How to destroy not one but two centre-forwards

We have had 10 games and one goal from them, so they deserve to be dropped.

The thing is, they are both bloody awful. I'll be delighted to be proven mistaken in the games to come...

And then to cap it off getting the most ridiculously stupid yellow card ever?

I think Moyes probably could have taken him aside at half-time and told him if he does anything in the second half like that again and gets sent off then that's it, he's done. But, at the same time, you can't blame Moyes for hauling his arse off because he does look a red card waiting to happen.

Then there is Bambi On Ice, I mean, sorry, Beto, another that makes scoring easy chances look hard and has the control of a giraffe with a tennis ball. The fact we haven't had a single decent centre-forward since Lukaku left us is a damning statistic.

The bigger concern for me is our recruitment team and who runs the rule over these types of players before actually putting more money out on them? Where were we when Bournemouth got Kluivert? Or Kroupi?

Other clubs seem to always get it right, but we continue to churn out these strikers that look like they've never seen a football pitch -- let alone a ball.

I do worry about Barry though. A young lad with little real experience yanked off the continent to Merseyside to whom the role of centre-forward carries possible canonisation and heraldic memories.

I am not qualified enough to improve his game but years of teaching tells me that he needs to be out of the firing line now. In the next window, get him to somewhere like West Brom on loan with guaranteed playing time. He has a chance to sink or swim!

How many strikers did Moyes lose in his first stint at the club after promising starts? Yakubu, Andy Johnson, Michael Branch etc.

That being said, I see where James is coming from and enjoyed his article.

Barry should be told he is starting the next 5 or 6 games and show what he can do. The chopping and changing helps no one.

He's 23 years old, hardly a young lad.

There are much younger players in this league and other foreign leagues abroad that at 23 are seasoned old heads.

He just doesn't look good enough for the Premier League, full stop.

Why the away strip?

Fuck me, Beto missed a header from 6 yards out, and now Barry has missed a sitter from 2 yards out, how could you do any worse than that?

Missing from that close when you are not under pressure from a defender has nothing to do with tactics. Can we recall one of the strikers we have out on loan? Christ... Beto and Barry £20M - £25M each.

Someone on the Live Forum last night came out with the nonsense that confidence wasn't important for a player.

I tend to agree, neither of them are any good really, are they?

They are paid to put the ball in the net and they don't do it. I don't think I could have put the ball over the bar from there if I tried to. I'm struggling to remember a worse miss than that.

As James said, it will never happen... but I would put Ndiaye on his own up front, Alcaraz just behind him (or the other way round), Dibling on the right, Grealish on the left, and Garner and Dewsbury-Hall in the middle. (Gana needs a rest.)

A big problem at the moment for me is that we have rubbish full-backs. In fact, we don't even have many great players in the team at all, 4 probably, and when even one of them is missing, then it shows. No surprise we haven't kept a clean sheet for 6 games.

What concerned me was, at half-time, Barry was obviously distraught and walked off the pitch alone. No-one put their arm around him and geed him up. There was no team support for him at all.

Maybe two shite players can become one, half-shite player.

They would just end up getting in each other's way, mate, like putting two daddy long-legs in a matchbox.

It doesn't matter what Moyes does. We have scouted and recruited poorly. You reap what you sow.

Beto and Barry highlight how rubbish our recruitment has been and continues to be.

Barry does have potential and we look a better side when he is in; he can link up well but unfortunately he is still way too raw for the Premier League.

Beto. on the other hand, looks like a Sunday league player and he knows it. I've never seen a player hide as much as him. It's unforgiveable really -- he rarely wins a duel and makes sure he's marked. The least he could do is make runs off the shoulder and cause problems, be a nuisance, but he hides.

It's frustrating the amount of absolute dire performances Beto has put in while we can't even get a young kid on for the fear of them 'not being ready'; none of it makes sense.

Not only do we need to take our chances but teams have worked out they are absolutely zero threat and can take risks going forward. There's no outlet, it just keeps coming back again and again, it's painful to watch.

