Everton need to continue Thierno Barry experiment, the numbers prove it
Everton striker Thierno Barry is having a torrid time at the moment.
Barry was signed to ease Everton’s goalscoring struggles, but so far, he has only added to them, having failed to notch his first goal at the moment.
David Moyes has committed to the Frenchman to lead the line, with the 23-year-old starting the Blues’ last five matches over Beto.
While he is yet to score, the numbers prove that the Scotsman needs to persist with the experiment, rather than bringing the Guinea-Bissau man back into the fold.
What do the numbers say about Thierno Barry’s last five matches at Everton
In the last five matches, in which he has started, Barry has shown signs that he can be the man for Moyes once it all clicks.
He ranks first amongst the Toffees’ squad for shots during that period per Sofascore, with a total of 10, but only one has been a shot on target, which came in Everton’s win over Bournemouth on 2 December.
He has the most missed chances with four, which is the worst rank in the squad in the last five matches, but he is also showing encouraging signs.
He ranks second for touches in the opposition box in the time in question, with 6.09 per 90 minutes and is also thriving in terms of duels, suggesting that he can be the pressing forward that Moyes is looking for.
He is fourth in the squad for duels won per 90, with 8.20 and second for aerial duels won per 90, with a figure of 7.03.
Why David Moyes needs to persist with Barry
For starters, the fact that Barry is getting shots away and taking a lot of touches in the box, suggests that he is getting into the right positions despite underwhelming so far.
It is only a matter of time before he opens his account, which could be the start of a goalscoring run, as has previously been the case.
Barry took 18 matches to score his first goal for Basel, and he finished that season with nine, and he did not score until his seventh game with Villarreal, before notching 11 for the campaign.
The figures that he has recorded for duels will also be positive for Moyes, as he is clearly willing to put in the work to win the ball back, which will help the Blues as they try to push up the table.
It seems like it is all coming together slowly for Barry, and the Toffees should keep the faith, and he will surely finally reward them with the goals eventually.
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