Moyes backs Barry to break Everton goal drought after early season struggles | OneFootball

David Moyes has backed forward Thierno Barry to come good for Everton after his goalless start to life in the Premier League.

Barry joined Everton in the summer for £27 million from Spanish side Villarreal and has yet to score in his 15 appearances for the Toffees so far. The Frenchman thought he had scored his first goal of the season during his side’s 4-1 defeat to Newcastle on the weekend, but it was disallowed for handball.

Ahead of their match away to Bournemouth on Tuesday, Moyes says they are happy with the progress the 23-year-old has made, but the time to start scoring is now.

“What we’ve chosen to do is give him the opportunity to play and show what he can do,” Moyes said. “The supporters have backed him big time and it’s given him great confidence. To get cheered by supporters, you have to do the right things and show willing. If you work hard enough, you’ll be well accepted.

“Ultimately then, when you’re trying to reach the top levels, any small opportunities that come around, you need your forwards to take them. We need him to come up with goals – that’s part of the job if you’re a number nine – but we’re happy with the way he’s playing. He’s certainly beginning to get used to the Premier League and being at Everton.”

The Toffees have no new injuries concerns heading to the South Coast, with Seamus Coleman (hamstring), Merlin Röhl (hernia), Jarrad Branthwaite (hamstring) and Nathan Patterson (foot/hernia) still sidelined, whilst Idrissa Gana Gueye serves the second match of his three game ban.

Moyes admits absentees are expected coming into this period of the campaign.

“We are looking okay but we went into the Newcastle game with a couple of boys carrying injuries from the game midweek which they played but possibly on another day if we had other players available we might have altered that.

“No excuses from that point of view. It is just that time of year where there are a lot of games coming up and part of it is suspensions and injuries.”