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‘He disrespected me’ – Everton star Abdoulaye Doucoure, who nearly left the club after a major argument and harsh demotion, has opened up about the controversial incident that led to the fallout.
Abdoulaye Doucoure has opened up about his strained relationship with former Everton manager Frank Lampard, including the fallout that led to him being excluded from the first-team squad, as well as how current manager David Moyes has helped improve his game. Doucoure was sidelined during Lampard’s final days at Goodison Park but shared his side of the story in a detailed interview on The Overlap Breakdown podcast.
He explained, “After a home match, Frank and I had a big argument. I wasn’t happy and I spoke my mind because I’m always honest, which he didn’t appreciate. The following day, I was told that I couldn’t train with the team due to disrespecting him in front of the players. They told me I would either train alone or with the Under-21s.”
Doucoure continued, “I chose to train alone because I know how to look after myself. Fortunately, it wasn’t long as he was dismissed about a week later, and I only trained alone for two or three days. The week after, I returned to the team, we beat Arsenal, and I nearly became player of the match. Football works in strange ways.”
He reflected on the situation, saying, “I always believed in my hard work and respect for my manager. But at that moment, I felt he disrespected me a bit.”
When asked how close he was to leaving Everton in January 2023, Doucoure admitted, “I was very close. I was speaking with a few Premier League clubs. Of course, I didn’t want to leave, but when you start training alone and not playing, the exit feels imminent. It was heartbreaking.”
Under Lampard, Doucoure had been frozen out, but under Sean Dyche, he became a key figure and scored 11 goals in his first season. While Everton struggled early in the current season under Dyche, Doucoure still believes the manager deserves recognition for his efforts.
He said, “I had a great relationship with Sean. When he arrived, he brought a sense of freshness, and he trusted me from day one. I think people misunderstood him a bit. He’s old-fashioned and used to pushing Burnley with a specific style, but at Everton, he did a fantastic job. Without him, we might not be in the Premier League now. He kept the team focused on survival, and I think people will appreciate him more in the future.”
Though Everton was recently knocked out of the FA Cup after a 2-0 home loss to Bournemouth, they had won three straight Premier League games under Moyes. Doucoure has praised the changes the Scot has made since returning to the club.
“He’s surrounded by a strong team, and they’ve worked together for a long time,” Doucoure said. “Since Moyes came in, he made a few changes that have had a huge impact. He showed me clips to help me improve, and his adjustments to player positioning have made a massive difference. That’s why he’s been successful.”
Doucoure also believes Moyes is often underrated as a tactician: “People tend to think he’s just a long-ball, defensive coach, but tactically, he’s brilliant. With his experience, he just knows what needs to be done. He put a few people in the right positions, including me, placing me more on the right when we had the ball. That brought me closer to goal, allowing me to be in better positions to score. His tactical tweaks have made a big difference.”
The midfielder also shared how Moyes has changed his role: “Under Sean Dyche, I played more as a number 10, which worked well, but towards the end, teams started to figure me out. I was too high up the pitch, and my impact wasn’t as great. David Moyes recognized I needed to play deeper to touch the ball more often and be more effective. He has changed my game, and I’ve enjoyed the last couple of games much more because I’m in positions to receive the ball and score.”
Doucoure concluded, “I prefer being a box-to-box player—not too high, not too deep, but somewhere in between. That’s where I’m most effective. A proper number eight.”
