Everton strikers have managed just one goal this season in the Premier League, and since that is among the primary roles of the position, there continues to be much consternation surrounding the two the Toffees currently employ: Beto and Thierno Barry.
The solution doesn't feel, at least to me, to be to sign another striker in January, since that feels a little like the well-known definition of insanity.
Instead, the problem seems to be David Moyes' handling of his striking duo. Rather than lean on one of the pair, the manager is constantly shuffling his starting lineup with one or the other leading the line, with the striker on the bench coming into the fray around the hour mark, almost as if the change is pre-planned.
In fact, up until Barry got back-to-back starts against Sunderland and Fulham, the only other instance of that happening was when Beto started against Manchester City and Tottenham. Outside of cup matches, the back-and-forth has been constant.
But the simple fact of the matter is that Thierno Barry is the long-term answer at striker for Everton, at least based on the current construction of the squad. Beto is out of contract after 2027 and is 27 years old, while the Frenchman is due to be with the Toffees until 2029 and just turned 23 in October.
This is no disrespect to Beto, who works hard and is a good servant to the club, but the age and duration of the contracts tell us a lot about the future of Everton's striker.
With that in mind, Everton need to give their future a chance to prove himself, something he cannot do by showcasing his talents in training. He needs time on the pitch and he needs to grow in confidence. These will only take place if he's given a run of matches to see if he can use his movement and athleticism to his advantage.
He hasn't scored against Sunderland (although he came close) or Fulham, but his movement without the ball was excellent in both matches, as he impacted the ball on Iliman Ndiaye's goal at the Stadium of Light, and was a nuisance against the Cottagers.
Neither of these strikers are perfect, but Beto is a known quanity at this point in his career. Barry can still mature and improve as a player, but he won't do it if Moyes is intent on splitting the time.
So once the international break is over, Thierno Barry needs to start and play as many minutes as he can. He'll never be the player Everton want him to be if that doesn't happen now.