Jermaine Beckford states the obvious for Barry and Beto

Some remarkable insight and wisdom from Jermaine Beckford, who briefly spent time as an Everton striker for one season after he gained prominence when he scored a goal against Man Utd to give Leeds Utd (then in League One) an unlikely if massive FA Cup 3rd Round upset victory at Old Trafford 16 years ago.

The very next day, the moody striker, who had scored 20 goals in the season up to that point, would be looking to capitalize on his new-found stardom, putting in a transfer request to cement his desire for a move to the Premier League... with Everton apparently the would-be recipients of his debatable talents.

At that point, the Leeds fans, who had been lauding him, turned on him 180°. But that didn't stop him doubling up in the next round of the FA Cup, at White Hart Lane, where he scored two to win the Lilywhites a replay against Spurs.

Beckford's deteriorating relationship with Leeds following the transfer request — and free advice from their Chairman, Ken Bates, about not joining a "two-bob" club like Everton — finally saw them cancel his contract a month early, at the end of May 2010, clearing the way for his move to Everton on a free transfer.

The 42-year-old, who was speaking to the Liverpool Echo via Gambling.com, shared the benefit of his experience and knowledge as a Premier League striker analyzing the contribution of Everton's enigmatic striking pair, Thierno Barry and Norberto Betuncal:

“I think the striker position is probably the area that needs improving the most at Everton. There’s no doubting that both of the boys are putting in shifts, but I think it’s clear to see with the overall quality in the final third, that the finishing is not quite there.

“I’ve been impressed with both of them in recent times, because they’re not allowing the outside noise to get to them too much. They’re still getting on the scoresheet, but I just want a bit more from them.

“That’s just me being a centre-forward. I obviously watch another of my old teams Leeds United a lot and they’ve got the former Toffee Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha and physicality-wise, all four of them are very similar, they all run channels and are reasonably quick with a turn of pace.

“The difference between the Leeds pair and what Thierno Barry and Beto are doing at Everton, is the finishing position. When they’ve been involved in the build-up play and move the ball out wide, then what do they do?

“The two boys at Leeds, they’re bombing straight for the box. You look at the two boys at the Toffees, they’re ‘yeah, maybe, we might get there a little bit, sometimes but not all the time.’

“As a centre-forward, whenever I’ve set the ball off into a channel, I’m thinking that I need to score from my next opportunity. Where’s the best position for me to end up having the best chance of getting a shot on goal?

“It’s going straight through the middle, it’s going to be in the 18-yard box, it’s going to be drop the shoulder and get away from the defender. You try and push the defender away or get a run on him or try to get up above him and win the header.

“Those boys aren’t doing that often enough. If you give them five chances, maybe one, maybe two they’ll be in the area that you’d say: ‘that’s not so bad.’

“I just want them to be a little bit more ruthless in the final third. I do think it’s an area that they can improve on though, they just have to be open to learning and listening.

“They’ve got some great coaches at Everton. You look at Leighton Baines, he knows how to defend and he’s been up against some of the best centre-forwards in the UK.

“He’ll be talking to them on a daily basis, saying: ‘I remember when I played against so-and-so and this is the movement he did – I think you could do something along those lines too.’ It’s not just about how the message is put forwards, it’s how it’s received.

“I hope that they’re receiving the message in a positive way and that they’re replying with: ‘Yes, I believe in you, coach, I’m going to incorporate that into the next game.’”

It was abundantly clear to anyone watching him play in that one season at Everton that, despite his nose for goals, Jermaine Beckford was a long way from being a Premier League footballer. With that thought uppermost and a dream bid of £4.5M from Leicester City on transfer window deadline day in August 2011, Everton decided to cash in and Beckford stepped back down to the more suited environment of the Championship.

Reader Comments (46)

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Ryan Holroyd 1 Posted 08/03/2026 at 14:40:14

And yet Beto and Barry are more or less in-line their expected goals.

The problem is creating good quality chances for them.

John Collins 2 Posted 08/03/2026 at 14:42:25

That is the problem, Ryan.

Also, the manager needs to stop slagging the forwards in public and set the team up to create chances.

Kevin Molloy 3 Posted 08/03/2026 at 14:57:56

Let's not also forget, Barry and Beto are vying for one position. We don't have two up front with 11 goals between them, we have one position which has yielded 11 league goals so far. We'll probably end up with them getting 15+ at season's end.

That's perfectly respectable. James Beattie went a whole season not scoring from open play!

Alan J Thompson 4 Posted 08/03/2026 at 15:19:10

I'm not overly sure where Beckford wants them to be in the opposition penalty box. I often feel that neither of our strikers are where I would like them to meet crosses and where the player crossing might expect them to be.

To me, this is just beyond the far post about 4 or 5 yards in the box, running at an angle to meet the cross, if it is meant for them, between the centre of the goal and the back post. This assumes other players are moving towards the post nearest to the crosser but we seldom look so organized.

