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Thierno Barry has said he is treating his second season at Everton like 'revenge' after a difficult debut campaign.
Barry endured a tough first season in the Premier League following his £27m arrival from Villarreal last summer. The French forward scored eight league goals, but faced criticism for his all-round performances.
The 23-year-old has looked lively during the pre-season fixtures, scoring three times, including the opener against Newcastle on Wednesday night.
Barry has openly admitted that his debut season fell short of expectations, but said he has worked hard over the summer break to improve his game. He said he is determined to oust competition from Beto and become Everton's go-to Number 9.
“I didn’t have a good season, so now it feels like revenge. I want to show everybody who I am. I’m very excited to start again. The game against Crystal Palace… I want to play this game. I’m dreaming about this game," Barry told the club's social media team.
“I’m very happy [to score against Newcastle]. It’s always good when you score, and I think the team played well today, so I’m very happy with the performance of the team.
“[The summer] has been good. I’ve trained a lot this summer; I trained my mental side, everything to come back and have a good season. I work with my guy, with my analyst video, and he told me, ‘When you have a counter-attack, don’t think a lot. You’re fast, go’.
“I tried to do this, but after the 50/50, Harrison [Armstrong] gave me the ball, and I shot with my left foot into the corner.
“After one season now, I know a little bit more about the Premier League. How we need to play, how I need to use my body. Like I said, I trained a lot this summer for that, and I’ll try to put that into the games. I hope I can do good this season.
“Last season I was focused on scoring goals, and I forgot a little bit about the [overall] performance. This season I’ll try more. [Karim] Benzema said, ‘When you respect the football, the football gives you back’.
“I’ll try to play good, link up with my teammates, and if I can also score, good.”
Reader Comments (31)
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2 Posted 13/08/2026 at 10:09:17
If he plays as well as he talks, we might have a player.
3 Posted 13/08/2026 at 10:13:55
Seems like he's kicking on so looking forward to seeing how he does.
4 Posted 13/08/2026 at 10:21:19
The Premier League is a big step up from where he came, let's see how he improves.
5 Posted 13/08/2026 at 11:01:33
However,
Words
so show everyone against Palace actions speak louder.
6 Posted 13/08/2026 at 11:07:57
He needs to get nasty. After watching the World Cup it's apparent that the majority of the world's top players have that mentality. They want that ball and they want to keep it, ignoring bad challenges, they are just relentless.
In fact, our whole team needs that gritty approach. The win at all costs approach.
Good luck, Barry.
7 Posted 13/08/2026 at 11:22:14
Good luck to Barry and Beto. All of ToffeeWeb wanted you gone and replaced with a thug called Delap... ha ha.
Everton still need a striker in case one of them gets injured but maybe try and get an older player similar to Callum Wilson -- there must be someone out there.
8 Posted 13/08/2026 at 11:37:20
Just a little quote you might recall from your first ever post on ToffeeWeb:
"Barry and Beto just don't do it." Mark Steers, 14 December 2025
9 Posted 13/08/2026 at 11:44:26
He scored a goal in a friendly.
A good goal, good finish but that's it for now.
10 Posted 13/08/2026 at 11:46:35
The ruthless attitude is completely missing and that's why he is dispossessed of the ball so easily and so often by these brutish Premier League defenders. He showed a bit more gumption yesterday but I think he has a long way to go before he can battle for the ball like Lukaku and use his physicality.
Talking of brutish Premier League defenders, a few have mentioned that Tarkowski played well, and that's what I thought too. I know there are a few amongst us who are not fans but some of the things he does in defence and in getting the ball forward are excellent.
11 Posted 13/08/2026 at 11:53:02
12 Posted 13/08/2026 at 14:31:32
A bit embarrassing that you're contradicting yourself yet again with your latest comment.
13 Posted 13/08/2026 at 14:56:00
14 Posted 13/08/2026 at 15:11:29
15 Posted 13/08/2026 at 15:51:07
16 Posted 13/08/2026 at 16:07:10
17 Posted 13/08/2026 at 16:57:56
He wasn't a 50-60m buy, so he was never going to be smashing 25 in his first season.
