Smal

Absolute wasteman.

Shelvey is absolutely shite.

We’re playing quite high. At least compared to normal anyway.

Hendrick has even added the ridiculously dangerous tackles to his game. He and Colback are one and the same.

Dubravka will be desperate to leave.

They’re exactly the same basically. No tactics, media favourites, full of excuses and just horrendous personalities. Pardew was first and made me completely fall out of love with football so I suppose I despise him more, but had Bruce been there instead at that time I’ve no doubt it’d have been the same. The squad Pardew had though... it was so good. He had players in their prime like Krul, Debuchy, Coloccini, Enrique, Tioté, Cabaye, Jonás, Ben Arfa, Ba and Cissé but he deliberately wanted to avoid Europe ffs . Dickhead.

That was unbelievably bad from Dier. WTF.

He literally won player of the season last year and we’re going to end up letting him go in the summer for a minimal fee because Bruce is an idiot.

No shape at all since our first sub.

Should be a red. Studs on his knee ffs.

I think we’d be winning if ASM was on the end of the two Fraser chances, like. The system really doesn’t work with Hendrick and Shelvey plodding around in midfield. They don’t bring anything at all. Hopefully Willock can run around a bit.

This system needs pace in midfield. They are easily just playing one-twos around Hendrick/Shelvey.

Think Palace have realised you can just walk through our midfield.

Yeah, I was pessimistic too tbh. This is only the second time he’s hit double figures in the PL. He’s been great though. I like him a lot.

Wish he’d put Dubravka back in.

I’m not even sure he’s good enough for Bournemouth anymore tbh. 1 assist and 2 goals in the last two seasons in the league. Terrible numbers for someone whose game is all about end product.

Been looking at some stats and he fares even worse on those than he does the eye test. 0.27 tackles won per 90 minutes this season (even Shelvey has 0.99) means he’s by far our worst player in that respect. 0.44 interceptions per 90 also makes him the worst by miles in that department. Likewise his pressing stats are the worst of our midfielders by a considerable distance. He has the lowest passes completed per 90 of all our midfielders... I could probably go on.

Just watching Gary Neville’s Soccerbox with Steven Gerrard and he’s talking about how Rafa took his game to a new level with tactical instructions, positioning etc. Depressing tbh

We are desperate for pace and energy in midfield... not Billing.

Trying to play to the strengths of a striker who’s scored one goal in 34 games for us. It doesn’t even bear thinking about.

Why would any player with reasonable ambitions be happy when Steve Bruce is their manager? . The had Rafa Benitez before him, man. CL medals and all.

The extent of his touchline instructions is literally “go on [insert x player’s name]”. That’s it.

Hands by his sides, rather unusual Makes no sense. Only seen it a couple of times but looks as though he should’ve easily just punched it away?

Not sure what Darlow was doing there.

Do you know the formation as well as the XI ‘cause surely that would make more sense if it was 4-4-2 with a Hendrick-Hayden-Shelvey-Almiron midfield? Schar and Lascelles as a back 2 would be dreadful. I know, but I’m thinking from Bruce’s “my way” point of view.