Amadou Onana accuses Frank Lampard of ‘disrespect’ to Everton hero Abdoulaye Doucoure amid redemption
Amadou Onana has hailed Abdoulaye Doucouré’s Everton redemption after the midfielder recovered from banishment under Frank Lampard to save the club from relegation.
The former manager had frozen the Malian out of the squad and sent him to train with the reserves after a reported bust up with the 30-year-old [Times, 23 January], and the scorer of the only goal against Bournemouth on the final day (28 May) admitted to Sky Sports on 5 March he was close to leaving in the winter window.
Lampard was instead sacked and Sean Dyche then installed Doucouré as a central part of his midfield, to which he responded with five crucial goals and two assists, including his stunning winner to seal survival, and his midfield partner Onana has now criticised the poor treatment.
The Toffees star told L’Equipe: “[I am] very happy that he was the savior of this club. He’s a friend, not just a teammate. He has seen all the colors this season. He went through ups and downs.
“At one point, he was sent to the reserve team. For me, he was disrespected at times.
“But I always knew the quality he had, the things he was capable of on a daily basis in training. He is a worker. He deserves it. This goal was also liberating for him. He dropped a small tear compared to his dad who died recently.”
Invaluable
If Doucouré was sat in the reserves or had left in January then Everton would be a Championship side now, it is as simple as that.
What exactly was at the root of the fall-out between him and Lampard only the pair of them and those who were present at the time will know.
But since it was a dressing room bust-up there is a good chance that Onana was there when it happened, and while it may be no surprise for a player to identify with a teammate over the head coach in tough circumstances it is also crystal clear who has been vindicated in the ensuing months.
Dyche saw no issues with immediately bringing Doucouré back to the fore once he was appointed and was duly rewarded with some crucial performances.
Lampard, somehow, was reappointed back at Chelsea, but their form under him was worse even than the relegation-threatened Toffees.
With the wheels evidently coming off both the Everton season and the reign of the former manager prior to his sacking in January it is no surprise there were disagreements, but Doucouré ultimately proved key in avoiding a hugely-damaging relegation while Lampard did not.
The Toffees’ hero has since had the year option in his contract triggered and will remain at the club next season [Fabrizio Romano, 22 May], while Onana has been heavily linked with a move away amid interest from some big-hitters.