Hatem Ben Arfa

[Guest hatem garrincha]

http://www.whoscored.com/Blog/tcbx-vzllu-i-pyshzb77a/Show/Team-Focus-Newcastles-Reliance-on-Hatem-Ben-Arfa#.Ukuv9DPAnVs.twitter

Team Focus: Newcastle's Reliance on Hatem Ben Arfa

by Jonathan Wilson at Tuesday, Oct 1 2013 16:54

 

As Alan Pardew reflected even before Newcastle United’s defeat to Everton on Monday, this has already been a very strange season for the club. They were excellent in beating Aston Villa and, had they beaten Hull City a week ago on Saturday, they would have gone third in the table. As it is, they lost both games 3-2 and stand just two places above the relegation zone – for all that matters at this stage of the season.

 

Which is the true Newcastle? The one that picked off Villa, or the one that shipped goals so readily against Manchester City? Pardew described the inconsistency as “disturbing” and that is certainly true of the defence. In the first half against Everton, as against City and at times against Hull, they were dismal at the back. Romelu Lukaku’s second goal in particular was the result of defensive play that would have shamed a Sunday league pub side. Yet they kept clean sheets against Fulham and West Ham and looked solid enough against Villa.

 

There has been consistency at the other end of the pitch, although it is hardly likely to be of cheer to Pardew. Essentially, if Hatem Ben Arfa plays well, Newcastle have a chance; if not, they are woefully lacking in creativity. Against Everton, he managed a WhoScored rating of just 5.8 before being taken off at half-time. As Newcastle showed with their slightly freakish second-half fightback, if the French winger isn’t playing well, you’re better off not having him on the pitch.

 

The game at Goodison was Ben Arfa’s 41st start for Newcastle since joining in 2011. Newcastle have won none of the games in which he produced his 13 weakest performances according to WhoScored’s ratings, losing 9. Up to a point that’s natural, of course: players play worse when their team loses.

 

Nonetheless, the correlation between Ben Arfa’s performances and Newcastle’s results is striking. On five occasions, Ben Arfa has registered a WhoScored rating of 8 or above. Newcastle have won 4 of those, registering 9 goals of which Ben Arfa scored 4 and got the assists for 2. The good news for Ben Arfa is that two of those games came this season - against Fulham when he scored the only goal and was responsible for 3 key passes, and against Villa when he scored the opener and hit the shot from which Yoan Gouffran scored the winner.

 

The bad news for Newcastle is that - until the second half against Everton – they have needed Ben Arfa on the pitch to offer even a glimmer of creativity. His dribbling is hugely important to Newcastle – as it has been since he arrived. No player to have played in each of the last three Premier League seasons has completed more dribbles per game than his 2.93. This season, he is averaging 3.3 per game – fourth in the Premier League behind Andros Townsend, Ross Barclay and Mousa Dembélé. Moussa Sissoko is not far behind, with 3.2, but after that the next highest is Loic Remy with 1.3 per game.

 

Dribbling is not essential to attacking play, but given Newcastle’s functional style, it is vital to them in providing a dash of unpredictability. Yet that style seems to be changing. Last season, no side hit more long balls per game than Newcastle – 69; this season they average just 53, the second fewest in the league. Even allowing for Pardew’s claim that Newcastle are trying to take the initiative more in games, trying to be more attacking, the change seems remarkable.

 

It might, though, explain both Newcastle’s inconsistency and why Ben Arfa has produced two of his best performances for the club already this season. Useful as his pace and trickery are in developing knockdowns and loose balls, not just in terms of what he creates but also the space he makes and the free-kicks he wins – he has been fouled 7 times this season – but his natural game suits a slower, more patient approach.

 

The question for Newcastle now is twofold. Firstly, is their defence good enough to cope with the more thoughtful style? And secondly, can Gouffran and Sissoko become effective enough that Newcastle are not constantly reliant for creativity on Ben Arfa, becoming predictable given the regularity with which they look to him for unpredictability?

[Guest hatem garrincha]

Hatem Ben Arfa was hauled off by Pardew at the break after allowing Everton plenty of room down his flank

 

Davide Santon, who hardly had the game of his life, was left unprotected and while many fans don’t rate Jonas Gutierrez, it is his effective shielding in front of the full-back that earns him his place in the eyes of the management.

 

 

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-cant-afford-bottle-6123641

 

[Rich]

Ah super, the groundwork is being laid for Jonas' triumphant return.

[Guest bimpy474]

Set up to contain a team with a player like Ben Arfa and wonder why it didn't work, i give Pardew his dues, he is one thick fucker like.

