“I love this club, I want to stay” - Abdoulaye Doucoure makes admission after Nottingham Forest heroics

Good Luck ,Abdoulaye.

I find it hard to believe he'd really turn down Saudi money to stay with us at a reduced rate, and on fewer minutes. But if he does, I'm good with us signing him. There will be times when his sort of energy off the bench would be of great value.

He gets the odd key goal, like yesterday, but more often than not, attacks break down because of his woeful passing ability and this invites greater pressure on the defence.

The club will make decisions based on progressing the club forward.

No more 'plucky little Everton', satisfied with second or third best.

A reminder of the largesse of the Moshiri years. Time to turn the page.

We are probably still going to have to cut our cloth for the foreseeable future. He's not a good footballer in the purest sense, but he does give 100%, gets the odd goal, and loves the club.

In a perfect world, we'd all probably move on in the summer and bring in better players. In the real world, if he accepts a significant wage reduction, he'll get another year at least.

But I doubt it with Doucouré and Harrison. 🥴

I except that the new owner's people will not be in place until 1 July, so any recommendations on player retainment are going to be in the manager's remit.

Considering they're in for a shout at Europe they should be more enthusiatic. They can't all have had a last bus to catch?

Summer trading will be interesting, Davey may well feel under similar constraints to his first tenure, I'm just hoping he doesn't have to sell before buying.

Moyes has been playing the hand he was dealt, he now has a chance to change it. In my view, the improvement in team form has come in spite of routine selection of Harrison and Doucoure.

Does this have to be about whether or not we supported Moeys's reappointment?

£130k a week has been the wrong number.

Yes, he runs around making a nuisance of himself and weighs in with the odd (important) goal, but he's been gash in almost every match and supposedly on mega wages.

Thanks but no thanks.

But if Saudi money comes in for him and we don't renew, then I hope the fans treat him right, and give him a good send-off and remember the life saver against Bournemouth in 2023.

I'll back his decisions whether they match my list or not!

Has Harrison told us how much he loves us yet?

I'm not sure about Harrison Paul but Keane and Holgate have!

My son was showing me Tik-Toks from the Everton coach on the way home last night. They were all playing Uno and singing 'Spirit of the Blues' when they knocked each other out.

At one point Beto shouts 'Kopites are Gobshites' when he loses. It's very funny.

Young, hungry, determined, courageous, fast, skilful, committed and capable.

Productive.

Let the feet do the talking.

Hope from now on we aren't going to be a soft touch for any average player professing his love for our club. I love Everton too, but doubt they'd give me 10 quid a week never mind 130 big ones.

Close the door on your way out, kid.

I hope a satisfactory deal can be done.

Spot on. There's no sentiment in football. One well-taken goal does not redress the balance of numerous substandard displays.

I will be greatly disappointed if Doucoure is granted a contract extension. He's simply not good enough.

Similarly, emotions should not rule our heads where a Richarlison return is concerned. He's done nothing of note at Spurs and his fitness record is poor. Very much a backward step to even consider him.

Both yesterday's men.

Yes amazing isn't it. I'd love us too if I was paid £130k a week. Hell I'd love the RS for the same deal. (Okay, secretly I wouldn't – I'd try and sabotage from within.)

But who would give up a gravy train as a 33-year-old non-entity?

He won't take that though.

I suppose it is down to how much TFG are prepared to spend on new players and what would keep us under PSR limits, but a 1-year contract on £25k pw (£1.2M pa) should be considered. How do you put a price on love?

He is the one central midfielder we have who has contributed in terms of goals. He also has a knack of coming up with last-minute goals.

I am not saying he should be retained, as his age and wages are a concern. But it's clear that whoever else is brought in to replace him needs to be capable of scoring.

Goodbye.

Or Forrest Gump's box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get.

I agree. I want to see a young, fast, skilful team with bags of desire and ambition.

By all means offer Doucoure a new contract for 1 year on much reduced terms but really I want to see more players like Alcaraz and Ndiaye in the team.

Plus, he's better than Doucoure.

