Guest hatem garrincha Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We are 5th in the league and the 6th highest scorers by the way, the boring c*** that is Alan Pardew And ? Chelsea are 4th in the league and boring as f*** All Mourinho's teams are boring despite all their titles and amount of goals Argentina won the world cup in 1986 with a boring football and the genius of Diego Enjoying the results doesn't mean enjoy the game. Swansea are apparently exciting despite scoring 10 less than us, swap? Tottenham are exciting, and NUFC have all the players to be more attractive than Swansea. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Tottenham have far better players than us also It's a ridiculous argument based around the defence of one player, it's getting a bit sad really. We are playing effective football, football that has gotten us to a position beyond anyones expectations so far, it's not always beautiful but some go on like we are Stoke ffs. If some could get over Ben Arfa they would be enjoying this season a hell of a lot more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I'd love us to be playing more progressive and attractive stuff but so long as we're winning I will take that over aesthetics every week at the moment. I always said I'd rather play good football than shit football if we were meandering about in mid-table, this season is different though because by some miracle we're up there in the table. Results above all else for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayson Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We're hardly playing consistantly crap football ffs Pardew makes do with what he has available. We've scored some lovely goals this season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I can't get my head around people not wanting to see a player like Ben Arfa in our team. He has his flaws but when things work for him they are as good and often better than anything else produced by any of our players. I'd start him every game when he's fit in the hope that he'll create the kindof football that only he can produce in our team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hatem garrincha Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Tottenham have far better players than us also Did I say they haven't ? City are supposed to have the better players in the PL, yet Tottenham excite me more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I'd play him pretty much every week tbh. With the Demba's and Tiote back he'll look great Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I can't get my head around people not wanting to see a player like Ben Arfa in our team. He has his flaws but when things work for him they are as good and often better than anything else produced by any of our players. I'd start him every game when he's fit in the hope that he'll create the kindof football that only he can produce in our team. I agree that it goes without saying he should be playing. Hopefully we stick him wide right in a 4-4-2 once we have our full team available. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We're hardly playing consistantly crap football ffs Pardew makes do with what he has available. We've scored some lovely goals this season Exactly, it's getting silly now and a lot seems to be based solely on the defence of one player. I like Ben Arfa a hell of a lot, he can be an absolute genius and has the natural ability far beyond a player we could (normally) realistically attract but it's also not difficult to see why he would cause a manager concern at times. It is a genuine shame that the issue is stopping some from enjoying a fantastic season. You can guarantee the same group will moan before every game that he won't start, moan if he doesn't start (usually with a comment like "well that's cost us the game!") or if he does start moan that others on the pitch didn't give him enough chances to show what he can do. He has the attention Barton could only dream of He has done brilliantly in the limited chances he has been given but there have also been clear signs why a manager who has based our eye opening success this season on team work has had to hold him back at times. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I'd love us to be playing more progressive and attractive stuff but so long as we're winning I will take that over aesthetics every week at the moment. I always said I'd rather play good football than s*** football if we were meandering about in mid-table, this season is different though because by some miracle we're up there in the table. Results above all else for me. At the moment I would probably agree with you. Only in the hope that a higher league position will raise our profile within the game and allow us to bring in better players which should allow us to play better football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unbelievable Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We're hardly playing consistantly crap football ffs Pardew makes do with what he has available. We've scored some lovely goals this season Exactly, it's getting silly now and a lot seems to be based solely on the defence of one player. I like Ben Arfa a hell of a lot, he can be an absolute genius and has the natural ability far beyond a player we could (normally) realistically attract but it's also not difficult to see why he would cause a manager concern at times. It is a genuine shame that the issue is stopping some from enjoying a fantastic season. You can guarantee the same group will moan before every game that he won't start, moan if he doesn't start (usually with a comment like "well that's cost us the game!") or if he does start moan that others on the pitch didn't give him enough chances to show what he can do. He has the attention Barton could only dream of He has done brilliantly in the limited chances he has been given but there have also been clear signs why a manager who has based our eye opening success this season on team work has had to hold him back at times. I don't understand these obvious concerns a manager in Pardew's position would have about playing Ben Arfa. Care to enlighten me? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Btw it's also complete bollocks to suggest that we played like Stoke last season, including before Pardew arrived. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Segun Oluwaniyi Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We're hardly playing consistantly crap football ffs Pardew makes do with what he has available. We've scored some lovely goals this season Exactly, it's getting silly now and a lot seems to be based solely on the defence of one player. I like Ben Arfa a hell of a lot, he can be an absolute genius and has the natural ability far beyond a player we could (normally) realistically attract but it's also not difficult to see why he would cause a manager concern at times. It is a genuine shame that the issue is stopping some from enjoying a fantastic season. You can guarantee the same group will moan before every game that he won't start, moan if he doesn't start (usually with a comment like "well that's cost us the game!") or if he does start moan that others on the pitch didn't give him enough chances to show what he can do. He has the attention Barton could only dream of He has done brilliantly in the limited chances he has been given but there have also been clear signs why a manager who has based our eye opening success this season on team work has had to hold him back at times. I don't understand these obvious concerns a manager in Pardew's position would have about playing Ben Arfa. Care to enlighten me? Inconsistency, petulance, a tendency to fade out of games, and a complete lack of defensive capability? He is a fantastic, but innately flawed player. There is a reason why he is beloved. There are also reason for his past two clubs willingly relinquished his services. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We're hardly playing consistantly crap football ffs Pardew makes do with what he has available. We've scored some lovely goals this season Exactly, it's getting silly now and a lot seems to be based solely on the defence of one player. I like Ben Arfa a hell of a lot, he can be an absolute genius and has the natural ability far beyond a player we could (normally) realistically attract but it's also not difficult to see why he would cause a manager concern at times. It is a genuine shame that the issue is stopping some from enjoying a fantastic season. You can guarantee the same group will moan before every game that he won't start, moan if he doesn't start (usually with a comment like "well that's cost us the game!") or if he does start moan that others on the pitch didn't give him enough chances to show what he can do. He has the attention Barton could only dream of He has done brilliantly in the limited chances he has been given but there have also been clear signs why a manager who has based our eye opening success this season on team work has had to hold him back at times. I don't understand these obvious concerns a manager in Pardew's position would have about playing Ben Arfa. Care to enlighten me? As brilliant as he is he gives the ball away a fair bit when we seem to be in control and have players pushing forward, leaving us exposed to a counter attack. We have got lucky a few times. Personally I would have the lad in the side every week but it's not hard to see why he would give a manager something to think about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Inconsistency, petulance, a tendency to fade out of games, and a complete lack of defensive capability? He is a fantastic, but innately flawed player. There is a reason why he is beloved. There are also reason for his past two clubs willingly relinquished his services. The reason his last club willingly relinquished his services was because he arrived here on his own accord, they had little or no choice. Also, a player moving clubs doesn’t highlight a flaw, a club has to want a player as much or more than a club wanting to get rid before a move can take place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eliassenfredrik Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We're hardly playing consistantly crap football ffs Pardew makes do with what he has available. We've scored some lovely goals this season Exactly, it's getting silly now and a lot seems to be based solely on the defence of one player. I like Ben Arfa a hell of a lot, he can be an absolute genius and has the natural ability far beyond a player we could (normally) realistically attract but it's also not difficult to see why he would cause a manager concern at times. It is a genuine shame that the issue is stopping some from enjoying a fantastic season. You can guarantee the same group will moan before every game that he won't start, moan if he doesn't start (usually with a comment like "well that's cost us the game!") or if he does start moan that others on the pitch didn't give him enough chances to show what he can do. He has the attention Barton could only dream of He has done brilliantly in the limited chances he has been given but there have also been clear signs why a manager who has based our eye opening success this season on team work has had to hold him back at times. I don't understand these obvious concerns a manager in Pardew's position would have about playing Ben Arfa. Care to enlighten me? Inconsistency, petulance, a tendency to fade out of games, and a complete lack of defensive capability? He is a fantastic, but innately flawed player. There is a reason why he is beloved. There are also reason for his past two clubs willingly relinquished his services. Inconsistency can hardly be a concern as you need a certain amount of games in your best position to be judged upon that. Defensive capability is irrelevant in the same way attacking capability is irrelevant for Steven Taylor. Petulance? Meh, reckon this is based on Lyon stories. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unbelievable Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We're hardly playing consistantly crap football ffs Pardew makes do with what he has available. We've scored some lovely goals this season Exactly, it's getting silly now and a lot seems to be based solely on the defence of one player. I like Ben Arfa a hell of a lot, he can be an absolute genius and has the natural ability far beyond a player we could (normally) realistically attract but it's also not difficult to see why he would cause a manager concern at times. It is a genuine shame that the issue is stopping some from enjoying a fantastic season. You can guarantee the same group will moan before every game that he won't start, moan if he doesn't start (usually with a comment like "well that's cost us the game!") or if he does start moan that others on the pitch didn't give him enough chances to show what he can do. He has the attention Barton could only dream of He has done brilliantly in the limited chances he has been given but there have also been clear signs why a manager who has based our eye opening success this season on team work has had to hold him back at times. I don't understand these obvious concerns a manager in Pardew's position would have about playing Ben Arfa. Care to enlighten me? As brilliant as he is he gives the ball away a fair bit when we seem to be in control and have players pushing forward, leaving us exposed to a counter attack. We have got lucky a few times. Personally I would have the lad in the side every week but it's not hard to see why he would give a manager something to think about. He does, but contrary to what some people on here would have you believe, he also works very hard to get it back. I remember at least two incidents this season where this happened and we scored from him winning back possession, lastly this past weekend our first goal vs Blackburn. As for the other players moving forward, this is a matter of tactics. When a player goes on a run the striker(s) and wingers should move forward, along with maybe one of the central midfielders, not both. If everybody pushes forward and we are caught out on the break that is not so much a problem with the person losing the ball (which is always a possibility), but also how the other players react to it. Another thing is we lose a lot of possession in other ways, be it by long punts that bounce off our forwards or go straight to the opposition or by wayward passes from the back or midfield. I would argue we lose the ball a lot more in these ways than we do by Ben Arfa losing it when he's trying to make something happen in the opposition half. The problem is, it's very noticeable when it happens when you're on the edge of your seat waiting for something exciting to happen, because he is that type of player, whereas when it's Krul or the defence kicking it long you almost expect us to lose the ball most of the time and it's a pleasant surprise if one of the strikers actually manages to make it stick. Percentage wise I don't think Ben Arfa loses more possession than many other players, but it gets noticed a lot more. The flip side is that whenever he does not lose the ball, he is much more likely to make something positive happen. For that reason it is imperative that we stick with him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We're hardly playing consistantly crap football ffs Pardew makes do with what he has available. We've scored some lovely goals this season Exactly, it's getting silly now and a lot seems to be based solely on the defence of one player. I like Ben Arfa a hell of a lot, he can be an absolute genius and has the natural ability far beyond a player we could (normally) realistically attract but it's also not difficult to see why he would cause a manager concern at times. It is a genuine shame that the issue is stopping some from enjoying a fantastic season. You can guarantee the same group will moan before every game that he won't start, moan if he doesn't start (usually with a comment like "well that's cost us the game!") or if he does start moan that others on the pitch didn't give him enough chances to show what he can do. He has the attention Barton could only dream of He has done brilliantly in the limited chances he has been given but there have also been clear signs why a manager who has based our eye opening success this season on team work has had to hold him back at times. I don't understand these obvious concerns a manager in Pardew's position would have about playing Ben Arfa. Care to enlighten me? As brilliant as he is he gives the ball away a fair bit when we seem to be in control and have players pushing forward, leaving us exposed to a counter attack. We have got lucky a few times. Personally I would have the lad in the side every week but it's not hard to see why he would give a manager something to think about. He does, but contrary to what some people on here would have you