David Moyes Challenges Tyler Dibling to Improve
Everton manager David Moyes has urged young forward Tyler Dibling to step up his performance next season after a challenging first year at the club. The 20-year-old, who joined from Southampton for a reported £42 million last summer, has struggled to make an impact, managing just one minute of playing time since January and only four league starts.
With Jack Grealish sidelined for the season, Moyes had hoped Dibling would seize the opportunity to prove himself, but so far, the expected breakthrough has not materialized. The manager has now set clear expectations for the player, emphasizing the need for improvement in both training and match situations.
‘He’ll have to do better I think,’ Moyes said ahead of Everton’s home clash against Manchester City on Monday night. ‘He’ll have to do better in his work and in his training. We brought in Tyrique (George) from Chelsea, who is of a similar age and as competition to make sure we were covered.
‘I think Tyrique has done well in the moments he’s had in games and shown some bits that we like, so we want Tyler to step up, we really do.’
Dibling’s journey to Merseyside was not without its challenges. He spent a year at Chelsea in 2022 but returned to Southampton after struggling with homesickness. Moving to a new city at a young age could be cited as a factor in his slower-than-expected adaptation to life at Everton.
‘He’s important to us. He’s a player who we put a lot of faith and money into to bring him here, so we are looking for a lot more. That’s why we are not panicking about it because of his age. We want him to step up, we are hoping that he’ll improve and next year will be a big year for him to see if he can do that.’
Thierno Barry Faces Confidence Struggles
Another player facing confidence issues is striker Thierno Barry, who enjoyed a strong start to the season during the festive period but has since struggled, scoring just one goal in his last 11 league appearances.
Moyes acknowledged the pressure on young players to deliver results quickly, stating, ‘I am saying a general thing here and it is that football supporters are not having much patience with many things. You might not get two or three years to become that player.
‘There is a bigger emphasis on, “We need things now, we are looking for that to happen quickly”. It is not just here at Everton. I think all clubs are the same.
‘He is young as well, first year in the country, at the moment we have four games to go and if he scores a couple of goals you might say it has not been the worst return for a young centre forward.
‘There are a lot of clubs who have paid a lot of money for centre forwards and you wouldn’t say that has been worth it. We took a chance on a young, up-and-coming striker, we tried to get him in quickly and early to see how he was going. He has not done bad. I actually think he is improving as he is going along. First season in the Premier League, it is not that easy.’
Harrison Armstrong in Talks for New Contract
Meanwhile, Everton midfielder Harrison Armstrong is in talks over signing a new contract with the club. The player made a significant impact this season after being recalled from a loan spell at Preston in January.
His performances have earned praise from the manager, who recognizes the importance of rewarding players for their contributions. With the season drawing to a close, the club is considering ways to secure his future and continue his development at Goodison Park.
