Smal

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.

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?

Oh great. More football.

There are two slower players in black and white out there man Honestly think Carroll and Shelvey might be quicker

Marty Longstaff might just be the slowest footballer I’ve ever seen.

It’s the beginning of the end for him when he’s coming out with stuff like that, mind. Completely lost it now.

There’s loads, isn’t there? Iago Aspas and Felipe Caicedo were the first two to come into my mind.

Does Murphy think he’s 10 yards faster than he is? Just runs straight into defenders all the time.

Think he's been ok 2nd half Still done absolutely nothing of note. So passive.

Hayden looks class at CB like.

Absolutely despise Ritchie, like

He’s been their biggest problem this season as far as I can tell from Arsenal fans. Looks like a total nothing player at the moment.

Ritchie isn’t good for anything anymore. Can’t even deliver a decent cross these days.

I don’t rate either highly at all, but playing in midfield in Bruce’s system is an impossible task, basically. Especially for those two. We’d be better off with a couple of highly athletic shuttler-types in there who can run around a lot.

Pards writing the news for SSN

Least joy I’ve ever experienced at one of our goals.