Mole_Toonfan Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 It'll be interesting to here the opinion of some of the knackers at the match around me that were groaning every time he came on and had bought into Pardew's quotes in the press about him not working hard enough etc. I wanted to deck my Arsenal fan mate who joined me at the derby. Sat there whinging on about Ben Arfa would never get into his team. That might be my opening topic next time we meet up for a drink and have a football chat. I bet you had a right laugh when he smashed one past Scezesney. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledGeordie Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Could single-handedly win the game for us on sunday, lethal at the moment............and with the crowd right behind him. The movement of him, Cisse and Ba was awesome the other day and long may it continue. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
durhamunigeordie Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 It'll be interesting to here the opinion of some of the knackers at the match around me that were groaning every time he came on and had bought into Pardew's quotes in the press about him not working hard enough etc. The old boy who sits right in front of me was moaning about him the whole of the Norwich game and then when he got taken off stated that it was about time. Muppet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Haris Vuckic Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 He wasn't great against Norwich mind. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderson Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 http://www.eurofootplayers.org/IMG/pdf/b5wp_issue_003_en.pdf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I love how Stoke are top and Barca are bottom, exactly how you'd have imagined it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eliassenfredrik Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 http://www.eurofootplayers.org/IMG/pdf/b5wp_issue_003_en.pdf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spudil Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I love how Stoke are top and Barca are bottom, exactly how you'd have imagined it. Things like that rarely come off if you know what I mean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanshithispantz Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 http://alltheragefaces.com/img/faces/png/neutral-if-you-know-what-i-mean.png Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEEJ Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 It's scary how agile he is, I'd be truly terrified if I was a defender and I seen him running towards me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 he's nee mclean like Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEEJ Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 he's nee mclean like I'd be truly terrified for other reasons if McLean was running toward me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
juniatmoko Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 he not play like messi... he play like robben... a robben in our team good enough for me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest je85 Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 he not play like messi... he play like robben... a robben in our team good enough for me But...but... he's not a winger Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jagten Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 His full game 'Hatem Ben Arfa vs West Brom (A) 11/12 HD 720p by BenArfaComps ' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberto2005 Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 His full game 'Hatem Ben Arfa vs West Brom (A) 11/12 HD 720p by BenArfaComps ' :smitten: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliottman Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 HBA - A ‘Web Dream’ Just what have Newcastle United got on their hands with Hatem Ben Arfa? Watching him run from box to box leaving the opposition floundering in his wake was an absolute joy to behold. Without doubt he has to be the most skilful player to wear the shirt in a decade – if not longer. I can remember standing at the Victoria Ground nearly twenty years ago watching another Frenchman, David Ginola, beat Stoke City by himself, who by the end of the game had even given up trying to kick him off the park because they couldn’t get near him. That wasn’t the case with their fans with us outside after the game but that’s another story. Alongside Ginola in that team was a certain Mr.Beardsley, whose skills were quite simply sublime. That though is the conundrum. Which will HBA turn out to be? A Ginola, who went from a world beater to a ‘world beater when I can be bothered’ in little more than a year, or will he be a Beardsley whose high level of performances and goals was maintained over hundreds of games? One thing I think I can confidently predict is that he will get more column inches on this website than any other player. He is that kind of talent. Only time will tell whether this lad will become a legend or another forgotten Frenchman but having seen the standard of goals he has already produced for us, let’s pray it’s the former not the latter. Ben Arfa has all the attributes to be a player still talked about in 20 years time. http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-columnists/jinky-jim/ben-arfa-most-skilful-nufc-player-in-last-ten-years/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 He's more like Beardsley than Ginola, his only similarity to the latter is that he's French really. Whether he can match Beardo is another matter like, it's an incredibly high bar. I'll enjoy watching him try. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueStar Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 It's almost lazy to make a comparison with Robert, because it's the obvious one, but there's something to it. Yes, he'll lose the ball, yes, he might have a quiet spell, yes he may not have tracked back for an opposition chance, but as long as he's on the pitch you know that any minute he can grab the game by the knackers and completely turn it around in 20 seconds of genius. And you need players like that as much as you need reliable, consistent players where you know exactly what you're going to get for 90 minutes. Plus, this mix of positive/negative traits are hardly unrelated in these kinds of players, they lose the ball because they're willing to take a risk and run forward with the ball looking for weakness rather than taking the safe sideways pass or hopeful hoof. They sometimes don't track back or have a quiet period because they've just sprinted their knackers off up half the pitch. I'm not sure how you'd classify the type of player who puts in that consistent input of talent and effort in a constant, even ticking over the whole game (workhorse sounds a bit negative for what is often a positive trait) but I'd say in comparison, Ben Arfa is a spurt player. http://alltheragefaces.com/img/faces/png/neutral-if-you-know-what-i-mean.png Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikon Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Maybe these attributes aren't mentioned as often as his other strengths, but his balance and agility is out of this world. Love him, and so damn happy to have him, makes NUFC so much more exciting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unbelievable Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 If he keeps performing at this level (mainly WBA, but he's been very effective whenever he's featured this year) and there are no more doubts about him being able to regain his old level after the injury he suffered last season, do people expect "bigger" clubs to come knocking in the summer? I seriously hope not, and I would like to think Hatem realises we are the right club for him right now and for years to come, but if it were to happen, what would be the minimum you would sell him for? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 It's actually amazing that there are so few professional footballers who play with freedom and go direct at defenders. I like watching Wilshere for that reason. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikon Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Please dont mention "sell" Let's just enjoy it for now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 There's no way he'd want a transfer now, less than a full season after a serious injury and with all his French-speaking colleagues to hang out with. He's said himself that he's happier in a smaller city as well. (Let's hope Wigan don't come in) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 If he keeps performing at this level (mainly WBA, but he's been very effective whenever he's featured this year) and there are no more doubts about him being able to regain his old level after the injury he suffered last season, do people expect "bigger" clubs to come knocking in the summer? I seriously hope not, and I would like to think Hatem realises we are the right club for him right now and for years to come, but if it were to happen, what would be the minimum you would sell him for? I agree with others in that the last thing we want to talk about is selling, but tbh the quality of his goals so far and his phenomenal assists ratio just radiates class and end product of the highest order. Whether he can rein in his tendency to hold onto the ball too long sometimes is the only question mark. If he gets any sort of consistency over the next season there is going to be bids landing from all over the place because this type of talent is in limited supply. What we've got going for us though is that we've built up a nice French contingent here and the players seem to be very happy unlike Msr. Sessegnon I don't think players are in a hurry to leave whether it's Ba, Tiote or down the line Ben Arfa. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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