"Bloody hell -- that Barry miss just hit me. In row 167"

When the villa keeper passed him an open goal chance which he slotted, Salah seemed more pissed off than the keeper. But back to our Pathetic Sharks...

Moyes admits he doesn't (and clearly won't) shape tactics to forwards strengths. Then cries that we don't score.

Beto needs putting through. Similar to Lukaku. Do we do that. No. Pickford punts long-uns that the defence easily win or thatgo straight through to the keeper.

He isn't an Andy Gray. He isn't a 6-yard box sniffer, and his ability at incoming crosses is next to zero (that's the odd occasion we manage it). He needs to run onto a through ball.

Barry. No idea. Not seen him enough. He was gutted when he shinned it over. You could see the world drop out of his arse. Who came to reassure him? No one.

Moyes is 100% to blame for the shit tactics employed. Hoof ball. He won headers, then had to chase them. Hmmm... where have we seen that time and time again?

Moyes doesn't need a big centre-forward. He has no idea how to utilise them.

Barry needs to be taken and loved. Beto needs a more "Yeh, u dah man. Get back at em" approach.

The people responsible for this appallingness are not the Pathetic Sharks but the imbeciles who decided they were class, Premier League class. This shit has been on rinse, spin, repeat since before crooked Kenwright and, three to four decades in, shows no sign of improvement.

Moyes is out if his depth in these times. Let him keep us up and then ship him out.

Sack the recruitment process halfwits and employ a blind man who can throw a dart at a list of unknown 'strikers' from Premier League manager #46 because he has as much chance of success as the sighted.

Anyone remember Ronny Rosenthal?

It would be the gift that just keeps giving.

It would be hilarious.

The club was negligent in failing to secure the services of a goalscorer; this needs rectifying in January. Beto, whilst being a lovely lad, is simply not a Premier League forward.

Remembering what Ancelotti said to Calvert-Lewin, just stay in the box and put the ball in the net.

His shot went so high, astronomers are calling it the Barrybeto comet currently observable around Neptune's orbit.

When I say 'questioned', I mean media, fans, boardroom all at once. Here is a manager who accumulated 31 points last season -- playing at times some acceptable football.

Every other fanbase in the country would want him gone for this dismal start to the 1st season at the Hill Dickinson Stadium... which has teething problems -- bizarrely accepted as “operational” in a recent interview with the CEO.

There is no “upward trajectory” of a club playing that type of football. Strikers are rare in themselves -- we've had Lineker and Lukaku as arguably 2 good ones in a 35-year period.

It's the system that's the problem -- as well as strikers -- and Moyes dictates the current system. If you get £5M+ a year, you are paid for strategy, agility, and conceptually manifesting your principles onto a football pitch executed by the players; otherwise, your real job title is PE Teacher.

Put me in there and I'll ask him some hard questions. Not questions like "When is Patterson back?" For Fuck's Sake!

Every club that Moyes has been at, apart from us first time around, the fans have wanted or hounded him out because of his shit style of play.

There is not one game we go into that I honestly feel confident that we can win. Another dour, uninspiring season ahead unfortunately.

That missed chance cost us big time. A more Premier League experienced man is required.

We know Beto can score as he was one of the top scorers in the Premier League last season once Moyes arrived and started playing him regularly, but he looks devoid of both confidence and luck at the moment. Plus he's getting very few balls to run through onto, the sort that Alcaraz seemed to provide for him last season.

I doubt we will spend big on a striker in January, perhaps there will be a loan or a free transfer that makes sense but I expect Moyes will have to work out how to get a tune out of these two. Barry is still young and fresh to the Premier League.

It's worth pointing out that Iago Tudor, who is currently 2nd top scorer in the Premier League, arrived last season and didn't score (or play much) for Brentford last season, largely due to injury but also taking time to adapt and struggling to oust Wissa and Mbuemo.

