Abdoulaye Doucoure offers insight into Everton transformation as Sean Dyche message revealed.
After extending his contract with Everton until 2025, Abdoulaye Doucoure has opened up about life at the club and under Sean Dyche.Abdoulaye Doucoure credits Sean Dyche for preserving his Everton career and has spoken out about playing in a more advanced role.
Doucoure has been a revelation since joining Dyche in January, after been frozen out by Frank Lampard near the conclusion of his time at Goodison Park. The midfielder’s outstanding performances were rewarded last week when he signed a new contract with the Blues that will keep him with the club until the end of June 2025. His previous contract was slated to expire at the end of the current season.
Doucoure, who joined Everton from Watford in September 2020 and has made 109 appearances for the club, scoring 13 goals, has always said he wants to stay. “To be honest, I’ve been through some tough times,” he admitted when questioned about his new contract. “It was extremely difficult for me, but I never gave up.”
“No one can ever break me.” I’m still fighting for the team. I’m quite pleased with my new deal. The new manager arrived and reinstated me. “Everyone at the club adores me.”I’ve spent my entire career playing. I only experienced this issue with the prior manager, who was ineffective. I’m still here, happy, alive, and yearning for more.
“My priority was always to stay, but my contract was coming to an end, and Everton needed to make a decision.” In the end, things worked out nicely because my wish was to always stay, and we came to an arrangement.”Since Dyche’s arrival, Doucoure has found himself playing more forward. The Mali international is loving the opportunity.”I’m enjoying it so far,” he remarked when questioned about his next step. “The statistics show it – they’re very good.”It can be challenging at times because this is not my natural stance. I prefer to come from behind at times, but I’m willing to play any position.
The management gives me some leeway and lets me come on the left or in the middle. He simply wants to ensure that I am on the team’s first line of defense since he knows I have the legs to push the opponents. “After that, I have the freedom to score goals and make some assists, so it’s been good.”
When asked if he was enjoying life in the Premier League, Doucoure responded, “It’s been a long time, almost eight years now.” When I first arrived in England, my goal was to stay in the Premier League for at least ten years, and I’m almost there. I’m quite glad; I’ve grown up and become a man.
The game does not alter much. It has been quite intense. To play in the Premier League and perform well, you must be physically fit. “It doesn’t make any big changes, but my game has changed a little bit.” The Premier League has remained unchanged.” “I like it. To be honest, I never saw myself playing abroad. My dream has always been to remain in England and at this club. This is my wish: to conclude my career in England.”
Vitalii Mykolenko impact has skyrocketed under Sean Dyche – and key Everton numbers show it.
Under Sean Dyche, Vitalii Mykolenko has been a significantly improved performer for Everton this season. The goal against Brighton & Hove Albion was the icing on the cake, but everyone who has watched Everton’s games this season can tell that Vitalii Mykolenko has transformed in recent weeks.
Mykolenko made a rocky start to life in English football after joining from Dynamo Kyiv on New Year’s Day last year as a substitute for the Aston Villa-bound Lucas Digne, who had a public spat with manager Rafael Benitez. Benitez, who had identified Mykolenko as the club’s long-term left-back choice, was fired just 24 hours after he made his debut in a 2-1 loss to Premier League bottom club Norwich City.
The following month, Mykolenko’s native Ukraine was engulfed in what is already Europe’s worst conflict since World War II as a result of Russia’s invasion, with the player subsequently disclosing his own father was part of a military unit fighting Vladimir Putin’s forces. In the midst of all of this turbulence, the defender was supposed to adjust to life in the world’s toughest domestic division.
Although Mykolenko broke his scoring duck for his new club with a spectacular 25-yard volley just six minutes into a game at the King Power Stadium on May 8, 2022, to set Everton on their way to their first Premier League away win since the previous August, it’s fair to say that his form was understandably shaky at times as he adjusted to his new surroundings.
Despite having Ashley Cole, arguably the greatest left-back in Premier League history, as a mentor as first team coach, and one of the best of the rest, Leighton Baines, also at Finch Farm looking after Everton’s Under-18s team, Mykolenko would often appear to be laboring, particularly in his positional play.
Despite surviving two relegation battles in his first 18 months in England, the 24-year-old has been one of the Blues’ most improved players this season under Sean Dyche and his coaching team.
The records will show that Mohamed Salah scored twice for Liverpool in last month’s Merseyside Derby, but his first goal came from a penalty spot 15 minutes from time, with his second coming on the counter attack as the Blues pushed for a late equalizer, and the reality was that Mykolenko who Dyche confirmed had been substituted for tactical reasons by this point – kept the Reds’ dangerman quiet for long periods of the game.
The left-back pushed forward against Brighton to double his Everton tally with an improved finish on his weaker right foot, but what has he done differently this season? We can see physical evidence of his growth by looking at his statistics on Comparisonator.
So far in 2023/24, Mykolenko has improved his scores from 2022/23 in all five of their A.I. Index parameters, which are used to assess various elements of footballers’ performances. His primary index increased from 167.22 to 252.02; his offensive index increased from 20.32 to 67.15; his defensive index increased from 89.92 to 119.31; his duels index increased from 18.22 to 18.76; and his passing index increased from 38.75 to 46.82.
In terms of numbers, the upturn can be seen in the following ways. In terms of offensive metrics per 90 minutes, Mykolenko’s shots (0.28 to 0.78), shots on target (0.09 to 0.39), and shot assists (0.46 to 0.78) have all increased. He is taking part in more attacking activities (3.42 to 4.04); successful attacking actions (1.29 to 1.95) and successful dribbles (0.46 to 0.65), raising his predicted goals from 0.02 to 0.12.
Mykolenko, on the other hand, is creating more defensive activities (13.38 to 14.33); more effective defensive actions (10.67 to 11.46); ball recoveries (8.91 to 9.64); and ball losses (8.97 to 8.6). While his completed passes have decreased from 25.13 to 23.57, he is still doing more with the ball when he has it.
Successful key passes (0.25 to 0.39), successful long passes (1.91 to 2.21), crosses (1.79 to 2.08), and successful crosses (0.68 to 1.04) have all improved. There have been strong mitigating circumstances for Mykolenko’s slow development, but he now appears to be another player benefiting from Dyche and his team’s approach, and not just when he’s out of possession.
