Hatem Ben Arfa (now retired?)

[joeyt]

Half arsed appearances

[Mole_Toonfan]

He's not a fucking hero for god's sake, he just represented entertainment while everything was dull as fuck and was far better than the alternatives.

 

Shock that football fans want to watch entertaining players instead of Ryan Taylor.

[Hanshithispantz]

There's seemingly an issue with his personality, or his work rate in training, or something else behind the scenes we're unaware of. I'm not really seeing how this translates to Shola Ameobi and Obertan starting games of football ahead of him though.

 

We'll always live in the past as there's f*** all in the present to cheer about, the same as 90% of other football fans really.

 

My point is that is wasn't just Pardew and Bruce who saw this. It was all of his managers in France too.

 

The risk of it all going wrong was always high, even when you first signed him. Having someone like Pardew in charge made it even more likely.

Fair enough, it goes further than just a bust up with Pardew like, he was managed horrendously from the start because of his fear of playing an offensive winger in a 4-3-3 (so much so that he tried to pretend he wasn't a winger at one point). He dropped his guard once and we were fantastic for 5-6 games on the trot, got battered off Wigan and it was back to regiment 4-4-2s and 'grafting' wingers. This went on for like 3 year.

[SEMTEX]

So the issue is that flair players get more attention than centre backs?

 

Reckon you're just going to have to deal with that one like.

 

That isn't the issue at all, MYM was just the first name to come to mind.

My issue was with HBA's work-rate and half arsed appearances but being classed as a hero on here whilst others with a similar work-rate are absolutely battered.

 

Being good and football doesn't make you immune to critics.

 

The issue here is that I don't believe anyone has ever said he's perfect or that he should be immune to criticism. He is not a hero outright, but when you look at what we've got right now, comparatively speaking, he's more heroic than Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and the Incredible Hulk put together.

[Astroblack]

I seem to remember Ben Arfa creating chances in 90% of the games he played in. Off the top of my head, he probably only had four or five games when things didn't go for him.

 

He may have been half arsed in training(allegedly) but on the pitch where it mattered, he was always looking to make things happen.

[Figures 1-0 Football]

As was previously mentioned, the majority of the blame for HBA's career not taking off to its potential lies with HBA himself.

He can be mismanaged in one or two systems, with one or two managers - but every single one he has worked under? Suspicious.

 

We will never know if he's a total cock, but there must be a reason why.

 

It is sad to see such a talent wasted.

 

I'll end with a line I have repeated - I would love HBA in our club at this point in time, but others have produced more than him and got less plaudits.

 

[Hanshithispantz]

So the issue is that flair players get more attention than centre backs?

 

Reckon you're just going to have to deal with that one like.

 

That isn't the issue at all, MYM was just the first name to come to mind.

My issue was with HBA's work-rate and half arsed appearances but being classed as a hero on here whilst others with a similar work-rate are absolutely battered.

 

Being good at football doesn't make you immune to critics.

He's a direct winger who plays in bursts. His work rate was completely fine 

 

It's like complaining about Tim Krul because he's not running up the pitch and diving into challenges.

[Figures 1-0 Football]

So the issue is that flair players get more attention than centre backs?

 

Reckon you're just going to have to deal with that one like.

 

That isn't the issue at all, MYM was just the first name to come to mind.

My issue was with HBA's work-rate and half arsed appearances but being classed as a hero on here whilst others with a similar work-rate are absolutely battered.

 

Being good and football doesn't make you immune to critics.

 

The issue here is that I don't believe anyone has ever said he's perfect or that he should be immune to criticism. He is not a hero outright, but when you look at what we've got right now, comparatively speaking, he's more heroic than Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and the Incredible Hulk put together.

 

Compared to what we have now, you are more heroic than Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and the Incredible Hulk put together.

But that is a different thread and conversation.

[SEMTEX]

As was previously mentioned, the majority of the blame for HBA's career not taking off to its potential lies with HBA himself.

He can be mismanaged in one or two systems, with one or two managers - but every single one he has worked under? Suspicious.

 

We will never know if he's a total cock, but there must be a reason why.

 

It is sad to see such a talent wasted.

 

I'll end with a line I have repeated - I would love HBA in our club at this point in time, but others have produced more than him and got less plaudits.

 

 

My assumption has always been that he's probably a massive knob and exceptionally difficult to deal with. However, my faith in those managers having the remotest bit of people management skills is nil.

 

I would drive to Newcastle, via Nice, from Philadelphia right now if it meant that he could play against West Ham.

[Mole_Toonfan]

As was previously mentioned, the majority of the blame for HBA's career not taking off to its potential lies with HBA himself.

He can be mismanaged in one or two systems, with one or two managers - but every single one he has worked under? Suspicious.

 

We will never know if he's a total cock, but there must be a reason why.

 

It is sad to see such a talent wasted.

 

I'll end with a line I have repeated - I would love HBA in our club at this point in time, but others have produced more than him and got less plaudits.

 

Yeah manager's like to use players to get people to ignore their own deficiencies, it's pretty obvious.

[Figures 1-0 Football]

So the issue is that flair players get more attention than centre backs?

 

Reckon you're just going to have to deal with that one like.

 

That isn't the issue at all, MYM was just the first name to come to mind.

My issue was with HBA's work-rate and half arsed appearances but being classed as a hero on here whilst others with a similar work-rate are absolutely battered.

 

Being good at football doesn't make you immune to critics.

He's a direct winger who plays in bursts. His work rate was completely fine 

 

It's like complaining about Tim Krul because he's not running up the pitch and diving into challenges.

 

For crying out loud, work-rate is not just running around and challenging.