I didn't realise Count Dracula of Anfield (Suarez), is there. The manager is Javier Mascherano is manager.

It looks like Suarez has found his teeth again, this time biting his own team mate Jordi Alba's hand.

You don't want much then, Andrew, wrapped up into one?!! I agree, we could do with more pace and I'm not too fussed about age. Most of our players collectively have those traits, with a few lacking in some areas.

Rather than pace alone, I think it is equally important in how quickly the unit moves when going forward, and not slowing the game down.

Incidentally, by all accounts, our quickest player is currently Jack Harrison!!

It's absolutely time to move on. A Number 10 should really be able to control and pass a ball. Bank the wage saving and invest. You can't tell me there's not a viable option who can replace him.

I would keep him to supplement the squad but, yes, his salary would have to decrease.

Source: TNT. "When Doucoure scores Everton don't lose. 20 games, won 16, drawn 4"

Stats don't paint the full picture. Ernie, I think we have one already; Alcaraz with Ndiaye plus right sided midfielder either side.

As Keith says, to compete, we need depth. For too many seasons, we've been making do with about 14 - 16 established players and fringe players making up the bench.

No one is going to offer him big money, except maybe in Saudi.

Why are we not being more positive on the signing of Alcaraz, who seems the right age and price profile of players we should be looking at?

Young Harrison Armstrong will be back from his Derby County loan too.

I can't work out how many cock ups he makes per game but I reckon I say “Oh For fuck's sake” about seven or eight times each game — and that's just for Doucoure!

I don't dislike him. Like Beto, there's something likeable about them both, but this season in particular, Doucoure has not been great. Worked hard, yes, but not enough to convince me he's worth keeping.

Derek, if you're reading, will you be at The Harlech on Saturday?

Pickford
O'Brien Tarkowski Brainthwaite Mykolenko
Garner Gana Gueye (ole ole)
McNeil Alvaraz Ndiaye
Beto

That team should beat Ipswich, Fulham and Southampton with points at Chelsea and the skunks.

I've absolutely no idea what we'll get from the Man City game but I'll bet £100 Harrison and Doucoure start (as they probably deserve after Saturday's performance).

We'll pick up more points and finish on a high. I do wish we'd have acted sooner. I think you and I started calling it around October or November time.

Hoping to attend at least three of the last fixtures and, like you, I'll be up for Southampton anyway.

I'm working on Fulham, but we may have to go in our disguises again and have our cover blown within 15 minutes.

The future is the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock and new owners with ambition — not just keeping us up.

With a top-class manager, Everton can get back to where we belong, even if it upsets every Sky pundit.

You are very wise to ignore stats because, by my reckoning, Doucoure has only scored 19 goals for Everton and those stats said he has scored in 20 games!

We have a top manager and I would give Doucoure a new contract provided the price is okay for both parties.

I think you' re going to be doubly disappointed.

Progress is going to take some years, rather than immediate, which is a better way.

As for Moyes, a European trophy winner. A manager who has taken this team from almost certain relegation to almost safety. He deserves the opportunity to see where he can take us with a budget he has never had previously.

The first begins with F and the second ends in Off! :-)

I have a suspicion that we may see a good many 1-year extensions. Moyes and multiple changes would end up with him having a nosebleed.

A top-class manager? Such as? Maybe you're one of these who were touting for Graham Potter?

Could any other top-class manager (whoever you have in mind?) have done a better job than David Moyes, before on a shoestring, or now on a team that he inherited?

There's just no pleasing some folk.

All top class managers,

Oh, hang on… he is on over £400k per week — as is the elderly Mohammed Salah.

Let's build on what we have and get some goal-scoring players in and a top full-back.

Ndiaye or Alcaraz have more skill for the No 10 role. I have a sneaky suspicion that Moyes will try and keep Calvert-Lewin, the way he's talking him up the last few weeks of how much we're missing him?

The club will make the right decision but I'm not sure he would be happy with the pay packet that the market now probably dictates.

I think the Friedkins will give out 1-year extensions as it will hold back some money for the 2026-27 season. I don't think they have long-term plans for Moyes.

