View: Everton flop running out of time to save Hill Dickinson career, but he's done it before

Thierno Barry is certainly no stranger to dealing with a rut.

After joining Swiss club FC Basel in 2023, he got off to a dismal start. The striker was sent off in his first two games and waited six months to score his first Super League goal. His dream move quickly became a nightmare, and he began to fall out of love with football.

But after a beachside kickabout with some children, on the advice of his girlfriend, his passion came flooding back. When he returned to his club, he was a different animal. Nine goals over the business end of the campaign saw Villarreal make a move.

Now, nine months after his £27million switch to Everton, Barry is in desperate need of a similar catalyst. He has scored just six goals in his 35 appearances across all competitions this season, and his career on Merseyside already looks to be at real risk.

Barry went 16 matches without a goal after arriving and didn’t even register a shot on target until December. Despite hinting he had turned a corner after a brief resurgence, the ace was on the bench as Beto scored in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Brentford.

How can Thierno Barry change his Everton fate?

After Everton had fallen behind to Igor Thiago’s early penalty, Beto conjured up the response, steering home a deft glancing header on 26 minutes. It was his latest flash of brilliance, justifying David Moyes‘ decision to give him the nod over Barry once again.

The latter was brought on to inject some sorely-needed energy after Beto’s tireless shift, but he simply couldn’t make the same impact. Clearly, then, he has hit a major roadblock, and he has not yet demonstrated that he has the answers.

With his quality in question, that doesn’t bode well.

Away from the pitch, Barry has done all he can to shake his career back to life.

He has been known to test out certain in-game scenarios in his garden at home, poring over every detail in the pursuit of fine margins. Intriguingly, he also compares himself to Hugo Ekitike and Nick Woltemade, both of whom arrived in the Premier League at the same time.

But even if he finds the solution to his scoring drought, he still hasn’t repaired his fractured relationship with Everton supporters. Barry received backlash after the defeat at Arsenal after posting footage of his friends in a physical altercation in the away end.

Barry’s group were accused of celebrating Arsenal’s late goals despite being among the travelling contingent, with supporters unhappy that the 23-year-old had revealed the identities of those involved, especially given the limited context on how the fracas began.

While he was, of course, right to condemn the unnecessary violence, there has been no rowing back from either camp, leaving them divided at the worst possible time.

After he came on as a substitute in the 3-0 win against Chelsea before the international break, he was audibly booed by some sections of the crowd at Hill Dickinson Stadium, before he headed straight down the tunnel after the full-time whistle.

That show of discontent only drove home the wedge.

It’s clear where Barry must improve

Barry has openly admitted he no longer wishes to jump from club to club. Instead, having settled down on Merseyside, he wants to put down roots with his partner and daughter.

But it cannot be ignored that Everton are his fifth home in as many seasons, each in a different country. Traditionally, he has begun slowly before finding his feet and securing a big move. However, with Moyes’ side on the cusp of Europe, he would prefer to stay.

That decision, though, will not lie with him.

While Barry was snapped up as a development signing, who the Toffees believed would continue to develop, he isn’t cutting the mustard at present. In fact, he’s falling woefully short of his past standards, after his goals fired Everton into the European race in the first place.

Beneath the complexities on and off the pitch, he is clearly a deeply talented player.

Barry’s strengths lie in his physicality, proven when he set a new Premier League record by winning 14 aerial duels against Manchester United in November. Where he has let himself down is his ball control and technical ability, while he also seems to lack a killer instinct.

If he is to have any chance of salvaging his career at Everton, he must hone his finishing.

According to Sofascore, Barry scores roughly every 280 minutes in the Premier League, with his goals per game ratio a lowly 0.2. He has also missed nine big chances, while his goal conversion is only 19 per cent. Clearly, this isn’t good enough for a top-flight No 9.

In light of the Arsenal away end controversy, Barry has been thrust firmly into the spotlight, but the pressure looks to be getting the better of him. Just like at Basel, he needs to snap out of his slump and start scoring, otherwise a sixth move in as many years beckons.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Goodison Park.

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