Abdoulaye Doucoure left Everton in the summer after his contract expired, and the Malian midfielder has now lifted the lid on the issue that led to Sean Dyche’s sacking.
Doucoure spent five years at Everton and experienced several managers during that time.
He was signed under Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure and then subsequently endured periods under Rafael Benitez, Frank Lampard, and Sean Dyche, with his Everton career coming to a twilight under the stewardship of the returning David Moyes.
However, his time at the Toffees could have been much shorter.
Doucoure was close to leaving the club in 2023, after falling out of Frank Lampard’s plans, but the arrival of Dyche ultimately changed his career at the club.
The midfielder credits Dyche for his big impact but has now also admitted he saw his dismissal coming due to one reason.
Sean Dyche looks on as manager of Everton at half-time against Manchester United.
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Abdoulaye Doucoure says Sean Dyche’s pragmatism got him sacked at Everton
Abdoulaye Doucoure admits that he was not surprised when Sean Dyche was sacked by Everton.
The Malian midfielder has said that Dyche was his own worst enemy due to the things he would say in interviews and press conferences.
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Doucoure revealed in an interview with the Athletic, “The problem at the end with Sean was that he is very pragmatic, very straight.
“Sometimes he said things that the fans didn’t appreciate, and they would respond on social media. Like (Rafa) Benitez, he was always coming to an end at some point. As soon as the results got worse, everyone was going to turn.
“I was sad for him because he didn’t deserve to be remembered like that.”
Dyche has been without a job in football since being sacked by Everton in January 2025. However, he could return to management soon, with the future of another Premier League manager up in the air.
The former Everton manager is linked with the Nottingham Forest role, as Ange Postecoglou is under pressure after going seven games without a win to start his time at the City Ground.
While the Englishman will be disappointed with the premature end to his time at Everton, Doucoure believes it was the correct decision to bring David Moyes in after Dyche was let go.
Abdoulaye Doucoure believes David Moyes is a better fit for Everton’s squad
Abdoulaye Doucoure is a big fan of Sean Dyche and has said he is the manager that has ‘impacted’ him the most throughout his career.
However, he is also aware that his style of management does not work with every player.
Speaking on David Moyes’ return, he said, “Sean was very tough. Sometimes players can’t cope with a tough manager, and that was the problem. Moyes can be tough sometimes, too, but he doesn’t care about the outside details. He just wants people to train well and give everything to win games.”
David Moyes gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images
Moyes’s refusal to care too much about every single detail has been one of the major reasons Jack Grealish has been such a success so far.
The winger is able to play his game with minimal input from the manager. Grealish’s creativity is allowed to flourish in full flow, and that has made him one of the most in-form players in the Premier League.
Grealish has admitted he loves David Moyes’ tactics, and that just highlights how important it is to have a manager who plays to his squad’s strengths instead of forcing players into unfamiliar roles.