We have a rival contender for Jefferson Lerma's yellow card haul from last season. Philip Billing may seem a pleasant giant, but we saw another side to him against Aston Villa. The central midfielder went for Aston Villa with little regard for what he left behind in the challenges and with another referee he could well have seen red.
It is easy in hindsight for Billing to know that he over stepped the mark, but at the time he was caught up in the moment and lost his head. It's the will to do well and to impress that probably drove Billing into doing everything he could to win those midfield battles. Youth didn't win out on this occasion and it was Andrew Surman who was the beneficiary of the events. Now it is Eddie Howe's decision on who he picks to start against Man City in the next game in centre midfield.
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| Philip Billing can be relieved that he wasn't sent off against Aston Villa. |
It was just as well that Eddie Howe took Billing off at half time. It will be a hard lesson for the young Danish international to learn, but he'll soon pick up that he can't afford to be over hyped because of a few tackles that have been flying about. Once things get under your skin, it is easy to get carried away and intent on taking retribution, but AFCB can't afford that on the football pitch.
It is easy in hindsight for Billing to know that he over stepped the mark, but at the time he was caught up in the moment and lost his head. It's the will to do well and to impress that probably drove Billing into doing everything he could to win those midfield battles. Youth didn't win out on this occasion and it was Andrew Surman who was the beneficiary of the events. Now it is Eddie Howe's decision on who he picks to start against Man City in the next game in centre midfield.
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We will see if Howe can trust Billing or if the youngster has still not earned Eddie's full trust yet. The game against Man City will be very different and the frustration might not come from the challenges but more the inability to get hold of the ball. Bournemouth will need to be organised and to have heads that don't go rushing in and leave spaces in behind. Whoever Howe goes for, I'm sure that Billing will have a word or two spoken in his ear this week about his performance at Villa Park and I hope he takes it on board quickly.
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