Of Barry's 11 goals for Villarreal last season, 8 came from December onwards so there is a history of becoming more effective when settled. Though being in and out of the team will not help with that.

Beto came with the job, so there is a lot for the club to do in the strikers department. Get the ball into the other team's net more often, that helps you defend a lead much better.

The answer is a resounding No.

What annoyed me more last night: Why bring McNeil on and leave Dibling on the bench???

I was a Moyes fan and wanted him back. I'm beginning to regret it.

A great truthful post, needs sending to Moyes.

Great to see the support for Barry on here last night and this morning, seeing him sitting in the dugout like a lost soul, I felt like jumping through my iPad and giving him a hug and some kind words.

The lad missed a good chance but there was a definite, to me, improvement in his play and he needs persevering with, in my opinion. There's plenty of football skill in Barry; let's hope we see it with Everton.

He has said players turned us down, so he must have been involved, but the players we signed made us top heavy in certain areas, and lacking in depth.

Could we have signed a recognised striker if we had used the combined money instead of bringing in Dibling and Barry??

I agree, he had a chance on a plate, but my general point is you have to make chances... and we don't.

If Haaland was only getting one chance a match, I bet his scoring wouldn't be much into double figures.

Further to this, why did we replace Ndiaye with McNeil?

Ndiaye got the defence in trouble a couple of times by trying to dribble out of the penalty area instead of clearing the ball.
When he took a knock and came off, the bench thought McNeil would help out O'Brien better than Dibling or Alcaraz.

Regarding Barry, I think his yellow card also came into play; lose him to a second yellow, and it would have made matters worse.

I was disappointed with Dewsbury-Hall and Grealish in the second half, either or both could have been taken off, but he took Dewsbury-Hall off.

We missed the opportunity in the first half to kill Sunderland off. My own feeling is that Everton will finish above Sunderland by the end of the season.

It would make a change from his flat line, 4-5-1, KITAP1 ultra-conservative approach.

As we have said for years, we could have Roy of the Rovers upfront and he wouldn't score. We don't create chances, we rarely have a shot at goal.

Barry had one chance and missed it. Beto didn't get one chance. Don't blame them. Blame Moyes. He is a mediocre coach.

The problem with us is that we don't plan. We should be looking at candidates for manager now so we are ready to appoint the best option when they become available. Instead, we sack a manager and hire someone who will get you to 12th at best, playing dreadful football.

Moyes has won one minor trophy in nigh-on 20 years. Led us to mediocrity for 11 of those years, failed at a rich club, relegated Sunderland, and failed in Spain.

That's not the record of a manager I would have.

I wrote about a month ago that both strikers look shot of confidence and I don't think many of us would have much confidence with them if given a clear chance or a one-on-one.

I said maybe a Barry goal off his arse might at least release him. He looks very tight, anxious, stressed. I agree none of the other players gave him much comfort -- maybe he is not a sociable guy off the pitch -- but I think I at least saw Moyes give him a hug when he came off.

I've also been arguing that perhaps the alternative is in front of our eyes. Ndiaye is our best goalscorer by a mile. Would either Beto or Barry have scored that goal right now?

Even if you started them halfway through the run well inside the box? No. If Ndiaye had been supporting Alcaraz on that break, would he have got the ball and at least got a shot away? I think so.

The only problem with this is that the natural replacement for the right is Dibling, who Moyes clearly doesn't rate, and if he chose McNeil there, I'd change my mind and stick with Ndiaye on the right and Barry in the middle.

Maybe he can do extra training on scoring with his backside...

There's no point having players with a high ceiling sat on the bench watching this lot. And bringing McNeil on (out of position) ahead of him is outrageous.

He has always insisted on having a say in all incomings. To suggest he wasn't involved in the transfer of the players you mention is simply pie in the sky.

Look, I understand the frustration, but their size and pace isn't in doubt. Both are 6ft-4in plus. But it's the service into them that is dreadful, and their hold-up play and movement is poor.

Their game intelligence is poor, but how many chances did Beto get? How many times was the ball released where it's not a wrestling match?

