2020/21 Abdoulaye Doucouré

[Toffee in Jandals]

Abdoulaye Doucouré

I spoke with Lucas Digne before coming and he told me that Everton was a great club and that I would fit in very quickly. He was right, Everton is a family club. Seamus is the best captain I have known, he cares about every player.

Presuming he means Troy Deeney was a bellend then.

Colour me shocked.

 

[Martin Alvito]

In Doucoure's case it'll be in part the fee and the fact that many will have taken positions against the signing in the past and would rather stay quiet for that reason, which is fair enough. He wasn't exactly universally welcomed.

To be fair, the standards for being universally welcomed around here are kind of high. He wasn't the best player in a World Cup (and head and shoulders above Messi, who obviously agreed that he stole the Golden Ball from his attitude receiving it). He also wasn't obviously a world-class glue guy like Barry and Milner, the way Allan is.

Off the top of my head, these sorts of things were said at purchase about players that have been successful:

Richarlison - too expensive, overrated home cooking, another McCarthy signing
Digne - who is this rando we're panic buying from Barca?
Godfrey - relegated, buying the best players from relegated sides eventually gets you relegated
Mina - sure, he scores, but Barca wants rid because he can't defend

I mean, we could buy Abraham for 35 million pounds and 15% of the members would probably slate the deal.

 

[Exeter_Gently]

Feel 100% more confident we can get a result when his lad is in the team.

 

[messymascot]

Very important to the way we play. I think when we get Allan back and he can box to box again he will be the player that could make the difference between us getting Champions League or Europa.

 

[Azza]

What's the point in a 'box to box' midfielder who can't pass forward, can't shoot and as we've just seen can't cross.

 

[Connor]

Dreadful

 

[LocalNative]

So limited in everything. Gets around the pitch well but cannot pass, doesn't score and isn't defensively sound either. We need to go back to a three in midfield when he plays as he's caught out of position so often.

 

[maccavennie]

Crap.

And still better than the crab next to him

 

[atypicalusername]

Poor game, didn't want to take ownership.

 

[jerseytoffee]

Poor today, but hard to dominate when you're the only central midfielder in the team

 

[blueloon]

Poor game today. When the ball came out of their box near the end I thought it was going back to Doucoure, 30 secs too late he moved towards the ball where he should have been, they go upfield and score.

 

[TheBigIguana]

He just doesn't really give you anything but athleticism. Which is fine when you've got everyone else in the team doing everything but when Allan is out or James is out it isn't really enough.

 

[Jimmyjoe]

Just lacks that bit of quality doesn't he. Did the same against Man U at the end and they went and broke and scored. Obviously the loss isn't all down to this, but if only he could have stood that cross up to the back stick - where all the big men are waiting - rather than put a ball in at neck height. That is the difference between mid table, and top 4

 

[NewRadical]

For the most part he seems to play to the standard around him.

So when he's in a tight knit triangle with Allan and usually James he looks good. Other than Leicester away he doesn't take responsibility for grabbing the game his way.

He's still better than other current alternatives.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Also I think it is worth saying for the anti-statters that he's exactly the player the numbers said he would be.