Kanj Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 KI - that team you posted dude. My word, Pardew couldn't handle THAT team ffs. yet people in media still rate the fucker Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanj Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 How Ashley actually was OK with that (praying the contract was the only reason) based on what he paid and what he was losing out on future sell on fees is maddening. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 KI - that team you posted dude. My word, Pardew couldn't handle THAT team ffs. yet people in media still rate the fucker We had that team available (unless there were some injuries that I've missed) from August to January and then obviously we were minus Cabaye, who according to Pardew is absolutely every single atom in the known universe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Sad but inevitable news. He fashioned some great memories and was unplayable on his day. There's obviously something not right if you look at his history though - Pardew and Bruce may be muppets but his ill-fated relationships with managers and teammates goes beyond those two. Massive shame because if he was right mentally he could've been a world beater; you have to wonder what he's like behind closed doors. Having said that like he clearly shouldnt be leaving when the likes of Gouffran get a game week in week out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest n4e Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Unbelievable post I spotted on reddit What fucking contributions? How is this upvoted? He was pure shite in most matches. Once in a blue moon he would pull off something amazing. But in 90% of games he produced zero end product, and wasted the ball every time he got it. You watch their top 5 youtube clips, no comparison. ben arfa appears to be much better. Or, you watch a match. Better still, several matches. No comparison, but for different reasons. Gouffran is far far better overall, and doesnt have that toxic attitude that needs to be gotten rid of asap as soon as it appears. ben arfa is an asshole, and not a team player, simple as. we are much better off without him. Imagine actually watching football games and coming to the conclusion that Gouffran is a far better player. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 It's just fucking tragic, man. I agree with Andy; I don't think there's any doubt that - now - the lad is broken. But the fact of the matter is, from the moment he was fit after the De Jong tackle - he should have been in the team, in an advanced position, every single week. I'd even go as far to say that the team should have been built around him during those years. Pardew got him totally wrong and is a massive reason for why the bloke is probably done at this level. I fully believe that if he'd racked up 50 appearances on the bounce (injuries permitting) he'd have been one of our most productive players. It's all to do with this cliché about 'no player being bigger than the team'. If that player has the natural ability to wildly improve the team, you do anything to make him as productive as possible. Guh. Just tragic, like I say. A huge indictment of this era. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ_NUFC Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Unbelievable post I spotted on reddit What fucking contributions? How is this upvoted? He was pure shite in most matches. Once in a blue moon he would pull off something amazing. But in 90% of games he produced zero end product, and wasted the ball every time he got it. You watch their top 5 youtube clips, no comparison. ben arfa appears to be much better. Or, you watch a match. Better still, several matches. No comparison, but for different reasons. Gouffran is far far better overall, and doesnt have that toxic attitude that needs to be gotten rid of asap as soon as it appears. ben arfa is an asshole, and not a team player, simple as. we are much better off without him. Imagine actually watching football games and coming to the conclusion that Gouffran is a far better player. That post ... http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/twitchy.gif Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 People like that can't be told, there's no point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
U2 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Best goals and assists to games ratio for how many years? 2/3? Anyway, I need help identifying one of his defining - game winning - moments. Late on, standard Pardew affair - that means fuck all had happened up until the 85th minute (or whatever) and we were finally attacking. Ben Arfa gets the ball in his wide right position, just short of the right corner of the area. He cuts inside and shoots, the ball bounces off Cisse and goes in. At least, that's what people thought, yet on closer inspection Hatem had picked Cisse out with an audacious pin-point delivery. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliottman Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Best goals and assists to games ratio for how many years? 2/3? Anyway, I need help identifying one of his defining - game winning - moments. Late on, standard Pardew affair - that means f*** all had happened up until the 85th minute (or whatever) and we were finally attacking. Ben Arfa gets the ball in his wide right position, just short of the right corner of the area. He cuts inside and shoots, the ball bounces off Cisse and goes in. At least, that's what people thought, yet on closer inspection Hatem had picked Cisse out with an audacious pin-point delivery. I know the game you mean - was it Palace last year? We won 1-0? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliottman Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 It was http://www.nufc.co.uk/page/Match/Report/0,,10278~3726311,00.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
