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David Moyes may need to show no leniency towards Abdoulaye Doucoure following his lackluster performance in the first half of Everton’s Premier League match against West Ham United on Saturday.
Everton had hoped to capitalize on their home advantage at Goodison Park, but they endured a frustrating first 45 minutes, with the score still at 0-0. The Toffees thought they had a golden opportunity to take the lead when a penalty was awarded for a foul on Beto just before half-time. However, after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, the referee reversed his decision.
At the other end, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was forced into making two crucial saves to keep the scoreline level.
Doucoure’s struggles in the first half were particularly noticeable. Moyes will be keen to see his team take control of the game in the second half, but a change may be necessary.
Doucoure, who has been a key figure for Moyes since his return to Goodison Park in January, scoring two goals and providing an assist in the Premier League since February, failed to make an impact in the first half. The 32-year-old was embarrassed early in the game when a West Ham attacker nutmegged him, and he struggled to assert himself from his advanced midfield position.
At one point, Doucoure also irritated Beto when he rushed in to try and get on the end of a Jake O’Brien cross, which Beto was already preparing to meet. The midfielder was also wasteful in possession, completing only 12 of his 17 passes (71% accuracy), according to FotMob. Despite his reputation as a box-to-box player, he registered just one defensive action and won only two of his five duels.
Given these issues, it might be worth Moyes considering a substitution at half-time. Jesper Lindstrom, though not in top form this season, could provide a fresh spark. He’s likely to be motivated after earning an assist in Everton’s 1-1 draw with Wolves on 8 March.
Bringing Lindstrom on would allow Moyes to shift Carlos Alcaraz into a more central role, potentially giving the attacking midfielder more freedom to influence the game.
