Hatem Ben Arfa

[Pilko]

Don't think Robert would have done much under Pardew. He had runs where he'd do nothing for a few games, like pretty much any flair player. He'd have been dropped, especially if Pardew had the squad we had then. Speed or Dyer on the left, I'd guess.

 

Even with our current squad he'd be frozen out, people really think a clown like Pardew would get performances from a player like Robert?

 

Inclined to agree.  Pardew is averse to playing anyone that won't graft or put in a defensive shift.

 

If you remember Harry Redknapp's teams that often did well before he bankrupted everywhere he went; it was essentially always an outfield composition of eight big hulking monsters, a flair player and a nippy striker.

 

Pardew wants ten big hulking monsters.

[The College Dropout]

http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/david-ginola-got-game-alan-pardew/

 

Good question. Wor Daveed would have been a bench warmer imo. Robert may not have got in the squad.

 

Robert guaranteed goals and assists. Pardew would have to start him.

 

As did Tevez and as does HBA when he's played. There's no way Pardew would play Ginola or Robert. Neither Dalglish nor Souness did and they're of the same ilk as Pardew.

 

On a related note, Souness is a decent pundit and often makes the point about how he was wrong about Robben, who he'd written off as lazy. I don't get why he's never transferred that admission into his job when he's been a manager.

 

Ben Arfa's a very good footballer and should start every game but he's never had a strong track record of getting goals and assists. Laurent Robert he isn't.

 

About Souness: Arjen Robben has been a world class for about a decade now... ever writing him off says more about him than anything else.

[The College Dropout]

Don't think Robert would have done much under Pardew. He had runs where he'd do nothing for a few games, like pretty much any flair player. He'd have been dropped, especially if Pardew had the squad we had then. Speed or Dyer on the left, I'd guess.

 

Even with our current squad he'd be frozen out, people really think a clown like Pardew would get performances from a player like Robert?

 

 

At his core - Pardew is a defensive manager preferring grafters over skilfully players and Bobby is the opposite. Unless the manager is a clear step above, the latter is nearly always preferred by fans & ambitious owners.

 

[The College Dropout]

Don't think Robert would have done much under Pardew. He had runs where he'd do nothing for a few games, like pretty much any flair player. He'd have been dropped, especially if Pardew had the squad we had then. Speed or Dyer on the left, I'd guess.

 

Even with our current squad he'd be frozen out, people really think a clown like Pardew would get performances from a player like Robert?

 

Inclined to agree.  Pardew is averse to playing anyone that won't graft or put in a defensive shift.

 

If you remember Harry Redknapp's teams that often did well before he bankrupted everywhere he went; it was essentially always an outfield composition of eight big hulking monsters, a flair player and a nippy striker.

 

Pardew wants ten big hulking monsters.

 

Disagree like. Harry's always liked midfielders that could really play even if they where solid defensively. Basic a tackler, a passer (who could hold his own a bit) in the middle, pace out wide, a creator/quick lad & a big lad. That's a nice balanced side imo.

 

I liked the way he brought Modric central for Spurs.

[Wullie]

Pardew doesn't want anyone in the wide areas that can't or isn't willing to act as an auxiliary full back. Robert would have been complete anathema to him.

[Guest neesy111]

Here's an revolutionary idea, lets play to the strengths of our better players.

[Mike]

Here's an revolutionary idea, lets play to the strengths of our better players.

 

http://i.imgur.com/lN7oGq4.png

[colinmk]

Truth is no-one really knows how good Ben Arfa could be for us because he hasn't had a fair crack at it. Often when he has played he has been asked to do things that stop him from playing his natural game. Pardew has wasted his career here and unfortunately for us he should be looking to leave asap.

[Guest]

Tbf, with Robert though his career here seemed to end around Feb '04 before Souness came. He was immense up to that point then the turning point seemed to be that winter when it looked like he had a chance of a France recall, Bruno f***ing Cheyrou got the nod on the back of 2-3 games for Liverpool. Robert seemed to lose interest after that. A Robert in form, scoring & making goals was undroppable.

[STM]

Irony being that Robert was actually lazy defensively,  where as Bennys laziness is pure myth.

 

Shame because Debuchy and Ben Arfa would match any right side in the league.

