Hatem Ben Arfa (now retired?)

[Guest firetotheworks]

That team though Mike, that team could have gone somewhere, it really could have. They are all very good players, all of them.

[Mike]

That team though Mike, that team could have gone somewhere, it really could have. They are all very good players, all of them.

 

It wouldn't have gone anywhere because it would have been Krul booting high balls to Cisse for 90 minutes.

[Jack Flash]

For some reason, one moment that sticks out for me is a game against stoke (I think). Cross field ball to him, as its dropping most would bring it down in the usual standard style, hba decides to trap in as its about to hit the ground. Sounds s*** and boring but the technique was ridiculous. Sure there's a video somewhere.

 

There is on YT its insane

 

You know the name?

 

Ben Arfa Control Vs. Stoke

[Elliottman]

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.

 

Used to do my f***ing head in when he'd be "tracking back" and pick the ball up on the corner of our own box. What a f***ing waste of time.

 

Only to get a load of shit from the crowd when he lost it.

[AY]

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.

[Guest firetotheworks]

That team though Mike, that team could have gone somewhere, it really could have. They are all very good players, all of them.

 

It wouldn't have gone anywhere because it would have been Krul booting high balls to Cisse for 90 minutes.

 

Ah nah, obviously I mean if between the years 2011 and 2015 we'd had a manager and not an actual cunt.

[Elliottman]

For some reason, one moment that sticks out for me is a game against stoke (I think). Cross field ball to him, as its dropping most would bring it down in the usual standard style, hba decides to trap in as its about to hit the ground. Sounds s*** and boring but the technique was ridiculous. Sure there's a video somewhere.

 

There is on YT its insane

 

You know the name?

 

Ben Arfa Control Vs. Stoke

 

 

 

[Mike]

That team though Mike, that team could have gone somewhere, it really could have. They are all very good players, all of them.

 

It wouldn't have gone anywhere because it would have been Krul booting high balls to Cisse for 90 minutes.

 

Ah nah, obviously I mean if between the years 2011 and 2015 we'd had a manager and not an actual cunt.

 

But we didn't, KI. This was our shot. This week. They called him back to fire him. That's who we support.

[SiLvOR]

He has been my favourite player ever since he came here. He directly influenced by own game when I played as well

 

I'm so glad I got to see his goal at Fulham, I went completely beserk. He's gona be one of the players I tell my kids about in years to come, he's the reason we go to matches.

[Guest firetotheworks]

That team though Mike, that team could have gone somewhere, it really could have. They are all very good players, all of them.

 

It wouldn't have gone anywhere because it would have been Krul booting high balls to Cisse for 90 minutes.

 

Ah nah, obviously I mean if between the years 2011 and 2015 we'd had a manager and not an actual cunt.

 

But we didn't, KI. This was our shot. This week. They called him back to fire him. That's who we support.

 

Oh God, no.

 

I'm going to spend years beating myself up over that team like.

[Elliottman]

I hope nice get a decent amount of games on bt

[Mole_Toonfan]

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.

 

That's Pardew's fault for playing a flat 442, he's not a winger in a traditional sense so doesn’t have the same tendencies.

 

He was great as a Right Forward in a 433 because of the reasons mentioned many times before and the fact he didn't need to hold his full backs hands.

 

I genuinely wonder who impersonated Pardew during that month as it clearly wasn't him.

[Jack Flash]

I hope nice get a decent amount of games on bt

 

16th is the next one.

[Mike]

That team though Mike, that team could have gone somewhere, it really could have. They are all very good players, all of them.

 

It wouldn't have gone anywhere because it would have been Krul booting high balls to Cisse for 90 minutes.

 

Ah nah, obviously I mean if between the years 2011 and 2015 we'd had a manager and not an actual cunt.

 

But we didn't, KI. This was our shot. This week. They called him back to fire him. That's who we support.

 

Oh God, no.

 

I'm going to spend years beating myself up over that team like.

 

Right team, crazy team. Wrong manager.

[Mike]

I genuinely wonder who impersonated Pardew during that month as it clearly wasn't him.

 

Probably set the team up so that Cabs would look good and fetch a few extra mil. It's never about winning here.

