Gallowgate Toon

When did he change our 4-3-3 system? Before or after the goal? Same question for our hoofball.

Err what happened? Thought we were playing some nice football and bossing the first half? Come back and we've conceded 5 and appear to be playing hoofball?

08/01/2012: Joey7Barton Joseph Barton Gutted to hear about the manager losing his job. We have to stick together as a club at times like these and believe in those above Joey7Barton Joseph Barton I'd like to thank Neil, Keith and Mick personally for all they did whilst I was here and wish them all the best in the future. Joey7Barton Joseph Barton Mr Warnock's record at Championship level speaks for itself, no doubt he'll be kick started another promotion dream before the seasons out! Joey7Barton Joseph Barton As a football club, we must look forwards now and try our utmost to attain Premiership status for next season. "The king is dead........" The boy's a complete fake, what a #burgerAss

TheRealEboue Emmanuel Eboue @Joey7Barton You need to stop talkin about Neil Warnock like that. he gave u a job when every1 rejected ur #burgerAss. keep quiet #youngfool BurgerAss...

That would be astounding business for them. I'd fancy him to put a relegation clause in mind and if they go down, we'll be in there.

yawn You mean YNWA?

Must be wanking himself silly at the thought of the movement of Cisse and Ba. Could be some great times ahead.

Good video, seems motivated. Very excited to have a striker that loves to play off the shoulder.

Coz wuh've got Keeng Martun, ya daft kernt! As if O'Neill has a clue Germany has a professional football league. It's laughable they're putting so much faith in him to be honest. His transfer dealings are very, very patchy, while he obviously finds the odd good player, there's a lot of guff in there. Just shows how much of a pathetic waste of space they are, that they hold him in such high regard.

Coz wuh've got Keeng Martun, ya daft kernt!

One of the best things about him, he likes to play on the shoulder and has pace. Get HBA and Cabaye picking out him and Demba and we’re laughing. This could be a major coup for the club.

Cisse, Ba and HBA all in the same line up...

HBA nearly quit football to become part of a Muslim cult - Sufism iirc and that it was a French rapper (Malik I think he was called) and his manager, that got him into it. His ego was too big to kiss the leader's feet though, so he left, it was part of his interview yesterday. Interesting lad, eh? Sufism is no "cult" It's purely how he describes it, it's not classed as a sect either. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Newcastle-Hatem-Ben-Arfa-says-his-ego-saved-him-from-religious-cult-as-refused-to-kiss-feet-of-leader-article854511.html

HBA nearly quit football to become part of a Muslim cult - Sufism iirc and that it was a French rapper (Malik I think he was called) and his manager, that got him into it. His ego was too big to kiss the leader's feet though, so he left, it was part of his interview yesterday. Interesting lad, eh?

Speaks volumes of the talent of the player, when he's being spoken about so positively, despite not stringing more than 3 starts together in the last 17 months. It's easy to forget that he is actually still, a bit short of match practice and fitness.

Probably been posted but pretty much full(er) quotes from the French article, very interesting, particularly on the relationship with Pardew: Hatem Ben Arfa has said that one of the reasons he has clashed with coaches in the past is that his father never told him he loved him but he promised that he will not be a problem player for Newcastle United. The winger, who is trying to force his way into Alan Pardew's starting XI again after suffering a horrific leg break against Manchester City in October 2010, has fallen out with a string of coaches in his career but says he is now a changed man. "I did terrible things during my career, which weren't normal or morally good," he said in a long and open interview with L'Equipe on Monday. "It happened everywhere I went, in Clairefontaine, in Lyon. Since I was very small I've been very impulsive, I fought all the time. "It is true that my father never told me that he loved me. Such generosity has been lacking in my life," Ben Arfa, the son of Tunisian immigrants in France, added. The 24-year-old also reveals that several of his former coaches were afraid of him. "They didn't dare talk to me," he says. "It was like this with coaches and with everyone. It was because of my attitude. When I realised that, I changed. I opened up. I work a lot on this part of my personality because I have to." Asked whether Pardew loves him, the winger said: "No. But I respect him for that choice. I ramp up my training, I try to be a good team-mate. I know what I'm doing right now will make me play well. I'm working harder than ever. I'm always frustrated when I'm not playing but, instead of clashing with the coach like before, I let it go because I know I'll lose. I'm going to submit to his [Pardew's] authority. … I'm not going to go looking for a fight. My time will come. I have to be patient." Ben Arfa also reveals that only one coach, before he came to Newcastle, had understood him completely, although the name may come as a surprise: Raymond Domenech. The controversial former France coach, who oversaw the country's disastrous World Cup campaign in 2010, gave Ben Arfa his first cap in 2007. "He understood me," Ben Arfa said. "It was in his eyes. He kept telling me: 'Do your thing'. I felt confident with him because I've known coaches who only use words but words doesn't always show that a coach trusts you, you must feel it." The 24-year-old winger has begun to impress with Newcastle after returning to action after almost a year on the sidelines with a double leg fracture, scoring in last week's FA Cup third-round win against Blackburn. "It did me good not to be seen for a year. It just gave me time to move on and mature."

Watching that, I actually don't think he was aggressive enough at times, I think he could have run at them a bit more, considering the type of defender they have but that might be a fitness issue as he was working hard off the ball and hasn't had a lot of run outs over the last few months. I like it when he drifts inside and picks the ball up too, he causes most of his havoc then, I hope he's encouraged to do that as much as he may be told to stick wide. Really hope he gets a run of games, I'd love to see what he's like when he's relaxed and confident of his place.

To be fair, in the Stoke game we were winning when he was subbed as well.

I think the style of play will change, the more and more he establishes himself in the first team to be honest. While Pardew's cautious style can be incredibly frustrating and doesn't get the best out of some very good footballers, it has been justified, in particular with yesterday, as it was the first game without our top and only real goalscorer. In a couple of months Ben Arfa will be the heartbeat of our attacking play imo, right now he's just got to keep his head down and convince AP, which he looks prepared to do.

Not convinced he's still being played quite right. I know Pards loves his tactics but you can't shackle him too much, he's too ball hungry, I remember him looking for the ball a lot more in last season's appearances.

Better all-round player than Jose imo, more of a brain. My kind of full back and I like him on the left, he's been very impressive.

I hope he's being sincere there. Hugely encouraging to hear that, particularly the latter part. Good Pards.

After a run of games, he'll be fine. Looking forward to seeing how it pans out with him, think there were a lot of pluses for him today.

I think he's still a bit too desperate tbh, which could be attributed to his benching, despite his goal. I think a relaxed Ben Arfa is better, than one with a point to prove.

Doubt Pards will mind tbh, he's at the Diamond pub in Ponteland right now