The Barry miss wasn't easy, as Dewesbury-Hall flicked it on, but it was the scale of the miss. Turning point in the game... the whole goal to shoot at, but blazed high and wide.

Alcaraz isn't the answer. McNeil isn't the answer. Dibling might come good, but he's done nothing to suggest so far. The back 4 is poor, only Keane can take any credit at all.

Gana looks past it. Garner disappears. Dewsbury-Hall flatters to deceive. Two misfiring forwards.

There"s too many passengers in this squad. The squad lacks true grit -- not the fake shit that you get from Tarkowski -- I mean true top-class footballer grit of refusing to lie down.

I don't think he can be blamed too much for yesterday's performance, even though it was questionable, as most of the comments are on missed chances that he has no control of.

His problem is his game management and use of subs. The question is: Why have we not got any younger players who are supposed to step in for injuries or lack of form?

It is not unusual for other teams to bring on young players 16 and up. Most professional players are with their clubs from a very early age and should be ready for the Premier League at 18 or 19 years old, and not farmed out to other clubs for development.

Moyes's position is safe unless the new owners think otherwise, and he will keep us in mid-table unless he is ruthless enough to drop both centre-forwards and go with a different set-up; we must have other players who can score.

Barry, on the other hand, looks like he can improve. Whether the improvement is enough to make him a Premier League striker of note, is still to be proven.

Stick with Barry for the next five games and, if his game improves and he gets a goal or two, stick with him.

Tell Beto he can leave in January if his agent gets us a good deal. Someone in Italy will take him.

If we haven't got someone lined up to compete for the centre-forward role after January -- to use an often-used phrase -- that is a disgrace. And 2 full-backs wouldn't go amiss either.

Oh, and one other thing, Everton FC -- don't dare contemplate selling Ndiaye.

We can all see he's not ready. Doing your apprenticeship in the Premier League would destroy anyone's confidence. He needs to learn his trade elsewhere.

As for Beto, I agree: "All the signs are that he can't be trusted as our main striker."

We can write off this season in terms of making progress. Neither Beto nor Barry are capable of making a valuable contribution. We will, hopefully, remain above the drop zone.

Nothing much has changed.

I felt disgusted last night for the lad. I thought he played well apart from his sitter. He got 10 minutes second half then got taken off and looked desolate on the bench.

No one went near him, no one encouraged him after his miss. His manager destroys him in front of the cameras by pointing to that being the turning point in the game. He goes on to say how easy the chance was by saying Jack put it right on his foot. Michael Owen says it was a bad miss but wasn't as easy as it looked.

Contrast Moyes scapegoating this lad and suggesting we aren't on a bad run, saying he was happy with the Spurs game, to Granite Xhaka. Talking about standards and how he wants better. Watching him last night dominating that game and encouraging everyone around him. Have a look at how he celebrated his goal with every player.

Here's a different outlook to that game. We know beforehand we are winning 1-0 at half-time. I think we would have taken it. We know if he keeps Xhaka quiet second half, we win it.

We didn't address the problem until we brought Tim Iroegbunam on and he immediately shut it down. Their centre-forward misses a sitter as he kicks fresh air, not as bad as Barry but I don't hear Le Bris nailing him at full-time as that could have been their winner.

All our players are getting nailed. McNeil doesn't look fit yet -- let alone match-fit. Tim plays well then gets frozen out. Dibling gets punished for a poor showing against Palace. Röhl does well then gets overlooked. Dewsbury-Hall plays crap, week-in & week-out, no problem, Gana the same.

Anzou gets told he won't play. The striker has a thankless task knowing he gets one chance and, if he doesn't score, he will get hung out to dry.

Last night, you saw a limited team led by 2 outstanding players against a more talented collection of individuals. They have a series of tough fixtures and soon will be sliding down the table but boy their fans must be proud of them.

Okay, Moyes does not want to rush his introduction but for fuck's sake, let's see him -- a £40M player -- play!!!