believe, he also works very hard to get it back. I remember at least two incidents this season where this happened and we scored from him winning back possession, lastly this past weekend our first goal vs Blackburn. As for the other players moving forward, this is a matter of tactics. When a player goes on a run the striker(s) and wingers should move forward, along with maybe one of the central midfielders, not both. If everybody pushes forward and we are caught out on the break that is not so much a problem with the person losing the ball (which is always a possibility), but also how the other players react to it. Another thing is we lose a lot of possession in other ways, be it by long punts that bounce off our forwards or go straight to the opposition or by wayward passes from the back or midfield. I would argue we lose the ball a lot more in these ways than we do by Ben Arfa losing it when he's trying to make something happen in the opposition half. The problem is, it's very noticeable when it happens when you're on the edge of your seat waiting for something exciting to happen, because he is that type of player, whereas when it's Krul or the defence kicking it long you almost expect us to lose the ball most of the time and it's a pleasant surprise if one of the strikers actually manages to make it stick. Percentage wise I don't think Ben Arfa loses more possession than many other players, but it gets noticed a lot more. The flip side is that whenever he does not lose the ball, he is much more likely to make something positive happen. For that reason it is imperative that we stick with him. All good points. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ_NUFC Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We're hardly playing consistantly crap football ffs Pardew makes do with what he has available. We've scored some lovely goals this season Exactly, it's getting silly now and a lot seems to be based solely on the defence of one player. I like Ben Arfa a hell of a lot, he can be an absolute genius and has the natural ability far beyond a player we could (normally) realistically attract but it's also not difficult to see why he would cause a manager concern at times. It is a genuine shame that the issue is stopping some from enjoying a fantastic season. You can guarantee the same group will moan before every game that he won't start, moan if he doesn't start (usually with a comment like "well that's cost us the game!") or if he does start moan that others on the pitch didn't give him enough chances to show what he can do. He has the attention Barton could only dream of He has done brilliantly in the limited chances he has been given but there have also been clear signs why a manager who has based our eye opening success this season on team work has had to hold him back at times. I don't understand these obvious concerns a manager in Pardew's position would have about playing Ben Arfa. Care to enlighten me? As brilliant as he is he gives the ball away a fair bit when we seem to be in control and have players pushing forward, leaving us exposed to a counter attack. We have got lucky a few times. Personally I would have the lad in the side every week but it's not hard to see why he would give a manager something to think about. He does, but contrary to what some people on here would have you believe, he also works very hard to get it back. I remember at least two incidents this season where this happened and we scored from him winning back possession, lastly this past weekend our first goal vs Blackburn. As for the other players moving forward, this is a matter of tactics. When a player goes on a run the striker(s) and wingers should move forward, along with maybe one of the central midfielders, not both. If everybody pushes forward and we are caught out on the break that is not so much a problem with the person losing the ball (which is always a possibility), but also how the other players react to it. Another thing is we lose a lot of possession in other ways, be it by long punts that bounce off our forwards or go straight to the opposition or by wayward passes from the back or midfield. I would argue we lose the ball a lot more in these ways than we do by Ben Arfa losing it when he's trying to make something happen in the opposition half. The problem is, it's very noticeable when it happens when you're on the edge of your seat waiting for something exciting to happen, because he is that type of player, whereas when it's Krul or the defence kicking it long you almost expect us to lose the ball most of the time and it's a pleasant surprise if one of the strikers actually manages to make it stick. Percentage wise I don't think Ben Arfa loses more possession than many other players, but it gets noticed a lot more. The flip side is that whenever he does not lose the ball, he is much more likely to make something positive happen. For that reason it is imperative that we stick with him. That's actually very, very spot-on. I can't tell you how many times I've hung my head in frustration as we lose the ball each time we lump it upfield expecting Ameobi to act like a venus flytrap, or Best to go on his mazy left-wing runs which probably have more in common with Ed Milliband's election campaigns than utilizing the actual left wing of a football pitch. In fact, we lose the ball 95% more times hoofing it up field than via Ben Arfa trying to get past players. You're right, he just gets noticed a lot more when he does. How many times does Tiote give it away? Tonnes as well, and he's in a much more vulnerable position. