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Hatem Ben Arfa


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Ben Arfa to stay at Newcastle... unless a 'big club' comes knocking in the summer

By LAURE JAMES

PUBLISHED: 10:20, 8 June 2012 | UPDATED: 10:23, 8 June 2012

 

Hatem Ben Arfa has hinted he is likely to stay at Newcastle next season, unless a 'big club' which afforded him '100 per cent confidence' came knocking.

'If I do not have a really, really serious offer, I’ll stay,' he told French newspaper L’Equipe.

'If a big club comes, but does not offer anything interesting – that is to say, the coach really wants me – I’ll stay.

 

'Newcastle is a big club, even if there are bigger. I still have three years on my contract, but I know that time will pass quickly.'

The midfielder, who is currently on international duty with France, has arguably discovered his best form, after suffering a double leg fracture which was operated on in October 2010.

His career has been chequered in terms of success, however. Reported disagreements between him and starlet Karim Benzema shadowed his achievements at Lyon and he had little in the way of a break at Olympique Marseille.

 

 

During the first half of the 2010/11 campaign, despite making 15 appearances in Marseille’s first 20 games, he only played the full 90 minutes on two occasions.

Now however, the 25-year old believes he has found a home in football.

Speaking candidly about his difficult times in Ligue 1, he added: 'I’ve never felt as settled at a club as I do at Newcastle. I feel like I’m somebody important there, it’s a magnificent feeling.

'I haven’t forgotten the coach made me sign, even though I was only on loan from Marseille and I was injured.

'There were bad vibes around me [at Marseille]. I am much calmer now and I’ve addressed any problems I had myself, whereas before it was always the fault of others.

'I mostly felt a change in myself after I left Marseille. I began to realise I needed to grow up and I had been harming myself, rather than others.'

 

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2156336/Hatem-Ben-Arfa-hints-Newcastle-stay.html#ixzz1xC4SfKuC

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According to Carr Ashley's already sat down with him and said he isn't looking to sell so it would take a retarded bid to prise him from our clutches.  Way I look at it is if none of these bigger clubs can be arsed to do their own scouting and be savvy regarding players' contracts etc might as well make them pay the price for it.

 

Every player has his price tag.

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Can understand what he's saying - if Jose Mourinho was desperate to get him alongside Benzema, for example, you'd understand completely if he left - but I'd rather he didn't say it. :undecided: I'd also like to think a club affording "100% confidence" in him wasn't a financial reference but I'm not so sure.

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How long before this is interpreted as a come and get me plea?

 

Long been obvious Ben Arfa doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut, I reckon he'll stay, management if they want to sell will wait till he's had a full season which will increase his value a fair amount from what we've seen. I hope we don't though, hard to replace.

 

I don't think he's quite achieved enough this season for a big enough club to come in with a big offer and promise him first team footy, we know he's good enough but I think there'd have been more rumours by now.

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I'd also like to think a club affording "100% confidence" in him wasn't a financial reference but I'm not so sure.

 

Think that's been lost in translation tbh because in the same interview there he waxes lyrical about how happy he is and how loved he feels here.

 

I'm not worrying too much about it, what isn't in there is that the interviewer will have aggressively solicited that response.

 

 

How long before this is interpreted as a come and get me plea?

 

RTG, half an hour.

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Don't see anything wrong with that interview tbh.

 

He say he is really happy here, and would only go if one of the top TOP clubs came in for him.

And to be honest, who would not?

 

He comes across as very humble and thankful for the help we have given him, and he wants to repay it.

 

I might be to positive :lol:

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Guest Haris Vuckic

I'd also like to think a club affording "100% confidence" in him wasn't a financial reference but I'm not so sure.

 

Think that's been lost in translation tbh because in the same interview there he waxes lyrical about how happy he is and how loved he feels here.

 

I'm not worrying too much about it, what isn't in there is that the interviewer will have aggressively solicited that response.

 

 

How long before this is interpreted as a come and get me plea?

 

RTG, half an hour.

 

HATEM BEN ARFA HAULED OFF DURING COME AND GET ME PLEA

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I'd also like to think a club affording "100% confidence" in him wasn't a financial reference but I'm not so sure.

 

Think that's been lost in translation tbh because in the same interview there he waxes lyrical about how happy he is and how loved he feels here.