Calvert-Lewin, Doucouré, Harrison, Young and Colemna can go. We should look at loanees and pacey younger players to replace them.

We had a top-class manager, he got us to 11th place and then quit because it was too hard for him! "I'm not a miracle worker" he said.

Since Moyes came in,he has probably got us in the top 5 or 6 teams. He deserves to be our manager next season!

Name this manager that going to get us back where we belong?

He's a hindrance any time you want to play any kind of football. In the number 10 role he actually prevents us from playing. It's a role where he is frequently involved and will frequently break down our own attacks.

I can see why he's getting games right now and he's at least being used in a slightly more offensive way. Less off a defensive 10, more a 'arrive in the box' 10. Basically a poor man's Tim Cahill under Moyes

He's pretty much a litmus test of our intent. If we have any designs on any kind of progress then you wouldn't consider paying him anything. If we plan to 'hang in there' next year then you might pay him a reduced wage for a year.

I really hope we let him go, with our best wishes. And don't consider any kind of move for Harrison. It's time to move on from this phase of doing nothing more than surviving until we get to BMD. Let's be a relevant club again.

Beto is a slightly different case. He's shown the value of a reserve striker. You need one, even if they aren't up to much.

But if he stays for one more year and we sign up Alcaraz, the funds can be used on a new striker, a winger, a defender first.

He was the last game of the season away from European qualification, but we got battered by City.

A contributing factor was we limped towards the end of the season. I think his magician comment was partly frustration dealing with a threadbare squad, just like most recent Everton managers.

Moyes will have a chance in the summer to shape for next season providing he gets the backing of the owners.

If he does then I hope he shows us what he can do and leave us with a trophy.

That list is hilarious man

I wonder if at some point in the near future, Diego Simone will fancy his chances in the Premier League? Now there's a fiery character whose teams are defensively compact, press hard high up the pitch and break quickly on the counter.

And I would love to see that encounter with Slot or any other Liverpool manager facing each other in the dugouts at a derby.

A top manager, but I'd expect the Sly 6, Inter, Saudi are way above us in the pecking order.

Well historically they are a successful club in Spain, but in the last 20 years they've had their best spell with him in charge (he's been there since November 2011).

They've won the title twice and finished in the top 4 every season since 2012/13. He's also won the Europa League twice.

How has he done this?

Well, Atletico are the third richest club in Spain and have the biggest net spend outside of Real and Barca. In fact since Simeone's appointment, they are absolutely miles and miles ahead of all other rival clubs (including the likes of Seville, Valencia, Bilbao etc etc) in spending - except Real and Barca who are well ahead of Atletico.

On that basis, they should be at least nailed on for at least 3rd each year.

In addition to consistently heavy spending (relative to peers) he has access to an absolutely outstanding academy (and B-team) which, in his time at the club, has produced the likes of Koke, Saul, Gabi, Barrios, Simeone Jr, Riquelme, the Hernandez bros and DeGea.

These are all Champions League quality players.

He is a quality tactician and motivator. One of the best managers around, no doubt.

What could we expect of someone like that at Everton?

Well, we have the lowest net spend by an absolute mile of all Premier League clubs for the best part of 5 years. That looks set to improve a bit but we're not suddenly going to be in top echelons of the big spenders - hopefully it leaves us rubbing shoulders instead with the Premier League's equivalent of Rayo Vallecano, Osasuna and Getafe.

What does the academy offer? Not a fairly regular supply of Champions League quality players, that's for sure.

I think that suggests Simeone would be likely to hit the same sort of glass ceiling as Moyes (eg 7th or 8th place) but he might even need a bigger budget to do it.

It was one of Doucoure's better performances, his 1 in 5 games where he keeps going and contributes in a positive way. But his 'signing' celebration is not warranted. He's never been a good premier league player despite several important goals.

Thanks for the memories but unless he accepts a huge pay decrease I'm hoping of a far better player to come in and turn us into winners, not keeping the aging scrapper. It is such a crucial position to find a top class and affordable player. The Duke is neither.