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Hatem Ben Arfa

Guest sicko2ndbest

by Guest sicko2ndbest
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Cajun

Cajun

Posted
Posted

Its still not sank in properly.

 

Have we really signed someone good?!

 

 

 

Nah he's shit.

 

ForFucksSake. Pancrate Mk II then. Buggeration.

 

Booooooo!

 

 

 

Pretty much, think Pancrate but take away the Watford goal.

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Guest je85

Guest je85

Posted
Posted

Good article on his background here:

 

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=819121&sec=england&root=england&cc=5739

 

 

His pace, balance and ability to weave around defenders at will saw Jose Mourinho make extensive efforts to persuade the 17-year-old Ben Arfa into becoming one of his first signings for Chelsea before he finally inked his maiden professional contract for the then-French champions.

 

Seems to like to fight with team-mates, he'll have no shortage of willing opponents in our dressing room.

 

Hopefully the change will allow the lad to grow up, or he'll be another foreigner unable to settle here but the "try before you buy" deal seems very good business.

 

And if he picked Barton, Carroll or S Taylor I'd bet the little French lad will come off considerably worse.

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James

James

Posted
Posted

Nolan deserves to keep his slot at the moment, so does Ben Arfa go on the wing? If so which? Or is he for the bench. I predict this player will cause an imposion on here when he isn't always picked.

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Guest firetotheworks

Guest firetotheworks

Posted
Posted

Shearer.

 

 

 

 

I don't like press conferences. Waste of time.

 

Shearer wasn't a transfer signing.

 

Oh wasn't he? I thought we re-signed him to play as goalkeeper. Fucking hell man, it was still a press conference.

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Skirge

Skirge

Posted
Posted
en Arfa will shine for us: Chris Hughton

Aug 30 2010 by Lee Ryder, Evening Chronicle

 

Newcastle United boss Chris Hughton believes that new boy Hatem Ben Arfa is ready to rock the Premier League.

 

The United manager was today still jubilant at landing the French international after a month-long chase for the former Lyon man.

 

Newcastle had been linked with Ben Arfa throughout the summer after he made it clear to his management team that he wanted a move from Marseille.

 

However, the Chronicle revealed on August 4 that Hughton and United were prepared to take the plunge and that genuine interest for the attack-minded player had been triggered.

 

Ben Arfa was set to train for the Magpies for the first time at the club’s Benton base today and Hughton could well hand him his Premier League bow against Blackpool.

 

Hughton – who is facing a frantic final day before the transfer window closes tomorrow – told the Chronicle: “Ben Arfa’s here and he’s ready to show what he can do.

 

“We’re looking forward to seeing him. He’ll train for the first time today.

 

“We know what he can bring to the team because he’s a quality signing.

 

“This is a lovely challenge for him.

 

“He wanted to come to the Premier League, and he wanted to come to us.

 

“We’re not just bringing him here because there was nowhere else for him to go.”

 

Reports in Holland suggested United were in for £8m-rated Ricky van Wolfswinkel from Utrecht today, while Hughton has not thrown the towel in on a move for Robbie Keane on loan.

 

There has also been talk on the south coast that United have joined Stoke City in the race to sign Northern Irish midfielder Marc Wilson from cash-strapped Portsmouth. However, with the transfer window’s closure imminent, clubs may be beaten by the clock in their efforts to land the 23-year-old former Man United youth player.

 

Hughton said: “I’m still hopeful.

 

“We’re still open to things happening.

 

“If they don’t, then of course we know what we’re going with.

 

“We’ve got a good squad.”

 

And Hughton will need to flex the muscle of that squad in the Carling Cup after being drawn against Chelsea in round three over the weekend.

 

Reflecting on the draw, Hughton said: “I expect them to play a strong side.

 

“They’ve showed in recent years they want to win cup competitions, and I can see them going strong for this one.”

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2010/08/30/ben-arfa-will-shine-for-us-chris-hughton-72703-27164711/

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Dave

Dave

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Posted

Training with the squad today apparently.

 

Where did you hear this?

 

First team squad have the day off apparently. Probably training with reserves or just doing loads of fitness work as he hasn't trained for a while.