Meanwhile, John on another thread was telling anyone who criticised Moyes to shut up because they know nothing about football.

As for yesterday, McNeil coming on rather than Dibling was absolutely criminal from Moyes. McNeil is finished at this level and will be plying his trade in the Championship or League One soon.

Keeping £40M Dibling on the bench? I just can't with Moyes.

How about playing the ball on the ground instead of hoofing it up to B or B and hope they'll win the header? Beto is at his best when he gets a through ball to latch on to. I'll bet it's the same for Barry.

Last night was constant hoof or long ball. Just what the opposing centre-backs like. Okay, a sitter was missed but strikers do that pretty often.

Maybe B and B are not the best but altering the tactics could help. We can't expect an Ndiaye wonder goal every other match.

No wonder we have had a succession of bums at this club stealing a living. If I had been the manager last night when he missed, I would have taken him off immediately. I'm sure Big Dunc would have done the same thing.

Get him out in January along with his bungling mate Beto. Oh, and when you call the taxi for him, get the fucking idiot who paid millions for him out the door with them.

Too many times, we give absolute crap excuse after excuse. The old saying "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" is appropriate here.

Oh he's only young, he's 23. He'll learn, we have to give him a chance, he's not ready... He shouldn't be here if he's not fucking ready!

Stop the excuses... just stop. We are a laughing stock with these two. Barry was bought because Beto wasn't good enough, fucking Beto is better than Barry, and Beto is a bum!

It's glaringly obvious that a 'false 9' option is better than the two Bs... or should I say 'the two bums'?

"We can all see he's not ready. Doing your apprenticeship in the Premier League would destroy anyone's confidence. He needs to learn his trade elsewhere."

You will be supporting these bums when we are at the last game of the season and in the Bottom 3. Barry misses a sitter, Beto comes on and does the same thing, we are relegated.

"Oh he's learning his trade, he's not ready, give him a chance." says James and Pat... Jeees, give me a break!

I never said "give him a chance" as you put in quotation marks above.

I said Barry needs to learn his trade elsewhere. I have repeatedly said that Everton is not an apprenticeship scheme. It was wrong to give him a chance at Everton. From Day 1, it was clear he wasn't up to it.

I didn't say you had said give him a chance. I said that at season's end, when he's still missing and we are relegated, you would say, "Oh, give him a chance."

How many, Pat? I've supported the Blues since my birthday, Day 1, the manager, recruitment team, they need to be gone, or we will be gone, lock stock and barrel, at season's end — all because we are still giving them a chance.

No matter how bad the miss, one of the older pros should have been all over him after it, telling him to forget it and another chance would come.

It is not his fucking club. Whoever he has, it is his responsibility to get them to gel together and get his tactics across to everyone.

They are running around like strangers. Every forward misses chances, even Haaland and Salah. But they don't get destroyed by their managers.

Moyes is in it for himself only. He keeps playing Dewsbury-Hall and Gana even though they have stank our midfield for most of the season.

Why buy Dibling and Röhl and not play them? Whoever bought them needs to tell Moyes to get on with it. Moyes is Dyche 2.0.

The only player that covered himself last night was Keane. The rest plus the coaching staff were shite and Moyes should hang his head in shame after repeated shambolic performances, team selections, and his lack of in-game management.

For fuck's sake -- he brought a clearly unfit McNeil on and played him out of position!!!

I said he needs to learn his trade elsewhere. He's had his chance with us as far as I'm concerned.

That clown Bergkamp should have been kicked head first out of Arsenal. That wally Drogba should have been likewise at Chelsea. And Gravenberch -- why the fuck did our neighbours persist with him???

The hilarious thing about your post is that you were all over Mateta not so long ago. Oh the irony!!

I suspect young Barry will score more than 2 goals this season. The mistake we made was our reliance on Beto.

Your analysis is inaccurate. This lad was bought with the knowledge he was a raw talent and had the ability to surpass Beto. If the former was banging them in like last season, I'm sure Barry wouldn't be getting your treatment now.

