David Moyes may have answer to his Everton goalscoring problem, and it’s not Thierno Barry or Beto
Everton have a problem at the head of their attack, and David Moyes needs to quickly find a solution.
Beto was slammed for his performance against West Ham, with the striker continuing to look lost through the middle for the Toffees.
Everton were held by West Ham to a 1-1 draw on Monday, with only Michael Keane able to convert from a host of chances for Moyes‘ team.
And it has been a similar story since the September international break, with the Toffees scoring just two goals across the last four games.
It has been suggested that Everton could start with both Beto and Thierno Barry, but Moyes may be forced to look elsewhere for a solution.
Iliman Ndiaye could move into the middle for Everton
Both Beto and Barry have looked lost through the middle for Everton this season, with both players registering just two shots on target between them in the Premier League.
But chance-creation has not been a problem for the Toffees. Between Jack Grealish, Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, the Blues have created 38 in the league alone.
The strikers’ persistent struggles, with that in mind, would indicate a problem more likely due to attacking movement.
| Player | Shots per match (Premier League 25-26) |
| 1. James Garner | 1.8 |
| 2. Idrissa Gueye | 1.7 |
| 3. Beto | 1.5 |
| 4. Jack Grealish | 1.2 |
| 5. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall | 1.0 |
| 9. Thierno Barry | 0.7 |
That is not to say Beto and Barry are not taking shots – they are – but per game, players such as James Garner and Idrissa Gueye, who operate at the base of the midfield, are taking just as many, if not more.
Most of the shots taken by the midfielders are, naturally, coming from the edge of the box, which could suggest that Everton may benefit from the introduction of a more fluid striker.
The aforementioned Ndiaye is outperforming his expected goals in the Premier League this season, and has been superb on the right of the attack.
But much of the Senegal international’s best form actually came when he played through the middle for Sheffield United.
In the 2022-23 Championship season, Ndiaye bagged 14 goals and provided 11 assists for the Blades, with the forward given free rein to drift into midfield or onto the wing.
His ability to pop up as the extra man in midfield often saw Sheffield United’s opponents outmanned and outnumbered, before Ndiaye would drive forward and bring others into play to devastating effect.
How would Everton set up with Ndiaye up front?
If Ndiaye were to be shifted into the middle, the forward would obviously leave a position on the right that could be filled by Tyler Dibling.
There would still be the issue of Dewsbury-Hall’s role, with the two likely occupying similar positions for much of the game.
But the former Chelsea midfielder could easily be dropped back into a flatter three-man midfield, whilst maintaining the license to get forward when Ndiaye is on the last line of the defence.
| How Everton could line up against Crystal Palace |
| Grealish – Ndiaye – Dibling |
| Dewsbury-Hall – Gueye – Garner |
| Mykolenko – Keane – Tarkowski – O’Brien |
| Pickford |
The 25-year-old’s more fluid movement could well have massively beneficial effects for Grealish, who would instantly be supplied with far more support on the left, with the space likely to open up for the winger to drive inside, too.
Moyes will be hesitant to make massive changes to his system so early in the season, but with goal-scoring proving to be an issue, the Scot may be forced to get radical.
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