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Hatem Ben Arfa


Rich

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Get this lad on a new contract.

This.

Also, as an aside, I think it's now a realistic possibility that we could start next season with an entirely non-English xi

 

No issues with me if that happens but unlikely unless we get a non English CB and RB/LB which I doubt

 

looking increasingly likely that our back 4 will be

 

Santon Douglas Colo Pieters

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It says a lot really that the first thing we seem to worry about when bringing in a player is "what about the players already at the club". We really are not used to having any depth in our squad.

 

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQx-DycBfUCDMNmLff3J7oE2axgZqLc_SCO6fHkC62eon3A1Glvkw

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Ahem.  What about S.Taylor?

 

Should get a lot of games in the Europa league :pow:

 

Seriously, we will need a good squad anyway with the likelihood of Europe next year. I expect we'll do better in the cups as well. I think there'll be games where Ba and Cisse will be rotated as well to allow Ba some games as a central striker again. Just keep building that damned squad basically.

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Be reet harsh to drop Taylor for next season given he was in the form of his career and playing just as good as Colo before he got injured.

 

Taylor has made it abundantly clear throughout his career at Newcastle that he can't be relief on as first choice.

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Be reet harsh to drop Taylor for next season given he was in the form of his career and playing just as good as Colo before he got injured.

 

It was harsh on David Kelly and Gavin Peacock when Keegan sold both of those. Yet that took us to the next level.

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Our defence was great with Taylor in it lets not forget, I'd have no issue with him starting again but with another good defender knocking on the door for competition everyone should play better. With the cups and potentially europa league imo they'll all have plenty of chances.

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Clube need more than 2 good central defenders during a season.

 

Exactly lol if we want to be in the CL in the future we need to have a squad capable of it and besides Taylor has a history of injurie problems we cant rely on him being fit all year.

 

Having Douglas, Colo and Taylor as your 3 top quality CB's and Williamson and Perch as your 4th and 5th choice will be ideal for us to be competitive in all competitions.

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Clube need more than 2 good central defenders during a season.

 

Exactly lol if we want to be in the CL in the future we need to have a squad capable of it and besides Taylor has a history of injurie problems we cant rely on him being fit all year.

 

Having Douglas, Colo and Taylor as your 3 top quality CB's and Williamson and Perch as your 4th and 5th choice will be ideal for us to be competitive in all competitions.

 

Where is this Douglas rumours coming from? I don't even know who he is?

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Not once said he can necessarily be relied on or we shouldn't buy another centre half.  His injury record is patchy at best and the fact we need another centre back is abundantly clear.

 

Just thought the comment about starting the season with a non English first XI, or with Douglas next to Colo was wide of the mark, as I would expect Taylor to be in it.

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Clube need more than 2 good central defenders during a season.

 

Exactly lol if we want to be in the CL in the future we need to have a squad capable of it and besides Taylor has a history of injurie problems we cant rely on him being fit all year.

 

Having Douglas, Colo and Taylor as your 3 top quality CB's and Williamson and Perch as your 4th and 5th choice will be ideal for us to be competitive in all competitions.

 

Where is this Douglas rumours coming from? I don't even know who he is?

 

At the moment it's just a 2+2 thing, but it does seem fairly logical. Douglas has said he wants to leave Twente, Pardew says we've essentially signed a CB for the summer, we've been strongly linked with the player in the past.

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Why Hatem Ben Arfa could become this Toon side's Peter Beardsley

 

The sight of Hatem Ben Arfa, ball glued to his foot as he jinked, danced and turned on the turbo boosters, proved so much more than his obvious ability to contort Liverpool defenders.

 

For months we have waited for the hidden Ben Arfa to emerge.

 

The wizard of a player who was burdened with the "prodigy" tag aged 16, but whose career has been held back by injury, his own petulance, a reputation for attracting trouble, and behind the scenes moodiness.

 

But in the last four games against Arsenal (a goal), Norwich, and especially West Brom (two assists and a goal) and Liverpool (one assist) Ben Arfa, dare we say it, has shown he is maturing into the sort of creative genius that Newcastle have not had to ignite their play for years.

