2023/24 Abdoulaye Doucoure

[Gilbert..]

Doucouré did not have his best game at all and his recent form hasn't been stellar, but if people think he's the problem then they need to give their heads a wobble.

We have much larger issues than him.

Phil this gets up my nose sorry mate. His form in general is poor over long periods. I think someone just summed it up perfectly. That if you take away his few goals a season he's a bit of a hindrance with his inability to control pass or keep hold of the ball. Over a full season its a far more negative impact.
At some stage you have to improve the over all quality of play in the side and not rely on a player who scores 4 or 5 a season but lacks everything else. I sort of get where you are coming from but this debate about doucoure comes up on here now and then. its a bigger picture problem. We might well need him to pop up with a goal before the end of the season but we're now 3 years into relegation fights in his 4 seasons here, coming off the back of his relegation with watford. Not all to do with him of course but when you buy players with such poor touch and technique thats generally where you'll end up. So i get the he's not THE problem. But make no mistake he is part of the problem. You look at him and the likes of Godfrey and all the evidence of why Everton are so bad is there. Just them two alone were 45m and there is hardly any footballing ability there at all.

 

[DanEFC92]

Been pony since coming back from injury. Ludicrous we depend on someone so painfully average in the first place

 

[T LEAFE]

Great number 10

 

[neil999]

OK he deserves a bit of criticism, but I think he deserves a.bit of respect for keeping us up last season

 

[PhilM]

Phil this gets up my nose sorry mate. His form in general is poor over long periods. I think someone just summed it up perfectly. That if you take away his few goals a season he's a bit of a hindrance with his inability to control pass or keep hold of the ball. Over a full season its a far more negative impact.
At some stage you have to improve the over all quality of play in the side and not rely on a player who scores 4 or 5 a season but lacks everything else. I sort of get where you are coming from but this debate about doucoure comes up on here now and then. its a bigger picture problem. We might well need him to pop up with a goal before the end of the season but we're now 3 years into relegation fights in his 4 seasons here, coming off the back of his relegation with watford. Not all to do with him of course but when you buy players with such poor touch and technique thats generally where you'll end up. So i get the he's not THE problem. But make no mistake he is part of the problem. You look at him and the likes of Godfrey and all the evidence of why Everton are so bad is there. Just them two alone were 45m and there is hardly any footballing ability there at all.

I get the point, but we can't take away his goals, can we? Without them, we would have more likely than not have been relegated last season.

The statistics last season, and this season, show that with him in the team we on average perform better across a number of metrics - that ain't hyperbole.

I can't find the graphics for this season (they were on Soccer Saturday before last week's game), but you only need to look at the 22-23 stats.

Now, that's not to say he's perfect because his touch can be poor, and he does lose the ball; to the naked eye, he's gangly, and it's uncomfortable to watch.

But he has offered us energy, somehow does get the ball up the pitch and gets those goals. When he hasn't played, our system looks even more inefficient.

My point is right now we are likely to be unable to afford to improve his position, and if we do have the money it's best spent elsewhere.

In terms of offering a more negative impact than positive, I sincerely doubt it, and right now I have no idea who we would put in that position with the dross we have.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Kept us up last season and is our top goalscorer this one yet is given dogs abuse.

And we wonder why most of our players cant wait to get away from this toxic place.

Disgraceful.

 

[PhilM]

Kept us up last season and is our top goalscorer this one yet is given dogs abuse.

And we wonder why most of our players cant wait to get away from this toxic place.

Disgraceful.

I get people criticising his performance today because it was poor: I advocated quite early on taking him off. But, people fail to look at the bigger picture.

There are players far more worthy of criticism than him, and those players' position in the starting XI is far more impactful and infuriating.

 

[Gilbert..]

I get the point, but we can't take away his goals, can we? Without them, we would have more likely than not have been relegated last season.

The statistics last season, and this season, show that with him in the team we on average perform better across a number of metrics - that ain't hyperbole.

I can't find the graphics for this season (they were on Soccer Saturday before last week's game), but you only need to look at the 22-23 stats.
View attachment 248384
Now, that's not to say he's perfect because his touch can be poor, and he does lose the ball; to the naked eye, he's gangly, and it's uncomfortable to watch.

But he has offered us energy, somehow does get the ball up the pitch and gets those goals. When he hasn't played, our system looks even more inefficient.

My point is right now we are likely to be unable to afford to improve his position, and if we do have the money it's best spent elsewhere.

But were talking pivotal in relegation. We're down there because we bought the likes of doucoure. Thats more my point. We need to stop buying players who can hardly string a pass together or the ball bounces off them just trying to control it. He wouldnt get in so many teams in the prem due to that. It should set off alarm bells that he does Evertons

 

[PhilM]

But were talking pivotal in relegation. We're down there because we bought the likes of doucoure. Thats more my point. We need to stop buying players who can hardly string a pass together or the ball bounces off them just trying to control it. He wouldnt get in so many teams in the prem due to that. It should set off alarm bells that he does Evertons

I doubt he'd get in any team in the top half, and even a few below. But, Ancelotti was keen on him and Dyche relies on him, so some must see something in him.

Don't get me wrong (I've said it before), there's a fair bit wrong with Doucouré, however I do think the aesthetic part (how his play looks) does sway a lot of views.

For me, the biggest alarm bell is the signing of strikers who can't score, a pension nearing Ashley Young and some midfielders who have a nose bleed going forward.

 

[Gilbert..]

I doubt he'd get in any team in the top half, and even a few below. But, Ancelotti was keen on him and Dyche relies on him, so some must see something in him.

Don't get me wrong (I've said it before), there's a fair bit wrong with Doucouré, however I do think the aesthetic part (how his play looks) does sway a lot of views.

For me, the biggest alarm bell is the signing of strikers who can't score, a pension nearing Ashley Young and some midfielders who have a nose bleed going forward.

Mate the list of alarm bells is as long as your arm. Im sure ancelotti is on record as saying he never wanted him. It was a signing already done by brands. His entire career has been mainly fighting relegation.
As i said. Might need him in this relegation fight. But we've really got to stop buying players with so little ability on the ball. It kills us.

 

[maccavennie]

OK he deserves a bit of criticism, but I think he deserves a.bit of respect for keeping us up last season

Excellent point as always Neil. I gave him 10 minutes worth of respect at the full time whistle against Bournemouth as thats all any of them deserve after being 30 minutes away from relegation.

 

[arch stanton]

he's offered very little since coming back, give chermiti a shot at the #10 role

 

[Tel001]

If he’s absolutely crap, I wonder what the others are who don’t score. Don’t get me wrong, he ain’t great, but we’re better with him than without.

Him being crap with the ball is part of the reason others do t get goals too… the amount of promising break away that die as soon as he touches the ball, makes the wrong decision or plays the pass behind the player is a massive problem.

You can actually player like that if they’re banging goals in, trouble is that he isn’t and also that he’s not our only player that I crap at these things , dom, McNeil and Harrison are the same . 4 crap ball players playing together is the reason we cant score apart from corners

 

[royvernon39]

EFC have a good defence, ok midfield and a very poor attack.

If the corners and free kicks are not productive then Blackadders' cunning plan fails.

 

[nsno-chris]

Got your new contract did you