But you wack away there, Paul, til your heart's content.

The lad looks bewidered, clumsy, doesn't look to have any discernible pace, and quite frankly, he looks lost. Moyes had every right to hook him, as someone earlier touched on, as he was a red card in waiting.

As for shaking his head at the bench, well, what a nerve; he was lucky he came out for the 2nd half. My worry is Moyes will probably play him on Saturday to give him a chance to redeem himself and that will be an insult to us fans.

Him and Beto up top alone just does not work, and they are not going to score goals, full stop. Ndiaye scored a worldie last night so why not give the little genius a run up top? You know what, Moyes, it might just work if you tinker with the system... then again, I won't hold my breath.

I'm expecting more of the same on Saturday. Gueye, Dewsbury-Hall, Tarkowski and B or B -- who all should be benched and replaced with Röhl, Alcaraz, Dibling, and A N Other, cos this system of his is beginning to make my piss boil.

We are currently either playing to our strikers' weaknesses or, as after the half-hour mark last night, not playing to them at all.

Neither of them are brilliant, but they are not being helped. Nor is the manager's tendency to scapegoat them in public.

We disagree fairly often but your post @ 46 is absolutely spot on IMO.

Where were his teammates last night?

Unless he's being a bellend in training, I'm appalled that his teammates aren't showing him more support than I saw on Monday night.

Moyes has given them both loads of chances. Neither of them are capable of taking them. The problem is theirs -- not Moyes's.

Moyes needs to decide on the best option and stick with him. This chopping and changing is doing no one any favours.

Barry is clearly mentally fragile at the moment and hauling him off after 55 minutes and then blaming him in public is making a bad situation worse.

But the point you make is valid. Moyes hung the kid out to dry.

I genuinely think he'd be a 1 goal in 4 or 5 sort of striker and a general PITA, which is infinitely better than either of these guys.

Longer term, I'm just hoping one of them goes the way of Mateta or Wissa, where it took them a good 18 months or so to get used to it.

Barry, the new Bergkamp!

And there's always calls on these pages to start Barry and bring on Beto later when the opposition defence is tiring.

Liam #67, but everyone only remembers Joe Montana.

But here's the thing. Darrel Pugh (23): agreed, ‘the system' is a ‘problem as well as strikers'. Silly comment, Darrel: ‘PE teacher'. Darrel, the real problem yesterday might have been the set-up and the bewildering idea that useless McNeil should come on before Dibling and Alcaraz.

However, Darrel, Moyes can only juggle with what he has. In other words, what the last window gave him.

Rick (31): with respect, ‘The issue … is whether Moyes's handling and management is helping to maximise their contribution? The answer is a resounding No'.

However, Rick, Moyes can only juggle with what he has. In other words, what the last window gave him.

Andrew (38): ‘Barry had one chance and missed it. Beto didn't get one chance. Don't blame them. Blame Moyes. He is a mediocre coach'.

Silly stuff, Andrew. Was Moyes to blame for Barry's embarrassing howler? Answer, Andrew... No.

However, Andrew, Moyes can only juggle with what he has. In other words, what the last window gave him.

People speculate. People claim to be in the know. It might be nearer to the mark to say that there is not one person on here who knows the exact nature of our wheeling and dealing over the summer and who had the largest voice in this or that transfer.

It seems to me that Mark (39) is onto something when he writes that ‘the natural replacement for the right is Dibling, who Moyes clearly doesn't rate'. Some on here claim without knowing that Moyes had (take your pick) the last word or the largest word on who joined us over the summer. I agree with Mark, and it might be reasonable to assume that Moyes did not have the last or largest word on him joining us.

We do scouting, consulting, and reports, right?

The main thing to blame for our first 10 games is the recruitment strategy and recruitment team that TFG was seemingly satisfied with, even though they allowed two apparently key recruitment fellas to join us after the window shut (compare us with say the window of relegation certainties Sunderland). But boy oh boy, they are ace ruthless hard-edged Yank corporate managers.