He is a flair winger, who's role is to create and score goals... Sadly in my opinion, he did not do it enough. He'd frequently fade out of games if it was not going his way.

[Hanshithispantz]

I seem to remember Ben Arfa creating chances in 90% of the games he played in. Off the top of my head, he probably only had four or five games when things didn't go for him.

 

He may have been half arsed in training(allegedly) but on the pitch where it mattered, he was always looking to make things happen.

I don't know if they're still up but you could literally Google 80-90% of the games he started in and there was some 5 minute compilation video of him rinsing defenders

[joeyt]

I| would love HBA in our club at this point in time, but others have produced more than him and got less plaudits.

 

 

Such as who?

[Hanshithispantz]

So the issue is that flair players get more attention than centre backs?

 

Reckon you're just going to have to deal with that one like.

 

That isn't the issue at all, MYM was just the first name to come to mind.

My issue was with HBA's work-rate and half arsed appearances but being classed as a hero on here whilst others with a similar work-rate are absolutely battered.

 

Being good at football doesn't make you immune to critics.

He's a direct winger who plays in bursts. His work rate was completely fine 

 

It's like complaining about Tim Krul because he's not running up the pitch and diving into challenges.

 

For crying out loud, work-rate is not just running around and challenging.

He is a flair winger, who's role is to create and score goals... Sadly in my opinion, he did not do it enough. He'd frequently fade out of games if it was not going his way.

He created and scored loads of goals, partly because his work rate was absolutely fine.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Same would happen to any other player of that type here, Lionel Messi would be accused of being lazy and not putting a shift in and then we'd sell him and say that's a waste of talent.

 

News flash: Forwards are not supposed to be so deep that they are defending their own box and picking the ball up 80 yards from goal.

[KaKa]

You can say Pardew and Bruce "ruined" him, those damn English dinosaurs, but in reality Gerets, Perrin, Houllier and Deschamps did the same thing in France.

 

Fact if, if 6 managers (I'm using the term lightly with Pards and Bruce) thought he wasn't worth their time, then maybe they are right.

 

I absolutely hate this argument.

 

Lyon and Marseille were top teams in France and competing for the title were they not? There were other really good players in those teams, and with him being younger and less disciplined it was always going to be difficult for him to just play his game, and he always got frustrated with that.

 

However, we are Newcastle and are nowhere near the levels of the teams he had been in. We are absolutely shit. There's no fucking reason he should not be playing 90 mins every week in our team. No way.

[Figures 1-0 Football]

I| would love HBA in our club at this point in time, but others have produced more than him and got less plaudits.

 

 

Such as who?

 

Jack Colback?

 

 

 

 

Nah, I'm kidding, just wanted you to rage inside for a moment.

 

One random example, Albert.

[Astroblack]

Exactly. We play in slow motion but when Ben Arfa got the ball, he actually looked like a footballer. Trying to play one-two, driving at defenses, playing reverse passes, diagonals, he did it all.

 

I remember him coming on against Arsenal and everyone from their team trying to get the ball off him but couldn't. He probably played 20 minutes that game and did more than anyone else did. If there was ever a player to be excused from tracking back, it was him, because he was so much more dangerous with the ball and in space. Ridiculous that he doesn't play here anymore. He actually gave a fuck.

[Hanshithispantz]

It would be canny strange of us to all randomly start gracing a player who left us nearly 2 decades ago with plaudits like

 

Albert was class, if you ask anyone they'll say he was class. He's hardly the hot topic at the moment like, neither's Hughie Gallacher.

[Figures 1-0 Football]

It would be canny strange of us to all randomly start gracing a player who left us nearly 2 decades ago with plaudits like

 

Albert was class, if you ask anyone they'll say he was class. He's hardly the hot topic at the moment like, neither's Hughie Gallacher.

 

THIS is my argument with HBA!

He does not play for us anymore! Why are we randomly gracing him with praise?

Hit. Nail. Head.

 

I've agreed he is class, I've agreed that we need him, but the same all applies to Albert.

[joeyt]

I| would love HBA in our club at this point in time, but others have produced more than him and got less plaudits.

 

 

Such as who?

 

Jack Colback?

 

 

 

 

Nah, I'm kidding, just wanted you to rage inside for a moment.

 

One random example, Albert.

 

Comparing his plaudits with a player that played before internet messageboards :lol:

[Darth Crooks]

Hughie Gallacher in his current form would probably be more use than Ryan Taylor

[Hanshithispantz]

It would be canny strange of us to all randomly start gracing a player who left us nearly 2 decades ago with plaudits like

 

Albert was class, if you ask anyone they'll say he was class. He's hardly the hot topic at the moment like, neither's Hughie Gallacher.

 

THIS is my argument with HBA!

He does not play for us anymore! Why are we randomly gracing him with praise?

Hit. Nail. Head.

 

I've agreed he is class, I've agreed that we need him, but the same all applies to Albert.

But he played for us like a year ago and the people who are involved with him leaving a still in charge of the club, the players who have took his place are still at the club etc. I imagine it'll down die a touch in 20 years time.

 

It would be the same if Cabaye or Debuchy left us in dodgy circumstances.

[Hanshithispantz]

In fact it still happens with Marveaux.

 

A player who many recognise is not a world beater, and in an ideal world wouldn't have been in our starting XI every week, but the circumstances behind him not playing lead to people talking about the issue more than normal.

[Elliottman]

I| would love HBA in our club at this point in time, but others have produced more than him and got less plaudits.

 

 

Such as who?

 

Jack Colback?

 

 

 

 

Nah, I'm kidding, just wanted you to rage inside for a moment.

 

One random example, Albert.

 

wtf