Could Beto and Barry play together?

Whether Beto and Thierno Barry could potentially play in attack together for Everton is one of the questions sent into us via our 'Ask about Everton' form.

I get asked this question a lot and I think there are several reasons for it right now.

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Beto and Barry have only ever played together once this season and that was for just four minutes in the opening game away at Leeds. While that is not a long enough time for a full report on the idea, it did nothing to make David Moyes think it could be a viable option.

The original plan was that Beto would be first choice. He was given the iconic number nine shirt in the summer and had impressed the manager enough to think he would have enough firepower after scoring seven goals once Moyes returned to the club in January.

Fast forward and Beto is on just one goal so far this season and that came back in August at Wolves. For a time, the two strikers were alternated before Barry was given a run of games to try to get him up to speed.

Now, 11 Premier League starts later and he too has just one goal which came at home against Nottingham Forest. As the numbers are so low, it would feel a shock now if both were used together, plus it would mean a big shift in how Everton play.

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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been one of the Toffees standout players in the number 10 role. His injury has seen Charly Alcaraz step in rather than a change of formation to put two up top.

So with neither Beto or Barry even looking close to getting double figures, I do not see Moyes using both together and losing his midfield system that has worked well.

The manager's words for his two strikers have been few in public but his assessment of both has simply been "not good enough".

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