To put blame on Moyes (as I do) without acknowledging our shocking first TFG window would be like putting the blame for the collapse of the Western Roman Empire on the third-century collapse and Christianity and forgetting about those pesky Barbarians.

There is never one answer for any single thing. Ask Edward Gibbon.

But don't let that stop the fireworks. We have no idea to what extent Moyes was involved in each one of our signings last summer. I would hope that he had to approve each one, but you don't know and I don't know.

Nine of the players who started against Sunderland were with us last season; it was the same in the Spurs game and other games before that.

This indicates: (1) we had a less than satisfactory first TFG window; and/or (2) the manager does not trust or rate a good number of the summer incoming. Mind you, I still have hope for Röhl.

I'm on the side of those who want Moyes to stick to one of the two worst striking partnerships in the Premier League. Most of you plump for Barry and so would I. The one-on-one Charlie Chaplain, Beto, needs to shipped out in January, but would anyone half-decent come to us?

Interesting that the folk – one in particular – who told us in January that Beto would prove to be the answer and gloated through his uncharacteristic scoring run are nowhere to be seen on this thread.

Interesting, that one of them, a non-British national, told us that Calvert-Lewin, Beto, and Chermiti would be good enough for the season to come. Interesting, also, that the hugely over-rated Thelwell has now bought Chermiti not once but twice. Ask Rangers fans.

The only way one of them is getting confidence is if they start scoring. Until then there's really not much that anyone can do. That is apart from dropping them both which is exactly what I would do.

We don't play long ball. That's not what any of the attacking players in this team wants. So do the obvious thing and try the hardworking and intelligent Alcaraz up top.

Beto and Barry have both come from teams and leagues where the games are played at a different level and intensity and so far both have failed miserably

Every point is vital for us in the Premier League and sadly we need every player playing at 100% to get them. No passengers.

Mind you, if you think Beto and Barry are bad and getting stick, look up North to our ex striker Chermiti. We definitely conned Rangers out of £8m there! Payback from the Patterson deal??

Who'd be a manager, eh!

I feel sorry for Barry. He's started 3 games and not been allowed to get any sort of form. Is it surprising that he misses a sitter if he's desperate to score? He knows he'll be hauled off after 60 minutes regardless, as does the opposition manager.

Management by numbers is much easier to set the opposition team up and also easier to frustrate a player like Barry perhaps.

People rightly point out that Barry isn't that young, but I think his career kind of is, so patience from the manager and the fans might end up giving us a decent player.

"Fine, gaffer, I think you've been straight and it's up to me to prove you wrong, but I have only got a chance of doing this if you are going to be fair to me.

"It's no good giving me 5 minutes here and 20 minutes there, and in the case of Alcaraz, rewarding him with a game on the wing against Man City whilst leaving two other wide men out because he had a very effective second half against Palace, playing inside."

Players need minutes; McNeil was terrible the other night but how many minutes has he played -- with the season now already in November?

If I was a betting man (I don't have any betting accounts), I'd have made a fortune the other night because I was saying to myself, “This Dewsbury-Hall never really gets hooked -- so I know which poor fucker is gonna get subbed off first!”

Barry was distraught, I actually felt his pain, but I'd been in pain watching Everton from around the half-hour mark. Even though it was a terrible miss, it shouldn't have stopped us driving on for a second goal.

I was happy with the point but I wasn't happy with the manager because it's like 90% of his substitutions are pre-meditated but surely this should stop once the pre-season games have been completed.

No use moaning, the club needs stability, even though we have been in the top flight for the last 78 fucking years.

The treatment of Barry on Monday was disgraceful. Moyes, feeling it necessary to refer specifically to his miss and it's significance, serves only to reinforce the damage he has done.

Appalling management.

What exactly did Moyes say?

Chucked the kid under the bus.

We were playing very well, and looked a couple of levels above Sunderland, all over the park. And then suddenly we allowed them to start putting us on the back foot, which is how I thought it stayed until near the very end.