[Wullie]

In this team, Robert would have been receiving the ball far too deep to do much damage, like Ben Arfa does, which is why he has to try and run the length of the pitch so often. There would have been nobody in the box and nobody who could head a ball properly. It's a very unfair comparison.

[Guest neesy111]

In this team, Robert would have been receiving the ball far too deep to do much damage, like Ben Arfa does, which is why he has to try and run the length of the pitch so often. There would have been nobody in the box and nobody who could head a ball properly. It's a very unfair comparison.

 

This is true, and Sir Bob did use to tell Robert not to help back too deep so we could use his pace on the counter attack.

[Newcastle Fan]

Remy-Cisse-Ben Arfa

 

Untill the end of the season please.

[ED209]

Remy-Cisse-Ben Arfa

 

Untill the end of the season please.

 

Why the hell not ? Manager has already made it clear the team isn't interested in anything any more.

[Interpolic]

Would be suicide.

[KaKa]

In this team, Robert would have been receiving the ball far too deep to do much damage, like Ben Arfa does, which is why he has to try and run the length of the pitch so often. There would have been nobody in the box and nobody who could head a ball properly. It's a very unfair comparison.

 

God, this upsets me so much.

 

Ben Arfa is hardly ever able to get the ball far up the pitch where he can really rip people to shreds.

 

When he then tries to make things happen from those deep, 'second full-back' positions, where he has to take on a plethora of players from the other team, and he loses the ball, he gets slated.

 

Infuriating.

[TRon]

If people think Ben Arfa is lazy then the idea that Pardew would have played Robert is laughable. Ben Arfa works twice as hard as Robert ever did. But then SBR didn't buy Robert to defend, he bought him to tear opposition defences to shreds with his pace and lethal left foot.

[Nobody]

Would be suicide.

Because we'd be so depressed when Remy fucks off back to QPR and Pardew (or whoever) sells Ben Arfa and we're left with just Cissé?

[Interpolic]

Would be suicide.

Because we'd be so depressed when Remy fucks off back to QPR and Pardew (or whoever) sells Ben Arfa and we're left with just Cissé?

 

Nah, because you need 9 defensive players in your first 11, minimum.

[Geordie Ahmed]

People saying Robert would not be dropped under Pardew because of his goals/assists record are being daft, the reality is Robert under Pardew would not be allowed to amass the goals/assists that he did

 

Considering how badly Ben Arfa has been treat I think his goals/assists record is class, unfortunately we have a doylem for a manager

[Ronaldo]

If people think Ben Arfa is lazy then the idea that Pardew would have played Robert is laughable. Ben Arfa works twice as hard as Robert ever did. But then SBR didn't buy Robert to defend, he bought him to tear opposition defences to shreds with his pace and lethal left foot.

 

Robert might not have tracked back much but he obviously worked hard.

[TRon]

If people think Ben Arfa is lazy then the idea that Pardew would have played Robert is laughable. Ben Arfa works twice as hard as Robert ever did. But then SBR didn't buy Robert to defend, he bought him to tear opposition defences to shreds with his pace and lethal left foot.

 

Robert might not have tracked back much but he obviously worked hard.

 

Well that is really just splitting hairs, as a player who works hard in the Pardew/Souness sense of the term is one who tracks back.

[Ronaldo]

When Hatem was scoring and making goals he was in the side.

 

I'm not justifying his exclusion one bit, but to say Pardew would've ignored a goal and assist machine like Robert because he didn't do much defending is stretching things.

[Geordie Ahmed]

Robert was hardly in our own half, don't really recall him coming back to help Bernard

When he had the ball and in the opposition half he worked hard BUT it's this obsession Pardew has of our wingers being secondary full backs that would have resulted in Robert sitting on the bench whilst a workhorse like Jonas would get game after game

 

[TRon]

When Hatem was scoring and making goals he was in the side.

 

I'm not justifying his exclusion one bit, but to say Pardew would've ignored a goal and assist machine like Robert because he didn't do much defending is stretching things.

 

Hatem will score and make goals if he's given licence to do it and the right personnel and team structure to do it. The 4-3-3 alongside Ba and Cisse which was so successful is an example. Pardew's tactics of defending in numbers and having very few players in attacking areas when we have the ball make creating goals a lot more difficult than when Robert was here under SBR.