Hatem Ben Arfa

[Mick]

And youre probably right, but the concern is Hughton might drop Jonas or Routledge so he doesnt have to upset Nolan. Whoever loses there place to Arfa is going to feel hard done by and I suspect Arfas signing will be the first real test of both our much lauded team spirit and Hughtons man management.

 

To be fair to Hughton, he did well for the team when he stuck with Carroll at a time I thought he should have been run out of the club.  I don't know if he took the easy option or not but it was the right one for both the team and the club.

[madras]

And if reports are too believed if Arfa is in the team well be playing with ten men every time we lose possession.  

 

I think those reports are a bit one sided, I remember him losing the ball against Norway when he was almost on the right corner flag and he chased back to his own left-back position.  I'm not saying that he'll do it too often but we'll have to wait and see what he's like for us.  Personally I don't want to see him doing that for us as he'll be the ideal person to run with the ball and take some pressure off our defence instead of it coming straight back at us.  I'd rather see Carroll track back as he's got more of a physical presence than Ben Arfa.

Agreed, though French wingers do tend to look down their noses at putting a shift in. Id also agree that setting up the team so he can concentrate on what hes good at makes sense, which is where the Nolan conundrum rears its ugly head. After his contribution on and off the pitch last season the flack Nolan gets is out of order, but his lack of mobility will be hard to fit into a team thats accommodating an out and out flair player. 

i always saw ginola as being capable of playing throught the middle. he often reminded me of stoichkov at barce when although up front he'd often be right on the touch line, robert though was a to me a winger and couldnt have played through the middle...ben arfa reminds me of ginola who could play anywhere along the attacking line.

And you’re probably right, but the concern is Hughton might drop Jonas or Routledge so he doesn’t have to upset Nolan. Whoever loses there place to Arfa is going to feel hard done by and I suspect Arfas signing will be the first real test of both our much lauded team spirit and Hughton’s man management.

i was wondering that with the pursuit of keane. normally i'd be wary of stories of a player being promised a certain position etc but i want this one to happen this way.

[Guest Pedro_de_geordieo]

Ben Arfa will be used when we A) are defeated and B) when someone doesn't perform. Same with all of the team imo.

 

Nah I can see Houghton throwing him straight in against Blackpool regardless of who he has to drop, he has to justify how much we are paying for him each game while he's a loan signing.

[Mick]

 

Nah I can see Houghton throwing him straight in against Blackpool regardless of who he has to drop, he has to justify how much we are paying for him each game while he's a loan signing.

 

My guess is that Ben Arfa will come off the bench against Blackpool, I just hope that he gets plenty of time to show us what he can do.  I hope that he gets a good reception which will allow him to settle him in.  He seems to be one of those players who needs to feel wanted and if he gets the kiind of reception that Coloccini and Enrique get then he'll be OK.

[madras]

ben arfa behind nolan after carroll gets injured for the under 21's.

[Mick]

ben arfa behind nolan after carroll gets injured for the under 21's.

 

I hope not, with a bit of luck Carroll will only be going so that the England team doctor can confirm the injury.

[ChezGiven]

If we play Ben Arfa in a central attacking role and try to fit Nolan in too, then maybe we wont be playing Routledge and Jonas on the wings. At present, a lot of our attacks (when not going long) focus on the wide men but if we are looking to find Ben Arfa to create then it changes the emphasis of our play. Hughton could take Routledge out of the starting line up and move Barton to the right of a midfield 3 (+Tiote and Jonas?). You could have Nolan, Ben Arfa and Carroll in an attacking 3. It would need to clever to compensate for Nolan's lack of speed though.

 

Of course Hughton talked about being able to play him on both flanks too. If he sticks with Nolan we may see him down the right. Also think we could see Ben Arfa starting just behind Carroll and if he isnt doing it, Nolan coming on to replace him. I guess the challenge for Hughton is not the starting 11 when we face Blackpool but how to adjust when Tiote and Ben Arfa have had a couple of games and show their true colours.

 

[madras]

alternativly keep the plan as it is but nolan for smith.

 

 

edit...then a week later tiote for nolan.

[Mick]

This international break is a bastard.

[midds]

It's nice to have options and players flexible enough to play in a couple of positions/formations depending on what's needed though. Unfortunately, this being NUFC, it's only a matter of time before one of Routledge, Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Jonas or Smith picks up and injury and the team will start to pick itself.

