Thierno Barry's rash challenges force Everton coach David Moyes into striker rethink

The 23-year-old French forward joined the Toffees from Villarreal in July for twenty-seven million, arriving with a reputation for power and potential. But ten Premier League games into the season, Barry remains without a goal, and between him and Beto, Everton's two frontmen have managed just one strike, a statistic that underlines the team's struggles in attack.

Barry's most recent outing, Monday's 1-1 draw at Sunderland, summed up his troubled start. Given a rare start, he squandered a clear chance to double Everton's lead when he volleyed Jack Grealish's cross over from close range. Sunderland punished that miss, levelling through Granit Xhaka's deflected effort.

Moments later, Barry's evening went from bad to worse as he collected a yellow card for a reckless lunge that left Moyes fuming. The manager swiftly substituted him to avoid the risk of a red card, just as he had done in the Carabao Cup defeat to Wolves.

Speaking before Everton's home match against Fulham at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, Moyes was blunt about his selection choices. "We are taking them off because they are probably not getting us the goals or the opportunities, and we are saying, 'Let's see if the other one can do it,'" he said.

Moyes admitted Barry has been given more playing time than expected but warned that indiscipline could halt his progress. "He's had more football than I thought he would early on, but he's lost minutes by picking up bookings," he explained.

"He got one at Wolves, another at Sunderland, and I can't take the risk of going down to ten men. With experienced players like Jimmy Garner or Idrissa Gana Gueye, you might take that risk, but not with him."

The Everton boss revealed that his staff have spoken to Barry about managing his aggression. "It's something we're mentioning to him," Moyes said. "He's not doing badly, we just need him to score. But if he keeps getting stupid bookings, he's making it easier for us to take him off."

Moyes remains confident in Barry's long-term potential but made it clear that composure must now accompany his physicality. As Everton prepare to face Fulham, the Frenchman's challenge is simple, channel his energy into goals, not reckless tackles, or risk watching from the bench once again.