 

Ben Arfa will shine for us: Chris Hughton

Aug 30 2010 by Lee Ryder, Evening Chronicle

 

Hughton – who is facing a frantic final day before the transfer window closes tomorrow – told the Chronicle: “Ben Arfa’s here and he’s ready to show what he can do.

 

“We’re looking forward to seeing him. He’ll train for the first time today.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2010/08/30/ben-arfa-will-shine-for-us-chris-hughton-72703-27164711/

 

Assumed it was with the first team.

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Skirge

Skirge

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Posted

Training with the squad today apparently.

 

Where did you hear this?

 

First team squad have the day off apparently. Probably training with reserves or just doing loads of fitness work as he hasn't trained for a while.

 

Ben Arfa will shine for us: Chris Hughton

Aug 30 2010 by Lee Ryder, Evening Chronicle

 

Hughton – who is facing a frantic final day before the transfer window closes tomorrow – told the Chronicle: “Ben Arfa’s here and he’s ready to show what he can do.

 

“We’re looking forward to seeing him. He’ll train for the first time today.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2010/08/30/ben-arfa-will-shine-for-us-chris-hughton-72703-27164711/

 

Assumed it was with the first team.

 

Aye but he was aware it may have been speculation at that point

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80

80

Posted
Posted

Somehow or other our backroom (Hughton? Nolan? Smith?) seem to have done a remarkable job on getting things in line. One reason why I'm not as sure as others that I want the latter two to leave. Anyway, I'm optimistic that this could end up being a good move for Ben Arfa himself, the moment some big changes take place in his career - going on that good write up about his historic lack of effort, concentration on tactics etc. We seem to marry up pretty well given our new comradely approach (which still has momentum in it, I think - I don't think Ben Arfa is going to detract from the way we now work, he'll either be improved or we'll go our separate ways but I feel our recent gains are secure overall at the moment). I think even Barton could be a big help - found that little rebuttal Ben Arfa gave in response to French criticism of him interesting, yet another opportunity for the whole club to unite in adversity. Still can't feel totally confident in Barton insofar as it's when it goes quiet that awful things have happened in the past - just time that's gonna prove that one, but I'd say the odds are better than ever before, and he's always been able to speak well - so even if he can't follow his own advice, maybe Ben Arfa can.

 

This is something that could maybe be spoken about at greater length elsewhere, but seeing as there's been a lot of talk in this thread about Nolan's position in the team and as captain, I don't think we have to fear the likely ramifications too much. Going on what has been said by and about him and Smith, they in particular seem to have taken on the club as a project - one of restoring the position of everyone associated with NUFC. Nolan pretty much said it himself mid-way through last season, they didn't just think fuck the press, they even said fuck the Board - that they were on the pitch and could and would do their bit regardless of what idiocy was taking place in the upper echelons. That they're taking personal pride and responsibility in the club as a whole, that they'll sacrifice their selves for the good of the cause, and receive personal gratification from the resultant success and their part in it. The result is absolutely fantastic for the club, we've got a self-regulating squad - something we've not had for a long time and that, if well-cultivated, could literally set this club up for generations to come (in footballing terms). We may able to move up the quality scale while retaining the psychological ethos we have now by having it pass through new signings, and this lot can be considered the founders of that. Big if, of course - requires good and stable governance from the manager, players and club administrators in general.

 

Given how entrenched the guy seems to be as leader,  I think Nolan can be a credible, successful club captain even if he's far from being a regular starter. Smith, meanwhile... again, he virtually said it himself a while back, given his physical state, he has to look at his career in a different way to the average player. He's a tea-totaller who doesn't seem obsessed with money and likes to be part of a team, - I wouldn't be totally surprised if he took significant personal wage/play cuts to remain part of this project of his. I imagine it might more satisfying to him than ambling through a few extra games in his dotage and making a fairly ephemeral contribution to Rangers or Leeds or someone. I don't wanna go over the top with what I'm saying here, Nolan especially may feel he's got a career to take care of - his stamina's deceptive but he really isn't that old... - but if everything's handled the right way I could see them both staying here for a long time to come in some capacity and making very valuable contributions.

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