, erm Sharp?
How about Big Nev or Shandy Andy?
67 Posted 30/07/2026 at 08:55:47
68 Posted 30/07/2026 at 09:01:16
If he had been reading TW this week, he would have learned that the dynamic duo have been a snip for £60M (+ £120k per week). Their joint efforts are as good as having a top player......
Their inability to control a ball to allow the team to move forward doesn't matter. Beto is a 1-3 striker and it doesn't matter if they can't take a simple penalty... because they don't count!
69 Posted 30/07/2026 at 09:20:36
We need all inclusive -- not Barry and Beto.
71 Posted 30/07/2026 at 09:32:03
At this point I'd settle for just half bored.
72 Posted 30/07/2026 at 09:32:30
They need to pull something out of the hat soon. We kept being told it's only a month chill but no longer.
We have to assume that this expensively assembled crack recruitment team -- led by Cox who has no recent experience of clubs in our predicament -- have been put together to put an end to last minute panic buys.
An expensively assembled crack recruitment team should not be making last-minute panic buys.
73 Posted 30/07/2026 at 09:37:15
74 Posted 30/07/2026 at 09:39:09
Hopefully it doesn't happen…. As I sit here smiling at your description of your arl mate Blue Bill😂
75 Posted 30/07/2026 at 09:43:24
There was someone who was trying to claim that Beto and / or Barry's output was better than Calvert-Lewin's last season. He screened out penalties to make his point -- someone had better tell Haaland and Mbappe that penalties don't count as real goals.
Darren put them right, but I can't remember who it was.
76 Posted 30/07/2026 at 09:48:47
Based on what we have seen so far this summer, I am beginning to wonder.
77 Posted 30/07/2026 at 09:50:33
Not much in it though regarding goal scoring. Beto: one goal every 5 games; Calvert-Lewin: one goal every 4.5 games.
Never forget the booing when the kid went off with a broken cheekbone. Disgraceful
78 Posted 30/07/2026 at 09:55:47
Mate, we have not had a single scrap of evidence as August looms of what the fuck this recruitment team and their dynamic stats machine have done. Nothing.
Time is ticking. Did we pay Cox a shitload of money for last-minute panic buys?
79 Posted 30/07/2026 at 10:22:50
For a time last season, we had, Grealish, Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall and Garner on the pitch, all the ingredients for passing moving footy.
Instead, we have Pickford smashing it out from the back. I was no fan of Calvert-Lewin but it's no coincidence that he flourished under Ancelotti playing joined-up footy.
80 Posted 30/07/2026 at 10:35:29
81 Posted 30/07/2026 at 10:37:14
Instant gratification? I've watched Everton through thick and thin; I, like thousands of others, have completely stood the test of time and, when I walked into Bramley-Moore Dock for the first time, my initial reaction was “What a fucking stadium!”
Since that first day against Brighton, it's been mostly as boring as sitting in an airport departure lounge on the way back from your holiday after seeing your flight has been delayed for a few hours.
When FSG put the ticket prices up, a lot of Liverpool fans walked out on a designated minute and, whilst I heard a few cynical people saying it was a waste of time, their American owners didn't think so and immediately had a rethink over their pricing.
Dyche was taking us down because Dyche was in the hot seat but he came into a club, that was completely on its fucking knees, and I mean completely on its fucking knees. The directors had deserted us, the chairman was doing his usual sneaky little routine of deflecting the blame away from the total ineptitude of him and his fellow directors.
(Remember Ian Wright backtracking on his original statement giving Evertonians stick, because he had heard a different story from one of Kenwright's friends?)
Dyche did a remarkable job, and I for one will forever be thankful for the job that he did in helping keep Everton in the Premier League. He probably spoke to TFG when they first arrived, heard what they had to say, and thought to himself, "I've had enough of this place, I'm off."
Instant gratification to me, Sean, would be someone from inside the club just talking openly and honestly to the fans and telling us what their overall plans for the club actually are, because at the moment we have got silence, complete and utter silence… And actions that simply don't inspire.
82 Posted 30/07/2026 at 10:38:22
83 Posted 30/07/2026 at 11:11:23
84 Posted 30/07/2026 at 11:14:24
85 Posted 30/07/2026 at 11:53:24
Second, taking inspiration from The Fly, we need to get hold of those telepods and have a go fusing Beto and Barry. Not sure what we'd get but it has to be an improvement.
The mess that arrives in the final telepod can be sold to a Saudi club, they'd hardly notice.
86 Posted 30/07/2026 at 12:56:41
In the film “The Fly“, the human and the fly both came back fucked up....
Maybe Beto and Barry have already been in that telepod!
87 Posted 30/07/2026 at 13:26:50
88 Posted 30/07/2026 at 14:01:54
We meanwhile sit on our arses and play shit football, with a shit squad and get beat by shit teams.
Being an Evertonian is shit atm.
89 Posted 30/07/2026 at 14:24:39
91 Posted 30/07/2026 at 15:16:13
102 Posted 30/07/2026 at 23:27:21
Hopefully, we'll get outbidded, again.
103 Posted 31/07/2026 at 01:20:20
Not that it is worth the effort to resolve but I was thinking fold-out temp beds that were used before those air mattresses were produced, and really, just to play on Brendan ruling out a boycott.
You were kind of running the board there in the 60s.
104 Posted 31/07/2026 at 02:24:36
https://boori.co.uk/collections/cots-cot-beds?srsltid=AfmBOopvxcIffXQZbIHK6Ca9ysmZRIAj_uDUn4PsAWEgRd9d8bpwR7Xc
105 Posted 31/07/2026 at 03:44:38
That is a cradle.
This! Now, this is a cot!
The Seamus Special:
https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/coleman-trailhead-ii-camp-cot-16colutrlhdctxxxxcsl/16colutrlhdctxxxxcsl?sku=13798763&srsltid=AfmBOorp03w0c0OjcDJbN2e-2hFuYnccawAANO0Qs94Juv7ViO46EWWxuIk
106 Posted 31/07/2026 at 05:04:08
107 Posted 31/07/2026 at 21:54:37
The term 'boycott' originates from Ireland.
There was a cunt of an English landlord called Boycott and the locals took it upon themselves to have absolutely nothing to do with him. Eventually, they forced him to sell up.
Hence the term.
This could become a regular ToffeeWeb feature... no?
108 Posted 31/07/2026 at 00:29:08
109 Posted 01/08/2026 at 01:40:53
There are a few submissions I would like added to the target list.
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1 Posted 29/07/2026 at 11:39:22
It took a couple of seasons for Calvert-Lewin to excel, but he was unfortunate with a couple of injuries. I wonder what's coming from our strikers, that's the beauty of football.