Everton are currently enjoying a five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, but Saturday’s draw left a bad taste in the mouth for most supporters.
After all, they were hardly good value for their point, having failed to make their Goodison Park advantage count and allowing Fulham to dominate.
Sean Dyche is no stranger to surrendering the ball to the opposition, but when that coincides with a lack of effort to then win it back, Evertonians fairly draw the line.
It was not until Beto came on and injected a bit of chaos that they finally started to trouble the visitors, resulting in their late equaliser.
Sean Dyche on Beto’s game time
Full of praise for the man who he had snubbed for four Premier League games running before Fulham, Dyche admitted that Beto had earned this chance.
However, he also wanted credit to be given to those around him, despite Beto’s emotional response to scoring Saturday’s equaliser.
The Everton manager noted: ‘He has been working hard. He’s been working hard in training, the staff have been working hard with him so they deserve credit as well, doing extra, working on bits and people, including myself, showing him clips and various things
‘His development curve has been a delayed one, he didn’t come into the game professionally until not so long ago in professional terms and coming into the Premier League is different, it is difficult, especially as a striker, and I think he continues to work hard and he has got his reward.’
Then, when asked what the striker needs to do to earn more minutes, Dyche responded: ’[I tell him] you don’t have to be pure but you have to be a handful and awkward, it’s a real weapon that, and I thought he was when he came on, you have to find different ways to effect the opposition and he certainly did.’
Does Beto deserve to start for Everton?
Beto gave an emotional speech after the game on Saturday, in which he admitted to having suffered through a ‘difficult’ few weeks without playing.
His passion for the club is evident, and though his quality might be lacking at times, his commitment can never be questioned.
With this goal coinciding with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s barren run, there’s certainly a case to be made for the 26-year-old to usurp the contract rebel.
Especially given his goalscoring record is not too dissimilar to the Englishman’s despite seeing far less time on the pitch.
Beto is not everybody’s cup of tea, and does at times struggle to make it stick.
However, he is a willing runner who loves the club, and seems to find himself in the right place to score goals when Calvert-Lewin cannot.
Given that, at this stage in the season, relegation is not yet a threat, Dyche has little to lose by giving him a spell in the side.
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