I think supporters were more disappointed with his overall game, commitment, and attitude at points in the season.
He's not a target man, long balls up to him while isolated won't give us anything, as proved last season.
Get people closer, supporting to play off, run ahead of him, and make better chances for him and I think he'll score more than last year easily.
Now he knows what's expected of him, now he knows what to expect from opponents in the PL, it's over to him to prove he's capable in this league.
18 Posted 13/08/2026 at 17:00:25
Have you seen that monster 17-year-old Madjo? He did remind me of a young Lukaku!!
19 Posted 13/08/2026 at 17:22:34
20 Posted 13/08/2026 at 18:04:27
Looking at the gang of bullies who beat them up his mates won't want to go.
21 Posted 13/08/2026 at 18:31:51
22 Posted 13/08/2026 at 18:41:57
23 Posted 13/08/2026 at 18:51:31
Tell you what for 17 he has some physical presence, he was up against European champions and didn't look out of place.
I was impressed by his movement though, doesn't look just lije a target man, really looked the whole package.
When I was 17 my legs looked like 2 bits of string hanging off my shorts, this lads like an ox !
24 Posted 13/08/2026 at 19:12:08
Needs the desire to turn up with his 'A' game every match and not just now and then.
Oh, and if when the ball is knocked to him, if he could get his brain and his feet to be on the same page.
25 Posted 13/08/2026 at 19:13:52
I thought one of his biggest attributes in the season before we bought him was the number of aerial duels he won?
He certainly struggled with it last season. To be fair the Premier League is probably a greater challenge when it comes to winning the long punts.
It was noticeable he was much cleverer yesterday in really just making it difficult for the defender and then looking to get onto any free ball as quickly as possible.
There still has to be consistency but he does appear to be making some significant improvements. Good luck to him but there is still a way to go before Mark’s earlier post becomes sensible.
27 Posted 13/08/2026 at 20:37:48
The intensity of the Premier League can be a shock, especially for a young lad, when isolated you can win the header, but if no one's near him, it comes to nothing.
Trying to impress a bit too much at first, he should be settled now. I wasn't writing him off after his first season, he did find it tough at times.
He scored goals in a team that didn't create many chances last season, so hopefully he has learnt a few lessons, knows a bit more, is a bit stronger.
He's got to improve; if he doesn't, we will be looking to offload him with a couple of years left on his deal, so it's now or never!
28 Posted 13/08/2026 at 21:26:54
He scored a goal, mate, but he should've got an assist for a Ndiaye goal as well. It was a beauty of a pass that Illy struck right into the keeper.
There was some nice link-up passing between him George and Armstrong. He looked a totally different player. He actually looks more physical, stronger, not as vulnerable as he looked last season; let's hope the lad can come good.
29 Posted 13/08/2026 at 21:29:39
I think you hit with Barry's lack of consistency last season, he was strange to assess with sometimes good football, controlled dribbling and passing and you'd think, "Yes, he's improving.
Then, in the same game, he'd do something that was outrageously poor — but the ability was there. Let's see him do the good things consistently and he might surprise a good few of us.
Go head, lad -- hit 15 league goals and add a few assists and you'll feel the love from the crowd.
30 Posted 13/08/2026 at 21:35:43
If we get a decent offer for him, we should take it!
31 Posted 14/08/2026 at 04:10:18
I think he can be massive for us this season.
32 Posted 14/08/2026 at 09:47:40
Coming back to Barry Dave A @29 - good post. He has the potential but, somewhat like Beto, there is a long distance between his eyes, brain and his feet that somehow breaks coordination??? Possibly both Barry and Beto would benefit from concentrated muscle building training. I'm no physio but there is this strange gangly appearance in both of them that IO can't explain otherwise!
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1 Posted 13/08/2026 at 10:06:30
It would have been easy to go away, rest, do nothing.
I like your thinking, now time to deliver. Much improved pre season so far.