Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has now shared his thoughts on what has gone wrong at Goodison Park, citing a number of factors contributing to the club’s decline.
The £20m Mali international was the goalscoring hero on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign, as Everton’s 1-0 over Bournemouth secured Premier League safety.
Indeed, it was the second consecutive season that the Toffees have taken it to the wire, with a dramatic 3-2 win over Crystal Palace on the penultimate game of the 2021/22 campaign the deciding factor for Everton’s top-flight status.
For a club who appointed Carlo Anceotti and recruited the likes of James Rodriguez just a few short years ago, a rapid decline has followed, with European ambitions making way for relegation scraps.
Doucoure admits that Everton have a lot of work to do
With a number of both on and off the pitch factors contributing to Everton’s struggles, root and branch overhaul is required, and Doucoure believes that the club ‘need to change a lot’.
When asked what has gone wrong at Everton in an interview with The Athletic, the 30-year-old said: “There are a lot of things. Some managers came in and didn’t fit the club. Lots of injuries like with Dominic (Calvert-Lewin), so we didn’t always play with a proper No.9.”
He continued: “We need to change a lot. The new manager has done that already, so this is the starting point. We need a manager who represents and understands the club well.”
Doucoure may be aiming an implicit dig at former manager Frank Lampard, who reportedly fell out with the midfielder prior to his January sacking.
Indeed, after being left out of the match-day squad for January’s trip to West Ham United, which proved to be Lampard’s final game in charge, Doucoure featured in every fixture following Dyche’s appointment, minus the three for which he was suspended.
Scoring five goals and contributing two assists during that period, Doucoure’s influence on the pitch earned him a one-year extension at the club.