[Geordie Ahmed]

The following are Ben Arfa memories that stand out (not in any particular order)

- Everton Goal

- Bolton Goal

- Blackburn Goal

- Aston Villa Goal

- West Brom Goal

- Fulham Goal

- Tearing Richardson a new arsehole

- Tearing Liverpool and Enrique a new arsehole

- West Brom away tearing them a new arsehole

 

These are memories that stand out. You can collectively put together Gouffran, Obertan and Sammy, let's see if you can get anywhere close to matching that list above.

 

Of course he wasn't perfect, if he was as others have said he would have been playing for a bigger club BUT for us he was class and was scapegoated by an arsehole of a manager and dropped for inferior players who have not done anywhere close to what he has for us.

[M4]

I genuinely wonder who impersonated Pardew during that month as it clearly wasn't him.

 

Ben Arfa made himself undroppable over that period. Even by Pardew, and after playing a bit part role until March of that season.

 

Pardew had to wait for injury at the start of 12-13 I think to have an excuse to drop him again.

 

[AY]

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.

 

That's Pardew's fault for playing a flat 442, he's not a winger in a traditional sense so doesn’t have the same tendencies.

 

He was great as a Right Forward in a 433 because of the reasons mentioned many times before and the fact he didn't need to hold his full backs hands.

 

I genuinely wonder who impersonated Pardew during that month as it clearly wasn't him.

 

Even in a 4-3-3 a wide forward should defend. Mourinho's system is often a lot like 4-3-3 and you see Hazard and Willian especially tracking back. Of course at his best Hatem was superb going forward, but that was just too rarely to justify his lack on defending. Even Cisse and Ba defended when Pardew put them on the wing.

 

Don't get me wrong, I like the fella. Just that him leaving was maybe also his own fault as much as the clown Pardew.

 

edit. His best goal for me was the Bolton home game. Great run and cool finish. Even better than against Blackburn

[duo]

Sad he was wasted under Pardew.

[SEMTEX]

Mourinho is a defensive manager though, there aren't many examples where those wingers are expected to track back all that much.

[ExiledGeordie]

Sad he was wasted under Pardew.

 

Agree, sad that Pardew never really got the best out of him but equally that the lad clearly hasn't got a clue about being a professional.

 

Mismanaged by the manager and completely mismanaged himself. Sad state of affairs. Only good memories of him to be fair.

[TRon]

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.

 

That's Pardew's fault for playing a flat 442, he's not a winger in a traditional sense so doesn’t have the same tendencies.

 

He was great as a Right Forward in a 433 because of the reasons mentioned many times before and the fact he didn't need to hold his full backs hands.

 

I genuinely wonder who impersonated Pardew during that month as it clearly wasn't him.

 

In that season we finished 5th we got a glimpse of the player Ben Arfa could be. He was outstanding for the second half of that campaign, so much so that he got recalled for France in the world cup. At that time not many of us would have swapped him for £20m.

[Guest firetotheworks]

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.

 

That's Pardew's fault for playing a flat 442, he's not a winger in a traditional sense so doesn’t have the same tendencies.

 

He was great as a Right Forward in a 433 because of the reasons mentioned many times before and the fact he didn't need to hold his full backs hands.

 

I genuinely wonder who impersonated Pardew during that month as it clearly wasn't him.

 

Even in a 4-3-3 a wide forward should defend. Mourinho's system is often a lot like 4-3-3 and you see Hazard and Willian especially tracking back. Of course at his best Hatem was superb going forward, but that was just too rarely to justify his lack on defending. Even Cisse and Ba defended when Pardew put them on the wing.

 

Don't get me wrong, I like the fella. Just that him leaving was maybe also his own fault as much as the clown Pardew.

 

edit. His best goal for me was the Bolton home game. Great run and cool finish. Even better than against Blackburn

 

Mourinho can drop players like Mata because he has players like Oscar or Ramires who will play instead. Pardew dropped Ben Arfa when he had players like Ryan Taylor and Yoan Gouffran to play instead. It's not the same.

[Hanshithispantz]

Didn't Hazard and Mourinho have a falling out last season about Mourinho expecting him to work harder?

[AY]

Mourinho is a defensive manager though, there aren't many examples where those wingers are expected to track back all that much.

 

Yea ofc Pardew is super negative manager and all that. Hatem was totally wasted excluding that short spell. With a professional attitude he could have become a cult hero. Maybe he is already.