U2 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 That's the one, cheers. Didn't have Hatem starting his run from so deep, nor picking Cisse out from such a narrow field position. Makes it even better than I remembered Which other games did Hatem grab us the winning goal? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliottman Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 That's the one, cheers. Didn't have Hatem starting his run from so deep, nor picking Cisse out from such a narrow field position. Makes it even better than I remembered Which other games did Hatem grab us the winning goal? Actual winners? His Villa goal, was it Fulham at home when Remy knocked it out wide and he cut back in and put it in the far corner? His wondergoal against Blackburn are a few off the top of the head. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtype Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 There's a huge difference between having fantastic talent and being a fantastic player and Ben Arfa is the text book example unfortunately. Didn't help that he had Pardew for a manager, but at some point he has to stand up and accept responsibility for what his career has become. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Nah. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I don't think oldtype is far off there tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Anyway, another couple of examples where he was expected to pull the rabbit out the hat was West Ham when he nearly did and was the only one that would have and Fulham when he did. Both at home last season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 The Bolton and Blackburn ones are obvious, Bolton had much of the better chances until he ran right through the middle of their team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtype Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Obviously I'll love him forever for the Bolton and Blackburn goals, but he could have easily been so much more if he got his head together. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanshithispantz Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 He did far more than the Bolton and Blackburn goals man. I get the point of bringing up that he's maybe a difficult charecter and perhaps didn't fully apply himself in the way someone like Gareth Bale does but he's hardly unique in that regard. He was brilliant when he was on the pitch, and arguably no less consistent than any other attacking player outside of Remy and Ba (who had his ups and downs in the middle). I cannot knock him for his flaws when they were nowhere near apparent enough to justify the lack of game time he recieved, that was entirely Alan Pardew's doing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Or if managers had put footballing output above off the field irrelevance and stats that fly in the face of common sense. Case in point. 5-1 vs Stoke: Assist, Won a penalty, Hit the bar, Hit the post. Next game: Dropped for Gouffran in a 0-1 home loss to Arsenal. I'll never not blame Pardew. Whatever you think of Ben Arfa, when he started he shone. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Remember when Santon was crap against Chelsea and Pardew said that he was good, despite not looking good, because his stats were good? You don't really need any further evidence of how he operated. For all we know HBA's stats might have been crap vs Bolton, Blackburn, Villa or whoever, but it doesn't matter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtype Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Ben Arfa has fallen out with managers other than Pardew. Players who barely have a fifth of Ben Arfa's talent have done well under Pardew. Pardew is shit, but it's very naive to believe that Ben Arfa would have thrived under any decent manager. He's far from blameless in any of this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
themanupstairs Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 This work ethic stuff is hilarious to me He's a forward, you are not supposed to have him track back constantly in his own half because it's ineffective. Look at all the best teams, hell even just good teams they don't make their forwards (centre or wide) track back into his own half the way Pardew made him. They make them press from the front, but once it gets past their zone it becomes the midfields problem and so on. Most teams defend like that now. Not like Ben Arfa never did that, I don't want Ben Arfa defending deep inside his own half anyway he's s*** at it. He should be nowhere near his own box, he's a danger to the team like most forwards are. Usually, when you are playing as a winger, it´s your job to follow the fullback if he advances. If you are not doing that, it usually mean 2 v 1 situation on your flank. Ironically, when he was at his absolute best for us, apart from producing the breath-taking moments in attack, he was also working very hard to track back and help defend danger from the opposition on his side of the pitch. He was also extremely intelligent in getting the release ball out and darting forward to receive it on the counter, which is an even better form of defence (transition that Mourinho is obsessed with). When his overall performance dropped because of being dropped/mishandled/coming on at 4-0 down with 5 mins to go etc....his work ethic also dropped. Ben Arfa may not be a model professional, but he is a genius artist who was very badly and miserably mismanaged by Pardew. Criminally so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanshithispantz Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Ben Arfa has fallen out with managers other than Pardew. Players who barely have a fifth of Ben Arfa's talent have done well under Pardew. Pardew is shit, but it's very naive to believe that Ben Arfa would have thrived under any decent manager. He's far from blameless in any of this. I see little point in looking at Ben Arfa's carreer outside of what we saw at NUFC. You could argue that under a different manager it would have deteriated far sooner than it did under AP (about 3 years) but given what we've seen I find it pretty hard to believe. What we know is that despite looking very good when on the pitch Alan Pardew refused to play him because "his stats weren't right" he "isn't a winger" and "he's not quite there yet"; it still took until this season for him to finally crack. It's not like we haven't seen the same treatment of about half a dozen other players during the last 4 years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now