David Moyes doesn’t rule out adopting a new strategy if strikers continue their goal-shy form

David Moyes has hinted at the possibility of adopting a new strategy if Everton’s strikers continue to misfire. Both Beto and Thierno Barry have had a torrid season so far and have scored just one goal combined in between them.

Beto has struggled to recapture his form from the second half of last season, when he scored seven goals since Moyes’s return in January. He’s had just one goal in nine matches so far this season and has also been guilty of missing several gilt-edged chances.

Summer signing Thierno Barry, meanwhile, has found it difficult to get off the mark. After signing from Villarreal for £27 million, the U21 French international is yet to score his first goal in a royal blue shirt in nine appearances, two of which he started.

As a result of the strikers’ profligacy in front of goal, Everton are underperforming their expected goals metric and the goals are starting to dry up for the Toffees despite the creative presence of Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Grealish.

Asked about his strikers in the pre-match press conference before facing Sunderland, Moyes said, “Obviously we want our centre-forwards to score more goals.

“Whatever we say, we are making more chances, we’re having much more of the ball than we’ve had, we’re being more creative in what we’re doing, so this is where you’re hoping we make a few more chances and the forwards get it.

“In the couple of games recently we’ve not quite got on the end of two or three things which on another day we do and it changes the outcome, changes the mood.

“It’s very difficult for anybody, footballers can lose confidence when their form isn’t so good – it could be a centre-forward, it could be a centre-half or goalkeepers – they all need to have confidence to play well.

“But centre-forwards are the ones that thrive on the feeling of getting the goals. So, all you can ever do is keep putting them in the right positions and hopefully they’ll get the goals.

“We also have to get plenty of balls in to give them those chances to do so.”

There has been speculation about Ndiaye possibly being moved to the centre to lift Everton’s offensive output. The Senegalese was the top scorer for Everton with 11 goals last season and has changed flanks seamlessly during this campaign. He’s been the most consistent player for the Blues after moving to the right wing.

Asked whether he could move centrally, Moyes replied, “I will look to see if there are other options and if I think I’m not getting what I want, I’ll look to see what else there is. We’ve got two people who are number nines or that way.

“Ili, you mentioned, gives you less of a focal point and changes how you may have to play and build at different times if you do that.

“We’ve got one or two other people who could possibly come into that debate as well but we won’t bury our head in the sand, we’re certainly thinking about it.”

 

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