 

It is not too strong to say that when Ben Arfa was floating around in front of Liverpool's defence at weekend they looked genuinely scared at the damage he might cause. They doubled up on him and it wasn't good enough.

 

Jose "Newcastle will never finish in the top six" Enrique thought he had safest tactic by showing him the outside during their first duel, but Ben Arfa knocked the ball past him and roared to the byline, sowing doubt and fear. Enrique then decided to let his tormentor go inside, and was again beaten by his speed and trickery.

 

Ben Arfa's left foot delivered the cross for Papiss Cisse to head home and there were other moments of creativity that stirred memories of Peter Beardsley in his prime.

 

Now Beardo is a legend on Tyneside, the best many fans or a certain age claims to have seen. His pace, his shuffle, his ability to spring out of tight situations to create and score, were electrifying.

 

Of course it is far too early to start saying Ben Arfa is in the same bracket, but Beardo is the nearest thing in the last 30 years to Ben Arfa's current form.

 

It has taken firm clever management from Alan Pardew to get him to a situation where at 23 years old, Ben Arfa may now be mature enough, aware enough of his team duties, happy enough around fellow French speakers - especially mentor Yohan Cabaye - to be reaching his prime years.

 

Ben Arfa's loan move to Newcastle was made permanent for £5million while he was still recovering from the a double leg break against Manchester City at the start of last season.

 

The timing of the deal was a calculated gamble that is only now paying off. It took him a year to be fit and playing again, but another three or four months to look fully up to speed.

 

During that time he has been frustrated - with his manager, especially. Angry that he was not being picked, and only getting occasional substitute appearances.

 

Pardew himself was wary that Ben Arfa, for all his individual brilliance, was not a reliable cog in a Newcastle machine that required everyone to be on their game to nullify opponents and keep the results coming.

 

Those barriers now seem to be broken down.

 

In the past few games Ben Arfa, handed his chance, has chased back with purpose to fill his position when Newcastle lose the ball. Just as Demba Ba or Papiss Cisse were expected to fall into a left wing position when out of possession on Sunday.

 

When subbed late on against Liverpool, Pardew gave Ben Arfa a high five, and he responded with eye contact, and a smile, showing there is a relationship building there with a player who has had a tendency to sulk and be deliberately distant.

 

But it is the mesmerising skill and pace Ben Arfa has, drifting in from the right wing, that is causing excitement at Newcastle.

 

The Geordie fans have been totally loyal to their new hero when others were doubting, seeing in him the kind of the potential and the fantasy that he brings with his moments of brilliance, rather than the less heralded, but also essential tactical requirements.

 

Now the two seem to be matching up. In bringing him back slowly, Pardew has protected Ben Arfa and ensured he is now fully fit. He could have bowed to make a populist pick earlier, but though he knew what was best for his player, and kept demanding more and more from him.

 

That will serve Newcastle well now Ben Arfa has his chance and is taking it.

 

Mention Ben Arfa now and the talk is of his goals, dribbles, and his defence splitting capabilities. That makes a refreshing change from the constant references to his historical troubles which started when he was filmed at the French Football Academy fighting with Abu Diaby.

 

Newcastle gambled on buying a kid with a shattered leg, who at that stage was still limping, with a supposedly questionable temperament.

 

A rough diamond is being polished by manager, by team-mates and, yes, it seems by Ben Arfa's own will to fulfil his massive promise.

 

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/simon-bird/Newcastle-column-Why-Hatem-Ben-Arfa-could-become-this-Toon-side-s-Peter-Beardsley-by-Simon-Bird-article886186.html

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He really does get people excited, the past two games I've watched him on tv you can clearly hear the volume go up as soon as he gets the ball in the opposition half. Great to see.

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I need to calm the fuck down when he gets on the ball like. I'm on my feet and he's only on the halfway line. :lol:

It's a privilege to watch him at St. James', long may it continue.

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