[Mole_Toonfan]

This is absolutely f*cking bollocks.

 

First of all he's never played well on the left outside of his debut which was obviously a fluke.

 

So we are going to now drop a player because he performed poorly out of position?

 

What's more the media are not even questioning this utter bullshit no they are doing the exact opposite.... they are not only defending it but making up bullshit excuses why its a correct move.

 

F*cking sick of the clowns running the show at the moment.

[Guest icemanblue]

This is absolutely f*cking bollocks.

 

First of all he's never played well on the left outside if his debut which was obviously a fluke.

 

So we are going to now drop a player because he performed poorly out of position?

 

What's more the media are not even questioning this utter bullshit no they are doing the exact opposite.... they are not only defending it but making up bullshit excuses why its a correct move.

 

F*cking sick of the clowns running the show at the moment.

 

Any of this actually come from someone at the club, like?

[Mole_Toonfan]

Doesn't need to actions speak louder than words and its pretty obvious which is happening.

[Guest icemanblue]

Ah, right. Of course.

[AlanSkÃrare]

Reading those conclusions is appalling, on par with Kinnear's supposed assessment of the game (we should have brought in a big bastard this summer).

 

This is all just waiting for an impending disaster. Pardew's way of dealing with the situation will be to re-install Jonas, Williamson and some of the other cloggers. If we get to January, he and Kinnear will bring in some huge fucking bellend to play along Coloccini. He'll then be sacked and replaced by someone else ridiculously out-of-depth, hand-picked by fucking Kinnear.

 

Shit.

 

 

[Guest hatem garrincha]

This is absolutely f*cking bollocks.

 

First of all he's never played well on the left outside if his debut which was obviously a fluke.

 

So we are going to now drop a player because he performed poorly out of position?

 

What's more the media are not even questioning this utter bullshit no they are doing the exact opposite.... they are not only defending it but making up bullshit excuses why its a correct move.

 

F*cking sick of the clowns running the show at the moment.

 

I think he can be good on the left. 2 years ago against Stoke for ex. When he moved to the left at some occasions during the game, he was fantastic.

The problem with Ryder's article is that it's full of lies concerning Hatem.

It's not his lack of tackles or track back that cost the goals from Santon's side.

[Kanj]

Ah super, the groundwork is being laid for Jonas' triumphant return.

 

Terrible statistical analysis being peddled by Ryder. But the silver lining was he called out Tiote in all of this?

[Gallowgate Toon]

Isn't that just Ryder's opinion? Hatem will start on Saturday, I'm sure of it, I just have no idea what position he'll play. Praying Pardew sees sense in keeping the Villa front 3. I'm hoping the presence of Sissoko and Anita will make it impossible for him to go 4-4-2.

[Andy]

Everytime he tried to control the ball it bounced off him.  He had zero impact and had a terrible game.

 

In saying that, I'm still blaming Pardew more.  What clueless dickhead puts a creative player who thrives cutting in from the right in a 4-4-3, left wing in a 4-4-2.  Absolute joke.

 

Did you watch the game? this is flat out not true. He lost it once or twice but more times than he lost it he got round the outside of Coleman and the one time he switched with Sissoko to go central he beat his man and had a decent shot.

 

Pardew taking him off could be a number of things: he got mouthy at halftime and questioned tactics?, he was injured?, or pardew was annoyed with his selfishness and/or lack of work ethic. He was the only player trying to make something happen for us in that first half.

 

The fact it's been 2 years running now that Pardew has refused to play him in his usual position because he's scared of Baines really annoys me. For 1, once baines was on a yellow card Ben Arfa should have been switched immediately to try and get him sent off by taking him on. Secondly if he was so scared of what Baines would do going forward surely him having Ben Arfa behind him would have meant he couldn't attack as much anyway.

 

It's amazing how different Pardew views things though, he's far more concerned with attempting to stop other players, rather than letting the opposition worry about us, which would actually help stop opponents, as you said with regards to Baines and Ben Arfa. It honestly baffles me how somebody can be so negative all the time despite seeing very little in terms of positive results.

 

This is my biggest issue with Pardew, out of all the issues that surround Pardew. He is shit scared of the opposition and rarely sets his teams out in a way that gives them reason to be shit scared of us; it doesn't matter who we play, we're always trying to control damage rather than cause it. I can't decide whether it's cowardice or a simple inability to formulate an attacking system, but either way it's his biggest limitation as a manager.

 

In that sense even Kinnear would be a step up. Even Kinnear for fucks sake.

 

[Guest hatem garrincha]

Isn't that just Ryder's opinion ?

