Frank Lampard banned midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure from training following a furious dressing room row - just a week before his sacking by Everton.
Doucoure has made 12 appearances in all competitions so far this season, though just three of those outings have been starts. He was left on the bench for the defeat to Southampton in Lampard's penultimate match as Toffees boss.
Tensions at Goodison Park have been simmering for some time, with Everton second bottom of the Premier League, having won just three games all season. Those frustrations boiled over in both the stands and among the players themselves, it appears.
According to the Daily Mail, Lampard decided to banish Doucoure from training in the lead up to Saturday's clash with West Ham. The Englishman made that decision after the midfielder confronted him in the dressing room following the defeat to Southampton.
The heated exchange is understood to have continued back at the club's training ground last week. It is said that Lampard had 'no alternative' but to ban the 30-year-old from first-team training for the rest of the week.
Doucoure also faced the humiliation of training on his own, rather than with the Under-21s squad, with Lampard keen to prevent him causing 'further disruption'. The midfielder joined from Watford in 2020 and is set to depart at the end of the season when his contract finishes.
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In the lead up to the crucial clash at relegation rivals West Ham, Lampard hinted there was discontent in the dressing room. And he urged his players to stand up and fight as their season headed towards disaster.
"I had things to say because from my point of view in the position we are in, we have fight and be ready for the fight. If the players in the dressing room are disappointed we lost then that's good," he said.
"If they want to fight and be a good teammate, not think about themselves, think about the team and try to get the result the next week and train great intensity, whether they are starting or not, that is all I want."
Unfortunately for Lampard, he was unable to inspire a fourth win of the season in the trip to West Ham. Instead two goals from Jarrod Bowen condemned his side to a fourth successive defeat in all competitions, with Lampard warning even more difficult times were ahead.
"We had a big fight and stayed in the league [last season]. We lost Richarlison and now have tried to build around that, so it is normal we are fighting again when other clubs are trying to move on," he told Match of the Day.
"History moves on and nothing gives you the right to be in their league. If you don't move you will hit tough times. We are in tough times and everyone has to try to move forward."
Lampard will not be given the chance to mastermind a second Great Escape though, with Everton making the decision to sack the Chelsea legend on Monday.