5 Posted 08/03/2026 at 15:27:47

The creativity is undermined by a lack of anything from our full-backs, the captain not being comfortable playing higher than the penalty box, no real right winger that's providing a genuine threat, and a lack of good link play from the strikers.

The general consensus was Beto had a good game vs Burnley. And his workrate was great. But he managed just two passes in the opposition half in 83 minutes.

Two passes to bring the midfield into the game. That's why Moyes will be unhappy, and if our centre-forwards can only find 2 passes in the opposition half all game, I can understand why.

We have some good rounded footballers in Garner, Ndiaye, Armstrong, Grealish, and Dewsbury-Hall, Branthwaite, and Pickford, but we need more.

We need another 5 or 6 at least to push that group on, and make it harder for the opposition to shut down, marking our better players out of the game. That 5 or 6 maybe our new players; maybe they're lads that aren't in that group yet.

That's the patient path I hope we are on. We need more players that are capable of getting 10-15 goal involvements in the Premier League. We need to stop signing defensive stoppers & spoliers And that's likely to cost.

Raymond Fox 6 Posted 08/03/2026 at 15:45:36

As Kevin says, 11 goals from the centre-forward position is respectable; the way we play does not help their cause.

There are not that many stand-out typical centre-forwards in the Premier League that I can think of, off the top of my head.

Recently there is only Dewsbury-Hall who is a real goal threat of our other players -- leaving out our centre-backs and full backs.

John Collins 7 Posted 08/03/2026 at 15:55:14

Everyone, and I mean everyone, knew we needed two full-backs, the manager should have acted.

"But he managed just two passes in the opposition half in 83 minutes."

How many passes did Beto get into his feet in the opposition half?

Mike Price 8 Posted 08/03/2026 at 16:02:42

I thought he was being very diplomatic in his description of our strikers!

They are very poor footballers with limited football intelligence, no first touch or ball control, can't strike a ball properly, averagely paced and are terrible in the air, despite being 6'-4” plus.

The good thing is they only cost us a combined £50M or so.

Ian Bennett 9 Posted 08/03/2026 at 16:04:24

I don't dispute that John, but I'd hope any footballer can find a blue shirt when they've got the ball.

Hard to achieve anything if you can't.

John Collins 10 Posted 08/03/2026 at 16:06:36

How many passes did he get into feet, Ian?

If it was 2, he had 100% pass success.

John Collins 11 Posted 08/03/2026 at 16:08:36

I think I'm right in saying Barry has won more aerial duels than any centre-forward this season, Mike.

Ryan Holroyd 12 Posted 08/03/2026 at 16:31:51

I'm sorry but to say Barry is terrible in the air is not backed up by statistics.

Mike Price 14 Posted 08/03/2026 at 19:27:56

Flick-ons to no one aren't worth a thing, defenders let you do that because they gain possession. Watch them attack a ball in the box and try to direct the ball. They're both terrible, the ball flies off at random angles, classic 50p heads.

If you can't see that they're very poor Premier League footballers, then we see the game very differently.

Oliver Molloy 15 Posted 08/03/2026 at 19:52:50

Barry had definitely got better as the season has progressed, he has more of an assured touch and better passing than Beto, but at present he lacks the physicality of Beto.

He has said himself he needs to work on this side of the game -- just barging into people isn't the answer! But he has got the message about working harder than he was doing for the first 12 odd games.

Beto gives his all (most of the time) but, as someone pointed out, neither of them get any consistent or great service.

I can see the club holding on to Barry and letting Beto move on at the end of the season (providing there is a better player available) but who knows what will happen?

John Collins 16 Posted 08/03/2026 at 19:57:18

I agree with that post, Oliver. Both are struggling at times but I think there is a player in Barry given a bit of time. Beto will probably leave, he's put himself in the shop window recently.

Mike, I'd like to see them with a lot of quality crosses into the box; them having to "flick it on" is down to the manager's long-ball tactics.

Mike Corcoran 17 Posted 08/03/2026 at 20:47:07

I don't think we'll ever see our current strikers scoring like this…

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/Yd3mClO9GB4

My eldest lads favourite Goodison moment.

Ryan Holroyd 19 Posted 08/03/2026 at 21:10:55

Maybe so, Mike, but the fact remains they don't have many chances created for them. How many times do we put crosses in from wide positions? Plus they are usually 20 yards from anyone else.

Ndiaye, for example, is a great dribbler but he creates next to nothing and currently isn't helping out by scoring any goals.

Put any forward in that team and they ain't scoring many.

Paul Griffiths 23 Posted 08/03/2026 at 21:21:33

'The 42-year-old, who was speaking to the Liverpool Echo via Gambling.com, shared the benefit of his experience and knowledge as a Premier League striker'.

I wouldn't be taking any advice from Beckford (but thanks for the link Mike, what a goal that was) who in his whole career played one and a bit seasons in the top flight.

I'm smiling now as the new strategy appears to be combining the efforts of these two to make them one!!!!!! Only on here.

And now we have not just someone using statistics but not giving us the said statistics. Come on, Ryan (12), give us the statistics for Barry's heading. Could you also provide us with the information on how many headers did not go to one of ours?

