Abdoulaye Doucoure

[dbs235]

Ancelotti would go back to his diamond. Allan, Gomes, Doucoure and James is a nasty midfield.

I'd like the sound of that if I'm an Everton fan. Richarlison and DCL upfront and Digne and Coleman raiding forward too. Pretty good.

 

[VorZakone]

Ancelotti would go back to his diamond. Allan, Gomes, Doucoure and James is a nasty midfield.

I wonder why the diamond isn't more widely used. Everyone always wants to shoehorn wide players in their line-up but it all depends on personnel.

If you have mediocre wide players it's probably wiser to reinforce your midfield and play more through the middle.

 

[bosnian_red]

I wonder why the diamond isn't more widely used. Everyone always wants to shoehorn wide players in their line-up but it all depends on personnel.

If you have mediocre wide players it's probably wiser to reinforce your midfield and play more through the middle.

Hard to create if you have nobody to stretch the pitch, and the midfielders need to be very dynamic to make it work. Your fullbacks mainly become arguably the most important players on your team, and they have to be brilliant all round. His Milan side had Cafu at right back and Maldini at left back... not going to beat that.

Could make it work with Alexander Arnold and Marcelo from a few years ago as your wing backs. Dani alves, Alphonso Davies types who can bomb up and down all day and provide attacking threat from wide. Not sure Coleman and Digne can handle that but he might try it.

 

[bond19821982]

Hard to create if you have nobody to stretch the pitch, and the midfielders need to be very dynamic to make it work. Your fullbacks mainly become arguably the most important players on your team, and they have to be brilliant all round. His Milan side had Cafu at right back and Maldini at left back... not going to beat that.

Could make it work with Alexander Arnold and Marcelo from a few years ago as your wing backs. Dani alves, Alphonso Davies types who can bomb up and down all day and provide attacking threat from wide. Not sure Coleman and Digne can handle that but he might try it.

Digne is one of the best full backs in the league and they are trying to sign a new RB.

 

[Snow]

Everton are doing some good business.

In a vaccum perhaps but look at their squad, it's quite lopsided. Now 9 central midfielder but only 6 defenders. 5 forwards plus Iwobi, Bernard and Bolasie who are tactically orphaned as they look, based on squad and Ancelotti's history, to be playing 3-5-2 or 4-4-2 diamond.

Hopefully for them they're sticking with Ancelotti for a while because it's another rebuild in the works which means a lot of transfers business. A bit like what we have been going through. Our fees were bigger but they are dealing with more players. Rodriguez really needs to bring it. Doucoure is a good player, dynamic and different to what they have. Allan I find uninspiring and I'm sceptical of the small Brazilian from Serie A joining the Premier League in the last stage of his career as cliche as that sounds. Too similar to Gomes so I don't expect an impact from him on the first team.

 

[BigDunc9]

A diamond feels like it could be the best way to go but we would certainly need a new right back to make it work as sadly Coleman can't get up and down like he once could.

Allan and Doucoure are both dynamic enough to make it work I think with Gomes being the midfielder who drops deep to take the ball from the defenders.

 

[charlenefan]

Everton are doing some good business.

It's that kind of thinking that got them the likes of Walcott, Iwobi and Sigurdsson

I don't know anything of Allan but Doucoure and James are big no's from me, the type of signings that just sum up Everton post Moyes

 

[AltiUn]

I don't mind Doucoure, I think he's a solid player, but I think saying £25m for him is a "bargain" is wide of the mark. It's a very fair price.

 

[Pav1878]

It's that kind of thinking that got them the likes of Walcott, Iwobi and Sigurdsson

I don't know anything of Allan but Doucoure and James are big no's from me, the type of signings that just sum up Everton post Moyes

I've always liked Allan and wanted him at United. I think he will be an excellent signing for Everton. He's the defensive type of midfielder we needed.

 

[marktan]

It's that kind of thinking that got them the likes of Walcott, Iwobi and Sigurdsson

I don't know anything of Allan but Doucoure and James are big no's from me, the type of signings that just sum up Everton post Moyes

It's the type of signing that's either a) Big names or b) Players that didn't quite make it at other clubs. It screams of a lack of transfer strategy. But Ancelloti does have renown and what they really need is a top manager to give the team style and shape. The likes of Richarlison, DCL, Iwobi on paper have skill and should be showing that.

 

[iammemphis]

Doucoure is average. His is Everton's level. Great box to box player and works hard but he is not a stand out performer worthy of a top 4 team. Performances wise he was a disgrace last year at Watford.

 

[AsonUnique]

Digne is one of the best full backs in the league and they are trying to sign a new RB.

Agreed Digne would be great in that role. Very underrated player. Richarlison would be good up top with a diamond behind him too.

 

[lysglimt]

If James clicks he could turn out to be a great pick up for Everton at the tip of the diamond, wonder if they would have enough goals in them though.

If

 

[amolbhatia50k]

I'm no expert on Everton but to me, other than needing a quality manager to build a cohesive football team (maybe Ancelotti can do that), for years Everton appear to lack that real electric (odd choice of word, I know) quality in their attack - players who can stretch teams, beat defenders and instill a bit of fear in teams. I don't watch them all that much but they seem a fairly pedestrian and functional team. A player or two like Allan Maximim or Zaha are required IMO.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Everton now have decent midfield depth. Well done to them.

 

[Craig Ward]

It's that kind of thinking that got them the likes of Walcott, Iwobi and Sigurdsson

I don't know anything of Allan but Doucoure and James are big no's from me, the type of signings that just sum up Everton post Moyes

I disagree.

Walcott was washed up at Arsenal and was a poor move, Iwobi never really got going in a poor Arsenal team and Everton massively over paid and Sigurdsson has failed at a bigger club previously. All 3 signings we're poorly judged for me.

Allan is one of the best DM's around and technically much better than anything Everton have. Doucoure is a midfield powerhouse proven in the PL who has been too good for Watford for a couple of years. James is a gifted player who didnt make the most of his time at Madrid, but he's hell of a player.

3 good signings for me.

 

[SirReginald]

Doucoure is average. His is Everton's level. Great box to box player and works hard but he is not a stand out performer worthy of a top 4 team. Performances wise he was a disgrace last year at Watford.

He isn’t average. He can’t shoot to save his life but he is brings balance to midfield. Good passer of the ball, gets up and down the pitch well and his long legs make it awkward for people trying to get round him.

Last season the whole watford team were way below their level. Foster even said something about morale being rock bottom. Pereryra was the disgrace, didn’t even want to be there.

On form Doucoure is one of the best CMs in the league outside top 4.