Mr Logic

Well I dreamt we won 2-1 so fingers crossed for prescience.

Think those 8 caps were all pre2010, I've seen one site (fifa) has him with 13 caps.

I'd agree with that. Saw a YT clip of one of his freekicks from Robert type distance but he didn't exactly lash it, more precision placed like Beckham might have done. Guarantee he'll be taking freekicks when/if we finally sign him, which is something else we've been lacking in the team for some considerable time.

Ameobi didn't look much like a striker there, more like a wooden post actually.

Giggs is always doing that to us.

Might be?

Joey has cause to regret his emphatic 'no shave till win' statement. http://i35.tinypic.com/263bpfn.jpg

There's a few of our players looking a bit rattled. Enrique made quite a few mistakes for instance that he normally wouldn't.

What a fucking huge difference, they have 3 in our box so often. We're lucky when we've got two into the penalty area.

FFS

This is going to get messy

Yeah, I got the wrong one initially, there's a Barca player also, never checked d.o.b. when I found Mallorca site.

30 yrs old. http://www.rcdmallorca.es/ElClub/Ficha_Jugador.aspx?IdJugador=16

@ Grumpy. I'm convinced to the contrary.

I wonder who he is referring to... Dyer? Bellamy? Has he heard of Ben Arfa?

This.

I know, There's one vid in particular I've watched about 10 times. I'm going to be seriously depressed if this deal doesn't go through. Ben Arfa skills [HQ]

Where's the first?

Certainly sounds like he has spoken with Hughton (previous to flying over obviously) and Hughton has promised him what he wants, - a regular start (in the middle/PM?) and a stadium full of Geordies that will adore him and sing his name.

Ben arfa contre l'ajax (youtube it)

I'd actually be quite excited about our season if we had both Arevalo and Arfa. Might even crack a smile.

I don't think we'd be accused, Ben Arfa reps have already made it clear it was the players decision. If he refuses to return he may be banned, but more likely Marseille will concede defeat and try to negotiate the best deal they can. Wishful thinking on my part perhaps but a simiar impasse was resolved when he left Lyon to sign for Marseille in the first place.

Entering HATE into Google returns a slightly alarming result. http://i35.tinypic.com/vosmcg.jpg

Just a little section from his Wiki. Seems to be a case of Groundhog Day going on, only the names have changed. .... rumors of a move to rivals Olympique de Marseille began to surface. On 28 June 2008, Lyon confirmed that a proposed transfer to Marseille had been canceled for the time being. However, Ben Arfa confirmed to the local La Provence newspaper on 29 June that he had signed for the southern coast club and would not return to Lyon for pre-season training the following day. La Provence later reported that Ben Arfa had in fact missed training in Lyon on 30 June, confirming his intentions. Ben Arfa officially joined Marseille on 1 July 2008 for €11 million, with future incentives to be included later, after an agreement was reached between Marseille and Lyon in a meeting organized by the LFP. As a result of the disagreement over the transfer, in December 2008, Ben Arfa told the local Lyon paper Le Progrès that his former team lacked class and was not a great team. Ben Arfa was presented to the media and had his first training session with the club the same day. He was given the number 20 shirt. On 16 July, Ben Arfa was involved in another training session bust-up, this time with stiker and France international Djibril Cissé. This is how Marseille got him, they shouldn't be too surprised it's how he is trying to leave them.

Would do for me; and as you point out, by today's standards, affordable.