I love Harry Arter. As an AFC Bournemouth fan it’s hard not to. The midfielder who cost us just four thousand pounds from Woking has fought his way from non-league to the Premier League big time. You have to admire him really.

Yes, he’s not perfect – he’s raised the ire of many opposition fans for some of his antics. Including his over the top tackle against Stoke City’s Joe Allen last season, and his false shout to put off Watford’s Nathaniel Chalobah.

But although he’s undoubtedly flawed, when he’s at his best he has a fighting spirit that can’t be matched by any other AFCB player. Sadly for us however, he hasn’t been at his best for a long time.

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Harry Arter Cook-ed

His displays this season have been lacking his usual drive, and this was perfectly exemplified against Brighton last week.

He misplaced several passes, struggled to harry the opposition in key areas of the pitch, and seemed keen to play the ball back rather than forward. The runs he has so often made at defences were completely absent too. It was depressing to see, like when you see a dog that has recently been neutered.

It’s not as if we don’t have a hungry player waiting in the wings to take his place either. I talk, of course, of Lewis Cook.

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Too many Cooks won’t spoil the broth

I’m tired of saying it, but Lewis Cook must surely play for us in the league soon. Although he’s not been sensational in his Caraboa Cup displays, he’s shown far more creativity on the ball than the likes of Arter and Dan Gosling.

He can pick out a forward pass, put in tackles, and actually takes a shot every now and then (this is unheard of from our midfield players).

Yes, he’s still very much a work in progress – but we need to actually give him a chance to progress. Letting him rot on the bench while players like Arter struggle away benefits no-one other than our opponents.

Dropping Arter could also be the kick up the proverbial the Republic of Ireland international needs. He’s a strong character, and would almost certainly come back a hungrier player because of it.

Not so good at Goodison

Howe desperately needs to drop under-performing players like Arter, Dan Gosling, and Simon Francis sooner rather than later in general.

Especially when you consider our next two opponents, Everton and Leicester. We simply cannot afford to let teams around us in the table have an immediate advantage against us.

Whether this immediate advantage is setting our team out with a nonsensical formation (like in the match against Arsenal), or selecting too many players that are past it (like against Brighton).

These next two games are against sides right near us in the table, and are a great chance for us to climb out of the bottom three. So please Eddie, start playing players that are on form – not just ones that we all have fond memories of.