Ian Bennett 24 Posted 08/03/2026 at 21:27:06

The modern way isn't crosses. They do happen, but it tends to be more little cutbacks and picking out players in the box.

Crosses probably come from full-backs, than what are wide forwards these days. Something Wegner started.

None of our full-backs can put in a decent cross. And we tend to lack runners into the box for pull-backs other than Dewsbury-Hall. Gana lacks the composure invariably, Garner has it, Armstrong should have it in time.

John Collins 25 Posted 08/03/2026 at 21:48:39

"The modern way isn't crosses"

Then "picking someone out in the box"

Is that not a cross?

Paul Griffiths 26 Posted 08/03/2026 at 21:51:47

Forward or sideways passes John? Oh, and we're good at back passes too.

Michael Kenrick 27 Posted 08/03/2026 at 21:53:32

John,

I think Ian's first sense is aerial crosses swung in from the flanks.

The second sense is more played along the ground.

Mind, I'm not sure our full-backs can do either, to be honest.

Ian Bennett 28 Posted 08/03/2026 at 22:17:57

Yep, keep attacks on the floor, rather than putting crosses into the air.

Wegner reasoned that cross conversion was such a low percentage, why bother. But he did have Henry & Bergkamp.

John Collins 30 Posted 08/03/2026 at 22:39:12

Michael,

A low, and hard cross.

A high cross, they were both crosses when I played.

Wenger had plenty of good wingers in all his time at Arsenal Ian, didn't Overmars play in the Bergkamp/Henry team?

Brendan McLaughlin 32 Posted 08/03/2026 at 22:48:03

Careful John #31

You are coming across as likeable

John Collins 33 Posted 08/03/2026 at 22:55:17

It won't last mate 😁

John Collins 34 Posted 08/03/2026 at 23:01:37

I take the points made about picking people out in the box from wide areas, that requires top class players with the ability to do it regularly.

We don't have that player,possibly Ndiyae apart, seen him play a couple of really clever passes recently that nobody read.

My point is we should change our approach and get more crosses in to the centre forward, they are not missing bag fulls of chances because they don't get bag fulls of chances.

We need to improve on our goal tally from open play to have any chance of Europe

Derek Thomas 35 Posted 08/03/2026 at 23:01:56

Dyche or Moyes; The whole team is basically set up to play 'better' without the ball than with it.

Until that changes (Pace at the back??) and Barry (/) Beto are on the shoulder of their last defender and not consistently playing 10+yds deeper than their last man, chances will be scarce.

And that's before we even look at Moyes long standing practice of bringing every body back for free kick and corners...

Lets look at the opposition's numbers...

10 out field players

minus 1 freekick / corner taker = 9

minus 1 defender on the half way line = 8

Yet in an already crowded push and shove goal area we have 10 plus a keeper who can...allegedly...use his hands as well - and we still get done at set pieces...(which Arsenal are good at.)

Take 2 out of our 10 outfield players out of the Penalty Box Melee.

= our 8 +our Keeper Vs their 8

The key point not to be overlooked in all this is Attack the 'kin Ball!

Put 1 just outside the 'D' for the short clearance

Put 1 on the halfway line to come short for the longer clearance and to keep their last man honest...and perhaps watch them then worry/panic about the 1 Vs 1 and pull another of their players back for cover.

But alas, No.

The perceived wisdom seems to be Defend, Pull everyone back, KITAP1, they shall not pass...then complain about crowded 6 yard boxes and how the Referees do nothing.

Solve the problem at source - empty the box a bit, play on the front foot, put the ball...literally AND figuratively - In Their Court.

It'll never happen with Moyes of course and our strikers, such as they are, will continue to struggle with snatched half chances

John Collins 38 Posted 08/03/2026 at 23:29:10

👍

Ian Bennett 39 Posted 09/03/2026 at 07:06:21

Overnars was a great winger, but firing crosses in the air from the white line, wasn't his game.

Putting crosses into centre forward, I don't think will change that much. Keeping the ball better up front, over lapping full backs, more runners from midfield, playing 25 yards further forward & some fucking movement would be far more effective.

Id love to see two left up top, and have the ability to cut teams open on the counter. The united goal shows how ridiculously easy it is, if youve players that can move the ball and quick players to finish.

Paul Griffiths 41 Posted 09/03/2026 at 07:24:21

Agree Alan - 40 - and also that this lack of service is completely exaggerated. How many one-on-ones did Beto miss after February 2025? Barry has had plenty of balls played to feet and erm, if he has sad service Ryan H, how is he top of the headers league?

Beto, I thought, was good v Burnley and looked better all round in what was it 83 minutes than recent Barry. But for me the truth is that neither of them are Everton 9s. They join a long list. Right now I hope that Beto starts the next game but I'd prefer to see George or Ndiaye in the false 9.

Barry reminds me of the pineapple guy who 'played' for Forest.

It still cracks me up that Ryan and co are actually mixing the two into one to say that it ain't that bad. That really is desperation and why do it in the first place?