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Segun Oluwaniyi Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Inconsistency, petulance, a tendency to fade out of games, and a complete lack of defensive capability? He is a fantastic, but innately flawed player. There is a reason why he is beloved. There are also reason for his past two clubs willingly relinquished his services. The reason his last club willingly relinquished his services was because he arrived here on his own accord, they had little or no choice. Also, a player moving clubs doesn’t highlight a flaw, a club has to want a player as much or more than a club wanting to get rid before a move can take place. Deschamps wanted to sell him before he wanted to leave. He tried to change his mind after the top goalscorer left, but HBA was really not in his plans. They had been previous altercations between the two of them in training as well. We're hardly playing consistantly crap football ffs Pardew makes do with what he has available. We've scored some lovely goals this season Exactly, it's getting silly now and a lot seems to be based solely on the defence of one player. I like Ben Arfa a hell of a lot, he can be an absolute genius and has the natural ability far beyond a player we could (normally) realistically attract but it's also not difficult to see why he would cause a manager concern at times. It is a genuine shame that the issue is stopping some from enjoying a fantastic season. You can guarantee the same group will moan before every game that he won't start, moan if he doesn't start (usually with a comment like "well that's cost us the game!") or if he does start moan that others on the pitch didn't give him enough chances to show what he can do. He has the attention Barton could only dream of He has done brilliantly in the limited chances he has been given but there have also been clear signs why a manager who has based our eye opening success this season on team work has had to hold him back at times. I don't understand these obvious concerns a manager in Pardew's position would have about playing Ben Arfa. Care to enlighten me? Inconsistency, petulance, a tendency to fade out of games, and a complete lack of defensive capability? He is a fantastic, but innately flawed player. There is a reason why he is beloved. There are also reason for his past two clubs willingly relinquished his services. Inconsistency can hardly be a concern as you need a certain amount of games in your best position to be judged upon that. Defensive capability is irrelevant in the same way attacking capability is irrelevant for Steven Taylor. Petulance? Meh, reckon this is based on Lyon stories. What is his best position? He has been given a plethora of opportunities on the wing in France (at the top clubs in a supposedly inferior league), and has not ever given consistent product or effort. Attacking ability is not irrelevant for Steve Taylor. The ability to contribute in an offensive manner is often what separates top defenders from average ones. It is the same with attackers. If Ben Arfa provided more in terms of tracking back and help to his fullback, there would not be a need to compensate for him being in the side, and managers would have no issue starting him. This is not the case. I like the player a lot, but he is not perfect. He should also adapt instead of just managers adopting to him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Segun Oluwaniyi Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We're hardly playing consistantly crap football ffs Pardew makes do with what he has available. We've scored some lovely goals this season Exactly, it's getting silly now and a lot seems to be based solely on the defence of one player. I like Ben Arfa a hell of a lot, he can be an absolute genius and has the natural ability far beyond a player we could (normally) realistically attract but it's also not difficult to see why he would cause a manager concern at times. It is a genuine shame that the issue is stopping some from enjoying a fantastic season. You can guarantee the same group will moan before every game that he won't start, moan if he doesn't start (usually with a comment like "well that's cost us the game!") or if he does start moan that others on the pitch didn't give him enough chances to show what he can do. He has the attention Barton could only dream of He has done brilliantly in the limited chances he has been given but there have also been clear signs why a manager who has based our eye opening success this season on team work has had to hold him back at times. I don't understand these obvious concerns a manager in Pardew's position would have about playing Ben Arfa. Care to enlighten me? As brilliant as he is he gives the ball away a fair bit when we seem to be in control and have players pushing forward, leaving us exposed to a counter attack. We have got lucky a few times. Personally I would have the lad in the side every week but it's not hard to see why he would give a manager something to think about. He does, but contrary to what some people on here would have you believe, he also works very hard to get it back. I remember at least two incidents this season where this happened and we scored from him winning back possession, lastly this past weekend our first goal vs Blackburn. As for the other players moving forward, this is a matter of tactics. When a player goes on a run the striker(s) and wingers should move forward, along with maybe one of the central midfielders, not both. If everybody pushes forward and we are caught out on the break that is not so much a problem with the person losing the ball (which is always a possibility), but also how the other players react to it. Another thing is we lose a lot of