 

 

[madras]

It's nice to have options and players flexible enough to play in a couple of positions/formations depending on what's needed though. Unfortunately, this being NUFC, it's only a matter of time before one of Routledge, Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Jonas or Smith picks up and injury and the team will start to pick itself.

 

 

it's NUFC. It wont be one, it'll be all.

[Guest Pedro_de_geordieo]

That's why we need new additions as cover, bear in mind it's not nailed on all the new signings from europe will take to the prem.

[madras]

That's why we need new additions as cover, bear in mind it's not nailed on all the new signings from europe will take to the prem.

all ? you mean both ?

[midds]

It's nice to have options and players flexible enough to play in a couple of positions/formations depending on what's needed though. Unfortunately, this being NUFC, it's only a matter of time before one of Routledge, Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Jonas or Smith picks up and injury and the team will start to pick itself.

 

 

it's NUFC. It wont be one, it'll be all.

 

 

Got to be said that Guthrie looks a mile away from the firt XI when you see the options we've now got. He'll obviously get a few games as and when but he's got a fight on his hands to establish himself now. O/T I know.

[Guest Pedro_de_geordieo]

Yeah both and maybe Winkleman

[Ronaldo]

The likes of Guthrie and Lovenkrands are luxury players to such an extent that we just can't afford to play them at this level and Hughton knows it. Hopefully Guthrie can develop but I don't like his chances of doing it exclusively with us the moment.

[Ketsbaia]

the most important players aren't always the best ones. for all nolan's weaknesses, he has a knack of scoring goals, which justifies his selection.  its delicate because nolan is the figurehead of the team spirit that transformed this club and, although its dangerous to let off-pitch popularity affect the teamsheet, nolan is just useful enough to keep around the first team, at least in rotation. the difficulty for hughton is to judge at what point selecting nolan turns into loyalty, rather than quality (because lets face it, ben arfa is much better than him). this is where hughton earns his money.

[midds]

the most important players aren't always the best ones. for all nolan's weaknesses, he has a knack of scoring goals, which justifies his selection.  its delicate because nolan is the figurehead of the team spirit that transformed this club and, although its dangerous to let off-pitch popularity affect the teamsheet, nolan is just useful enough to keep around the first team, at least in rotation. the difficulty for hughton is to judge at what point selecting nolan turns into loyalty, rather than quality (because lets face it, ben arfa is much better than him). this is where hughton earns his money.

 

Easy, as soon as Ben Arfa has played 24 games.

[Heron]

Nolan when away. Ben Arfa when at home?

[Keefaz]

Nolan when away. Ben Arfa when at home?

 

Rather the other way round, tbh.

[Guest Pedro_de_geordieo]

the most important players aren't always the best ones. for all nolan's weaknesses, he has a knack of scoring goals, which justifies his selection.  its delicate because nolan is the figurehead of the team spirit that transformed this club and, although its dangerous to let off-pitch popularity affect the teamsheet, nolan is just useful enough to keep around the first team, at least in rotation. the difficulty for hughton is to judge at what point selecting nolan turns into loyalty, rather than quality (because lets face it, ben arfa is much better than him). this is where hughton earns his money.

 

 

So who would you drop for Ben Arfa?

[madras]

Nolan when away. Ben Arfa when at home?

 

Rather the other way round, tbh.

nolan when ben arfa, away when at home ?

[Keefaz]

Nolan when away. Ben Arfa when at home?

 

Rather the other way round, tbh.

nolan when ben arfa, away when at home ?

 

Exactly. Hughton's thinking the same, I reckon.

[madras]

the most important players aren't always the best ones. for all nolan's weaknesses, he has a knack of scoring goals, which justifies his selection.  its delicate because nolan is the figurehead of the team spirit that transformed this club and, although its dangerous to let off-pitch popularity affect the teamsheet, nolan is just useful enough to keep around the first team, at least in rotation. the difficulty for hughton is to judge at what point selecting nolan turns into loyalty, rather than quality (because lets face it, ben arfa is much better than him). this is where hughton earns his money.

 

 

So who would you drop for Ben Arfa?

its obvious...nolan and  tiote for smith but the transition could be as delicate as getting the players.

[Ronaldo]

The transition from Smith to Tiote won't be delicate.