Everton sit pretty in the Premier League compared to previous campaigns, as they sit eighth after their home form has largely led them to a successful start to the campaign under David Moyes.
The club are enjoying a campaign where matches are tight but Everton are finding a way to claim three points or not go home without a defeat. New signings, Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, have slotted in nicely, James Garner is a different player, and Jordan Pickford remains Mr. Consistent.
However, there is one player who has frustrated the Everton faithful throughout the season and barely contributed to that success. His latest incident, while on international duty, will leave a lot of fans questioning his ability to be a main role within the starting XI. Come to the stage, front and centre, Beto.
A miss that will hurt his and our confidence
Our number nine traveled to Africa during this international break to play in Guinea-Bissau's final World Cup qualifier. Although the chance for qualification was out of the equation, with the top spot already claimed by Mohamed Salah's Egypt, there was still pride at stake for the country as they were well-fancied against Ethiopia.
The team lost 1-0, with our striker missing a golden opportunity that many could have scored. He is likely to blame the bobbly grass in Ethiopia, which is certainly not up to Premier League standard, after somehow fluffing his kick to miss an open goal from a few yards out and going out for a goal kick.
Unfortunately, the international break, which was meant to be a chance to rekindle his form, delivered a disastrous miss that will further damage his and the Everton fans' confidence. Consequently, the decent fee he was linked with for a summer transfer to Leeds United now seems unrealistic, and that opportunity appears to have passed by for now, as his valuation is likely to drop further.
The 27-year-old, who joined in 2023, has recorded disappointing numbers: just 17 goals in 80 appearances across all competitions, with only one of those coming this term. While his involvement in matches, such as his contribution against Crystal Palace, shows he offers more than just scoring, a striker at a club pushing for Europe simply must do better.
Let's just hope that the disaster of a miss doesn't weigh on him any longer and is forgotten when arriving back on Merseyside, and that we can start singing his name again when the ball finally hits the back of the net.