David Moyes grew Everton into one of the most consistent teams in the Premier League during his impressive first stint at the club. Now, the Scotsman is trying to get the Toffees back into Europe after nearly a decade away.

However, he's not being effectively assisted by the powers that be on the blue half of Merseyside. In fact, the Friedkin Group have left Moyes in a tough spot after a debilitating summer transfer window.

In attack, the Toffees are short, and no mistake. It's up to Thierno Barry to pack enough punch to spearhead an Everton challenge for Europe.

How Moyes is reviving Thierno Barry

With Beto sold to Fiorentina after his brilliant purple patch over the latter half of the 2025/26 season stoked Evertonian hopes of wandering into Europe after years away, it's all up to Thierno Barry now.

Iliman Ndiaye has also been sold, and technical director at the Hill Dickinson, Angus Kinnear, failed to sign any goalscoring replacements this summer.

Barry is a talented young forward, but he showed last season a rawness which doesn't suggest he is ready to lead the line for Everton in the Premier League without any back-up or competition. Alas, this is the situation Moyes and Everton and indeed Barry find themselves in.

He might have missed two chances against Ipwich Town on Saturday, but Barry also scored the winner in the Premier League, marking five goals and an assist across seven games in all competitions this season.

The French striker is far from perfect, but he is arguably the most important member of the Blues persuasion right now. Without him, Moyes will have to call upon either Tyrique George or Brennan Johnson to star at No. 9.

However, Barry isn't the only flop who has shaken off that cloak and rekindled his reputation at the club.

How Everton flop has become undroppable

Barry will have the final say as Everton strive for a degree of fluency and success in attack this season, but his solitude means those behind him need to work all the harder.

And in fairness, Vitaly Mykolenko would argue that he is doing all he can to effectively supplement last summer's £27m signing from Villarreal, showing over the first few months of the term a noticeable upturn in quality and focus after last year's struggles.

Barry is talented, but he and Beto struggled in attack for Everton last season. Many times were the pair bemoaned for their lack of quality and incisiveness in front of goal.

But similarly, Mykolenko has been harangued over the past several years in the Premier League for his lack of awareness and blunted offensive support. In 2025/26, the Ukraine international created one big chance.

However, he is arguably riding the best form of his Everton career. Into his sixth season, the 27-year-old dazzled against Tottenham over a week ago, winning all seven tackles and even creating a chance. He is playing with more athleticism too, darting this way and that.

In fairness, Everton's paucity of depth at left-back means Mykolenko is in a similar position to Barry ahead of him. This summer, Kinnear saw it fit to loan out Adam Aznou without bringing over a replacement, and that could prove to be a grave mistake.

Mykolenko has won 60% of his duels thus far and is yet to make a mistake. In recent years, they have been rife, lapses in concentration exposing the Toffees' left side.

However, the balance and dynamism Mykolenko is instilling down the left suggests that he is quickly growing into one of the most important players at Moyes' disposal - especially when considering the ongoing uncertainty at right-back.

Just as Barry is stepping up to the plate now that Everton are out of options, it appears Mykolenko recognises that this could be a defining year for the club and, indeed, his Everton legacy.