 

I'm not worrying too much about it, what isn't in there is that the interviewer will have aggressively solicited that response.

 

Yeah I think there's no need to panic over half translated fed to quotes. We have no reason to suppose he's unhappy, indeed he seems to have matured so much, I don't think he has especial loyalty to the club either but we are in a strong position to keep him imo, baring him becoming euro top scorer i suppose

 

I think he'll have a great next season for us and then we'll get a huge offer from Real Madrid or something and he'll be gone and it'll be horrible  :sad:

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"I’ve never felt as settled at a club as I do at Newcastle. I feel like I’m somebody important there, it’s a magnificent feeling. I haven’t forgotten the coach made me sign, even though I was only on loan from Marseille and I was injured."

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Don't see anything wrong with that interview tbh.

 

He say he is really happy here, and would only go if one of the top TOP clubs came in for him.

And to be honest, who would not?

 

He comes across as very humble and thankful for the help we have given him, and he wants to repay it.

 

I might be to positive :lol:

 

Agree with this. He's also not said, 'I'm off if Real/Barca come knocking' - he's said that irrespective of the size of the club, he's stopping here if the project isn't right. It's great he feels so wanted here. Long may it continue.

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It would be a mistake for him to leave NUFC right now.

 

From his viewpoint, he needs a year of playing top level football consistently and then one of the huge clubs may come in for him, as it stands I think those clubs would know they were taking a risk on him. As much personality wise as football.

 

We need to enjoy him whilst he's here though because, let's face it, he's got a habit of moving about/falling out with people and he's in the absolute top drawer of players meaning there'd be no shortage of takers should he spit his dummy out.

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I think journo just kept asking but what if a top top team

 

and benny just said well only if they 100% wanted me as their star or something trying to basically say it's unlikely and he's very happy where it is.

 

Could be wishful thinking though

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Not great to read all that but to be fair I'd rather he be honest than say. "I'm at the Toon for life, love the Toon, no better club. Once a magpie always a magpie" and then fuck off, not sure why players/managers say shit like this.

 

We all realise if he continues in this form especially during the Euro's the bigger more succesful clubs will come looking.

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We need to enjoy him whilst he's here though because, let's face it, he's got a habit of moving about/falling out with people

 

The lad has matured. So if he leaves it's probably because he's taken his game to another level. Besides I think Pards was the first manager to handle HBA correctly. It must have been very frustrating for HBA too, being branded the most gifted of them all, but not able to fulfill his potential. HBA said that Pards was the first manager who really gave him clear instructions on what to improve. So it's not all about "bad personality" but about a club with competence who understands early on what kind of prodigy they're dealing with. A club  who is competent enough to take the appropriate steps to harness the potential, with people who can be caring, wise but also strict when needed.  And

 

I'm sure HBA had this advantage earlier. Messi for example would have not been where he's now witouth the careful guidance of Barcelona's fameous academy. They early saw his potential and acted immediately : Put him on growth hormons,  taught him to become a team player (do we see Messi complain?), and they also got rid of Ronaldinhio and Deco because they were afraid they would be a bad influence.  That a player benefits from such wisedom can have a paramount effect on his career.  So it's not just about potential and bad personality, but being advised by the right kind of people.

 

HBA's potential is infinite, he could be a star at the biggest club like Barca and Real, so if he leaves for them I totally understand him. But seeing him in a ManU-jersey would literally kill me.

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Guest Spiria

Graham Carr on Hatem :

 

"Discussing the scouting process, he told The Journal: “There have been times when I’ve wanted to leave a stadium after just 20 minutes because the guy I have come to watch is obviously not what we are looking for at Newcastle.

 

“But when you do see a player that fits then bill then, well, it’s fantastic.

 

“The buzz you get is when you look at someone – and Hatem Ben Arfa is the prime example – and after 20 minutes you are desperate to tell someone at the club that we need to get to this guy before someone else does.

 

“Hatem did a lot of research of his own, funnily enough. When we spoke to him, he then went away and researched Newcastle on the Internet; what the club was about, what the city was like.

 

“I’m really proud of Hatem and Yohan Cabaye being in the French squad.

 

“I am pretty sure that if Hatem had continued to rattle around the French league and had not come to Newcastle then he wouldn’t have made the European Championships."

 

 

 

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