Mr. Snrub Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 For me, Ben Arfa is like Ginola and Robert rolled into one. Has all the finesse and dribbling abilities as Ginola, aswell as the ability to pull something magic out of the hat from absolutely nothing a la Robert. Be it a top class assist or a rocket into the top corner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 In terms of style and input to the team, I see hardly anything in common with Ben Arfa alongside Ginola and Robert, aside from them all being flair players. Robert had the best input, Ginola played in the most beautiful way, and Ben Arfa is (I agree) comfortably the best dribbler. Robert and Ginola were obviously in far better teams, so it's hard to tell but Ben Arfa in one of those teams would have been gluttenously wonderful. We'd all be lactating. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Ben Arfa in one of those teams is so incredible my brain has trouble processing the thought. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 fwiw, I dunno where I would put him in Robson's team. He'd be ahead of Gillespie in Keegan's team, I imagine. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Aye, I know mate. I was replying to Messi really. Looking back through, I think we've made similar points. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 fwiw, I dunno where I would put him in Robson's team. He'd be ahead of Gillespie in Keegan's team, I imagine. I don't think Hatem would get into either team if i'm honest, he's great but not THAT great. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 fwiw, I dunno where I would put him in Robson's team. He'd be ahead of Gillespie in Keegan's team, I imagine. I don't think Hatem would get into either team if i'm honest, he's great but not THAT great. Is definitely is that great man, he's one of the most talented players I've ever seen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 He'd get in ahead of Gillespie like. Absolutely no doubt in my mind. In Robson's team, it would probably be Dyer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Depends on what Keegan team really.... i agree on ahead of Gillespie but it wasn't always Gillespie. As for ahead of Dyer? Ben Arfa as a CM next to Speed really? fwiw, I dunno where I would put him in Robson's team. He'd be ahead of Gillespie in Keegan's team, I imagine. I don't think Hatem would get into either team if i'm honest, he's great but not THAT great. Is definitely is that great man, he's one of the most talented players I've ever seen. Performances > Talent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Fair point, but performances also depend on your teammates and how the team in general is playing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Agreed. Not sure HBA would get into Bobby's starting XI. It would probably be on the left or up top. Colo would walk into SBR's team easily. Krul too perhaps. Cabaye perhaps but that would dramatically change the whole dynamic of that team Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Depends on what Keegan team really.... i agree on ahead of Gillespie but it wasn't always Gillespie. As for ahead of Dyer? Ben Arfa as a CM next to Speed really? fwiw, I dunno where I would put him in Robson's team. He'd be ahead of Gillespie in Keegan's team, I imagine. I don't think Hatem would get into either team if i'm honest, he's great but not THAT great. Is definitely is that great man, he's one of the most talented players I've ever seen. Performances > Talent. Obviously it's all just in our minds, so I wouldn't have him in that position. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Oh right Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Snrub Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 The 'would HBA get into the 01/02 team' is a bit misleading as we played with a fast paced 4-4-2 formation which isn't really suited to his style. As an overall player he's better than Robert, but he wouldn't be as effective in such a system. Coloccini would walk into any side we've ever had. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hughesy Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Depends on what Keegan team really.... i agree on ahead of Gillespie but it wasn't always Gillespie. As for ahead of Dyer? Ben Arfa as a CM next to Speed really? fwiw, I dunno where I would put him in Robson's team. He'd be ahead of Gillespie in Keegan's team, I imagine. I don't think Hatem would get into either team if i'm honest, he's great but not THAT great. Is definitely is that great man, he's one of the most talented players I've ever seen. Performances > Talent. HBA is comfortably a better player than Dyer. And Dyer wasn't exactly the best defensively, so there's no reason why HBA couldn't play alongside Speed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasy Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Ben Arfa with movement around him and options like Dyer, Bellamy, Ferdinand and Shearer to pass to would be a different player. Some people seem to have this view of him that he's greedy and won't pass or waits to long to pass. But the fact is if you watch him his heads always going up looking for movement and if he eventually decides not to pass its usually because he sees no decent options. Often the only pass available to him is a short ball to someone who 99% of the time does fuck all with it. Definitely think with good movement around him he'd pass more and quicker. He does make some mistakes obviously, nobody's perfect but personally I'd have him in any of our sides through the years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Depends on what Keegan team really.... i agree on ahead of Gillespie but it wasn't always Gillespie. As for ahead of Dyer? Ben Arfa as a CM next to Speed really? fwiw, I dunno where I would put him in Robson's team. He'd be ahead of Gillespie in Keegan's team, I imagine. I don't think Hatem would get into either team if i'm honest, he's great but not THAT great. Is definitely is that great man, he's one of the most talented players I've ever seen. Performances > Talent. HBA is comfortably a better player than Dyer. And Dyer wasn't exactly the best defensively, so there's no reason why HBA couldn't play alongside Speed. Dyer was fantastic on the break though. The number of times Solano would pick the ball up in our own half and set either him or Bellamy tearing down the pitch on a counter...was great to watch. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 The 'would HBA get into the 01/02 team' is a bit misleading as we played with a fast paced 4-4-2 formation which isn't really suited to his style. As an overall player he's better than Robert, but he wouldn't be as effective in such a system. Coloccini would walk into any side we've ever had. Disagree if i'm honest, Robert has won more games for this football club than HBA ever will. Talent is irrelevant unless its combined with consistent performances. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leazes1986 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 The 'would HBA get into the 01/02 team' is a bit misleading as we played with a fast paced 4-4-2 formation which isn't really suited to his style. As an overall player he's better than Robert, but he wouldn't be as effective in such a system. Coloccini would walk into any side we've ever had. Disagree if i'm honest, Robert has won more games for this football club than HBA ever will. Talent is irrelevant unless its combined with consistent performances. If you put Ben Arfa in that 01/02 team with that quality of players around him I'm sure you would see a far more effective player (injuries aside). Put Robert in todays team and he'd be nowhere near as effective as he was. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 "injuries aside" Michael Owen would've been a success at Newcastle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leazes1986 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 "injuries aside" Michael Owen would've been a success at Newcastle. Totally different case, Owen's injury in 2006 was the beginning of the end for him, he was never a top player after that, he did have a good few months under Keegan but theres nothing to suggest he would have sustained that form when you consider the level of his performances from late 2008 onwards. Injury fucked Owen, Ben Arfa's injuries haven't took anything away from him. This wasn't the major point here though, the point was that Ben Arfa would have been far more effective in Sir Bobby's team with such great players around him. Can you imagine Robert in this team firing crosses in for Cisse and Ameobi? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. TC Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Dunno where all the Gillespie hating is coming from, he was absolutely mint. Surely Hatem would have replaced Scott Sellars? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenham Mag Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Hatem is a much better player when we play well as a team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Dunno where all the Gillespie hating is coming from, he was absolutely mint. Surely Hatem would have replaced Scott Sellars? It's not hatred, it's just that that's where Ben Arfa plays and he's better than Gillespie was, imo. Sellars wouldn't be in there because Ginola was in there tbf. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeloEmre Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Tomorrows Journal say we are set to offer Ben Arfa a new long-term deal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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