Everton Round-Up, Saturday 31st October: Thierno Barry Speaks Out After Burglary as Blues Prepare for Newcastle Return Trip
There's a difficult off-field story at the top of the agenda this evening, with Thierno Barry revealing that his house was burgled while he was away at Hill Dickinson Stadium helping Everton beat Newcastle United to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals (Liverpool Echo). The French striker has spoken out defiantly despite the ordeal, and told BBC Sport he's simply relieved his family weren't home at the time it happened (BBC Sport). It's a horrible thing for any player and his family to go through, and the thoughts of Evertonians will be with Barry this weekend.
On the pitch, attention quickly turns to Monday night's Premier League trip to Newcastle, just days after that cup win at Goodison. Sports Mole have previewed the game and run the rule over possible lineups for both sides, with Newcastle potentially making four changes with Yoane Wissa returning (Sports Mole) (Sports Mole), while for Everton there's been plenty of chat about what happens with Jack Grealish following a club discipline breach (Sports Mole). David Moyes has also been giving his thoughts on midfield options, with James Garner offering hope but a couple of players reportedly causing a conundrum for the manager (Liverpool Echo). The Liverpool Echo have also questioned whether Brennan Johnson and Tyler Dibling have really looked like typical Moyes signings as they compete for the right-wing spot (Liverpool Echo).
Adding a bit of spice to the trip to St James' Park, Everton have been handed referee John Brooks for the match, with Read Everton pointing out the Blues have never actually won a Premier League game with him in charge (Read Everton). It's not just the first team in action against Newcastle this weekend either - the Under-18s were also due to take on Newcastle's academy side at Little Benton on Saturday morning (ToffeeWeb).
There's been continued reflection on Thursday's Carabao Cup win too. The Liverpool Echo picked out Hayden Hackney as one of the big talking points from the tactical breakdown of the victory (Liverpool Echo), while James Garner - who opened the scoring in the game - has said he believes Everton have a "real chance" to end their trophy drought this season after reaching the last eight (EvertonFC.com) (Read Everton) (Read Everton). That optimism comes alongside a remarkable statistic resurfacing via ESPN UK, as highlighted by Read Everton, noting Everton remain the only one of the current 92 Premier League clubs with a particular long wait for silverware attached to their name (Read Everton).
On the transfer front, Read Everton report that the Blues have reportedly joined the race for Frosinone winger Giorgi Kvernadze, with the Georgian attracting plenty of interest after a strong start to the Serie A season, with Crystal Palace also said to be keen (Read Everton) (Read Everton).
In the women's game, Everton Women drew 0-0 with Manchester United in the WSL, a result that kept United's long unbeaten run in all competitions going, as reported by Sky Sports (Sky Sports). Royal Blue Mersey had previewed the game beforehand, noting that boss Scott Phelan was expected to make changes despite the team's good cup form (Royal Blue Mersey), while EvertonFC.com described it as a solid point for the Blues (EvertonFC.com) and carried Phelan's thoughts on how the team can build on that result (EvertonFC.com).
Away from results, Merlin Röhl has given BBC Sport viewers a look behind the scenes at Finch Farm through his own photography (BBC Sport), and there was a touching occasion at Goodison Park on Friday as the 35th Dixie Dean Memorial Award Evening took place, with the Liverpool Echo reflecting on what Grealish might learn from such a tribute to an Everton legend (Liverpool Echo). Elsewhere, the Echo are running a poll asking fans what the club should do with Grealish following his breach of discipline (Liverpool Echo), derby tickets for the Everton v Liverpool fixture are still available including hospitality packages (Liverpool Echo), and there's a last chance to save 20% on Enchanted Lights at Hill Dickinson Stadium according to EvertonFC.com (EvertonFC.com).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