 

Or an opinion forged after comments Pardew could have make to him ?

[Kanj]

Everytime he tried to control the ball it bounced off him.  He had zero impact and had a terrible game.

 

In saying that, I'm still blaming Pardew more.  What clueless dickhead puts a creative player who thrives cutting in from the right in a 4-4-3, left wing in a 4-4-2.  Absolute joke.

 

Did you watch the game? this is flat out not true. He lost it once or twice but more times than he lost it he got round the outside of Coleman and the one time he switched with Sissoko to go central he beat his man and had a decent shot.

 

Pardew taking him off could be a number of things: he got mouthy at halftime and questioned tactics?, he was injured?, or pardew was annoyed with his selfishness and/or lack of work ethic. He was the only player trying to make something happen for us in that first half.

 

The fact it's been 2 years running now that Pardew has refused to play him in his usual position because he's scared of Baines really annoys me. For 1, once baines was on a yellow card Ben Arfa should have been switched immediately to try and get him sent off by taking him on. Secondly if he was so scared of what Baines would do going forward surely him having Ben Arfa behind him would have meant he couldn't attack as much anyway.

 

It's amazing how different Pardew views things though, he's far more concerned with attempting to stop other players, rather than letting the opposition worry about us, which would actually help stop opponents, as you said with regards to Baines and Ben Arfa. It honestly baffles me how somebody can be so negative all the time despite seeing very little in terms of positive results.

 

This is my biggest issue with Pardew, out of all the issues that surround Pardew. He is s*** scared of the opposition and rarely sets his teams out in a way that gives them reason to be s*** scared of us; it doesn't matter who we play, we're always trying to control damage rather than cause it. I can't decide whether it's cowardice or a simple inability to formulate an attacking system, but either way it's his biggest limitation as a manager.

 

In that sense even Kinnear would be a step up. Even Kinnear for f***s sake.

 

 

We have Hatem Ben Arfa and Loic Remy ffs. 1 player is capable of giving any defender a nightmare, capable of beating 2-3 players at will who can create or score and in Loic Remy, a man with insane pace and great eye for goal and we've a defeatist manager too busy losing his mind over if Hatem will put in a tackle or not. Fucking hell.

[Gallowgate Toon]

I'm sure he'll have blamed the Hull loss on Remy and Ben Arfa as wide men, hence the shift for the Everton game. Completely forgetting the excellent performances they put in at Villa.

[Guest hatem garrincha]

Is it a coincidence or the local press have decided a "scapegoating" campaign against Hatem ? 

 

Pardew is understood to be considering drastic measures to jerk United out of this destructive cycle.

 

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa will be relegated to the bench, Papiss Cisse might stay there and even Hatem Ben Arfa’s match-winning potential might be sacrificed after his alarmingly poor display at Goodison Park.

 

If anyone sums up United’s desperate unpredictability it is Ben Arfa. So scintillating against Aston Villa and in the second half against Fulham, he simply went missing at Everton.

 

Newcastle have long since accepted his genius comes with enigmatic unpredictability but his display on Monday seemed to suggest he is not heeding calls to contribute more to the team effort.

 

One of the men who works with Ben Arfa on his PR was dropped by the player last week, which suggests a certain restlessness on the player’s part. He made headlines for claiming he still dreams of lifting the Ballon d’Or last month but his displays have not backed up that boast.

 

A personal belief is he is worth the trouble, but the obvious support of the Tyneside public for Ben Arfa should not obscure the questions which should be asked of his overall contribution to the team.

 

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/sport/sport-opinion/agenda-damaging-inconsistency-threatening-pardew-6126317

[Ameritoon]

What a bunch of shit

[DJ_NUFC]

Unbelievable. Absolutely unreal. If this happens and we make this lad unhappy, Pardew needs to be dragged out of Newcastle.

[Ronaldo]

Quality from Mark Douglas, whose ginger unloved hoop is regularly licked on here.

[TaylorJ_01]

Stab the cunt.

[Ketsbaia]

Genuinely gobsmacked if Ben Arfa becomes the scapegoat for playing ok in a hammering. Surely we wouldn't drop him.

[TheHoob]

 

Imagine if he drops him for Gutierrez man  TACKLES.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Douglas is a f*cking moron.

 

Keeps mentioning how teams have doubled up on him on the right side and how he should play as a 10.... he didn't even play right side against Everton you f*cking idiot.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Genuinely gobsmacked if Ben Arfa becomes the scapegoat for playing ok in a hammering. Surely we wouldn't drop him.

 

It just can't happen.