“He didn’t trust me” – Doucoure slams Lampard for management style during Everton’s reign
Abdoulaye Doucure opened up about his troubled time under Frank Lampard in Everton, revealing that their relationship had slumped sharply, leading to an exclusion from the first team.
Lampard took charge of Everton in January 2022, leading the club to Premier League survival, winning Crystal Palace 3-2.
However, despite initially positive relationships, things quickly became sour between the midfielder and his manager.
Looking back on his experiences under Lampard, Doucure shared his complaints about his lack of communication.
He said: “He didn’t talk, there was no communication between me and him,” he told the overlapping failure. “I was removed from the team, so I was training under the age of 21. He pushed me away.
“After the home game there was a big debate between us and him. I wasn’t happy and I was honest and he didn’t like it, so I gave him the truth. I said, the day after they said you couldn’t stay on the team, he felt disrespected by me in front of other players and they either train you with under 21 or on your own. He said he needs to train on the train.
“He downplayed me. Everton was a big lesson and he learned from it!” 😬
Abdurey Ducole about his time working for Frank Lampard pic.twitter.com/tz8vano1lz
– Overlap (@wearetheoverlap) February 10, 2025
“I know how to take care of myself, so I said, ‘I’m going to train myself.’ Luckily, it wasn’t long because I think he was fired a week later.
Doucure rarely started during Lampard’s tenure, which lasted 44 games. In contrast, he was a key player under managers such as Carlo Ancelotti, Sean Dyche and now David Moyes.
“Frank Lampard is the only manager who didn’t trust me very much. I think he honestly made a mistake with me. I’m a hardworking guy and a humble guy, I’m a He works hard in his training. Obviously, he can make choices and does not challenge the choices that the manager makes.
“Sometimes you have to be fair and I don’t think he was fair with me, so I put me on the bench for so many games and don’t give me a chance, It upsets him and me. I was waiting for my own chance, but he didn’t trust me. After that, he proved he was wrong, so he made a mistake. I think I did. After the new manager came, Sean Dish, I was a different team maker.
“It was very hard because I loved Everton. I almost got out of the club because of my relationship with him, so I was pushing away, so it was so sad for me. Because when you start exploring your options and go to another club, I didn’t want it. My faith is very strong, I always believe in diligence, and diligence is a report I was so happy that I signed a new contract afterwards.”
Since leaving Everton, Lampard has taken over as manager at Coventry City, improving team results. Doucure believes that his former manager has taken away important lessons from his time at Goodison Park.
“He was a great player, he was a great player. Everyone knows that. But as a manager, it’s a big lesson for him at Everton and I think he learned from it.”