You said, "I suspect young Barry will score more than 2 goals this season. The mistake we made was our reliance on Beto."

Then you said, "Your analysis is inaccurate. This lad was bought with the knowledge he was a raw talent and had the ability to surpass Beto."

We all knew that Beto scoring was a flash in the pan, and he wouldn't keep it up, so why would we pay near £30M for a raw talent who was not good enough to replace Beto in the team?

We need "straight in the team" players -- not, oh, he'll come good, eventually.

If you were managing the team, we would have less of a chance of success than the idiots who are in control now.
You are far too soft on over-paid, not-good-enough, so-called pros who are being paid millions for what? Get rid of the old, arm round the shoulder and the gentle touch, kick up the arse out the door, bye bye, that's what most of these bums need.

By the way, we will win on Saturday, Barry or Beto to score. Happy now?😁

But that's not going to happen, is it?

Beto offered zero when he came on, so why not just give Barry a full 90 minutes? Beto is hardly going to bang in a single chance.

The lad must be shot to bits confidence-wise, he's got to be allowed to make mistakes or he will never learn.

£30M is peanuts these days for striker, so we were never getting the finished article; I think most fans knew that, but the manager didn't hey?

Paul, you say we all knew Beto was a flash in the pan. In reality, I was on a thread of about 300 posts during the summer and only 2 posters (Andy Crooks and Sam Hoare) agreed we should cash in on Beto. Most were predicting 15 goals.

Moreover, my suggestions of Ferguson and Højlund may not have necessarily improved us as Ferguson has been injured again and despite the latters good form in Italy he still has to prove it in the Premier League.

Who would you have wanted to lead the line that was cheap and would guarantee you goals? If you want top dollar then there are holes all over the squad.

The club had so much to do so they took the approach of getting goals from more areas. Grealish, Dewsbury-Hall, Röhl, Dibling and Alcaraz were attempts to improve that. Even Aznou was bought as an attacking full-back.

Whether these signings are shit or the manager is misusing them is a point of debate.

I ain't soft with Grealish or Dewsbury-Hall as they were bought for the here and now but this lad is an investment and, a bit like Onana, he will need time. I want better, I hope for better but I watched this kid destroy Barcelona and know there is talent there.

You look at Sesko at Man Utd and he was over £70M. This is the most difficult league in the world and he's playing for a manager who has broken many a centre-forward. The speed, physicality and intensity is a complete shock to them.

Your last line, Paul... that's me very happy now and keep them coming!

Isak
Ekitike
Sesko
Gyokeres
Kolo Muani

Since these were the 5 best strikers looking to move.

We obviously showed interest in Woltemade and Delap. They were probably the next level down. Not to be.

We possibly showed interest in Ferguson too, maybe even Højlund. You can see the attraction of Roma and reigning Champions of Serie A Napoli over Everton.

That leaves you looking at a different calibre of player.

If any club signed a player this summer for less than £30M who is scoring goals, then I'll be interested to know who that is.

And despite the miss against Sunderland, I think Barry could come good. I have certainly seen lots of good strikers miss that sort of chance. The main difference is other strikers tend to get more chances to make amends.

Short fix solution would be to bring an attacking tactical coach, bar Charlie Adams of course.

Get someone to work alongside the two.

'Cos Barry had one yellow card and if he got another he'd not be available for the next game?

DCL, Maupay, Beto and Barry did, and are, missing chances that honestly a kid on the park could score.

Every striker balls up chances, no doubt, but our lot have, and are, making it a normal practise.

Things have to change. We have to look at alternative formations, we have to look at short term buys in the window to take us to the end of the season.
We have to turn these ridiculous draws into wins staring against Fulham

This season, Moyes has already brought in Grealish who has transformed our game where his crosses are placed to the mouth of the goal for a tap-in. The strikers know that and they just have to keep working hard till the goals start to flow. If any of the players are crushed because of that, I don't think they can make it in any professional football at all.