possession in other ways, be it by long punts that bounce off our forwards or go straight to the opposition or by wayward passes from the back or midfield. I would argue we lose the ball a lot more in these ways than we do by Ben Arfa losing it when he's trying to make something happen in the opposition half. The problem is, it's very noticeable when it happens when you're on the edge of your seat waiting for something exciting to happen, because he is that type of player, whereas when it's Krul or the defence kicking it long you almost expect us to lose the ball most of the time and it's a pleasant surprise if one of the strikers actually manages to make it stick. Percentage wise I don't think Ben Arfa loses more possession than many other players, but it gets noticed a lot more. The flip side is that whenever he does not lose the ball, he is much more likely to make something positive happen. For that reason it is imperative that we stick with him. That's actually very, very spot-on. I can't tell you how many times I've hung my head in frustration as we lose the ball each time we lump it upfield expecting Ameobi to act like a venus flytrap, or Best to go on his mazy left-wing runs which probably have more in common with Ed Milliband's election campaigns than utilizing the actual left wing of a football pitch. In fact, we lose the ball 95% more times hoofing it up field than via Ben Arfa trying to get past players. You're right, he just gets noticed a lot more when he does. How many times does Tiote give it away? Tonnes as well, and he's in a much more vulnerable position. Losing the ball in midfield areas is more dangerous than losing it via long balls, which the entire team is behind. This is why poor teams simply bypass the area if they don't have players of adequate ability. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Pards talks of the danger of committing too many forward against Villa's pace in his most recent interviews. I think he may start with obertan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cronky Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 My concern is that the issue that Pardew is coming up against now is probably the same one that HBA's previous managers have experienced with him. In the end, they gave up on him and, let's face it, there have been managers at bigger clubs who have decided against taking him on. Despite these moments of brilliance, he's not really clicking with his team-mates. I'm sure he's had years of top quality coaching, but you wonder how much he's really taken on board. Maybe with that talent, he doesn't feel he needs to, and in a sense he's right, because his ability alone will provide him with a decent set of opportunities throughout his career. But he has to be prepared to develop his game and mature, because otherwise he'll keep sliding backwards to the same position. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hatem garrincha Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We are 5th in the league and the 6th highest scorers by the way, the boring c*** that is Alan Pardew And ? Chelsea are 4th in the league and boring as f*** All Mourinho's teams are boring despite all their titles and amount of goals Argentina won the world cup in 1986 with a boring football and the genius of Diego Enjoying the results doesn't mean enjoy the game. a short while ago we were relegated pal. s**** football, worse results, no pride and total chaos (yet we kept showing up week in week out). we'll enjoy what we like thanks You enjoy what you like of course. Same for me : Brasil 82 > Brasil 94 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnypd Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 defensive work is not a particular problem for ben arfa - the people who suggest this aren't watching close enough, he tracks back, competes for tackles and so on. we've had plenty of wingers who did far less. even looking at hoilett at blackburn who has been discussed, he is in the game far less than HBA. he has drifted out of the past couple of matches, which imo is the most disappointing aspect of his play, but again, it's not usually a particular problem for ben arfa- he tends to be involved as much in the middle third of the pitch as in the final third, unlike someone like Robert for instance who was very much a final third player. if anything he can find himself dropping near to the centre-halves in order to get on the ball. the issue with ben arfa isn't the two above issues at all. his weakness is that he's always trying to do too much on the ball. it's a team game, and often the best pass is the simplest. you can criticise others for not being spatially aware or making the right sorts of runs, which is true to an extent (particularly shola and best), but it takes two to tango. ben arfa has to look for the right passes and in turn he has to make the right sorts of runs. i find he's too static just waiting for the ball and when he gets it he tries to play the game on his own, with others not having the rapport to make runs to get the best out of HBA's possession (apart from Ba at times). he'd find himself and the team would be far more effective if he started doing a bit of pass-and-move, constantly on the prowl making space. get him doing one-touch exercises over and over again instead of taking players on. the ability to dribble and beat a man is great but ideally it's more dangerous if it happens at the end of the move rather than at the start. not only because you're in a far more dangerous position but it's less risky if you lose it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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