Hatem Ben Arfa (still a free agent)

[joeyt]

Remember when ManDoon stacked it in front of him

[Elliottman]

That Stoke game man, so much fun. Remember laughing throughout the game as he took the piss. Then was dropped for the next game 😭

[joeyt]

22 minutes ago, Thumbheed said:

In spite of never actually bothering to improve himself at any club he played at, he was still widely regarded as being good enough to play at any club in the world had he done so.

 

His entire career was based on talent and talent alone. That makes him unique to any winger we've ever had. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kaizero]

34 minutes ago, joeyt said:

Remember when ManDoon stacked it in front of him

 

N-O's Halcyon Days  

[Abacus]

That leg break he got at Man City, which as far as I recall wasn't even given as a foul, was one of the most sickening things I've seen.

 

So, I was so pleased he recovered from that, came back and was still the most sensational player I've ever seen.

 

I think what's sometimes forgotten is that the reason you pay for a ticket is to watch people do things like he could up close, and it's totally different to watching it on TV.

 

I thought the same thing the first time I saw Ginola play, but to me Ben Arfa trumped him in terms of the sheer excitement of just watching him. I still remember that goal from the halfway line, sat in the Gallowgate.

 

Even from when he picked up the ball to start that impossible dribble, the bloke next to me, never one given to getting carried away, just said excitedly "oh, here we go". It seemed there was something in Ben Arfa's mind right from the off.

 

And then just we watched him just go and do it and went crackers when he did - never felt anything like it when he got the ball and you just knew he was on one.

 

And that wasn't even his best goal 

 

[Newcastle Fan]

Used to buy all my match tickets closer to where he would be playing at least for one half, he was worth the ticket price alone that season.

[Mike]

3 hours ago, Yorkie said:

If Ben Arfa was too much of a maverick for 2012* then there's no way he'd last in today's game where tactical discipline, team ethic and raw athleticism trump individuality. 

 

*debatable, I know

 

Still, I think the most creative and adaptable manager finds a way...

If that's the case then this game has lost it's soul. When anyone waxes poetic about footy they start with names, not squads.

[Yorkie]

7 minutes ago, Mike said:

If that's the case then this game has lost it's soul. When anyone waxes poetic about footy they start with names, not squads.

 

It has.  But at a wider, cultural scale, rather than the game itself. 

 

In terms of the game itself, I do think there's less room for wild card players; at the very top level anyway. You'll always have individual brilliance and players who are obviously exceptional in their position, but sides have to be so rigorously drilled and athletic now. Individuality contradicts that. 

 

There are probably managers and systems out there which are more accommodating to mavericks. Maybe at international level, where there's less time to imprint a team philosophy on a group of players? 

[toon25]

3 hours ago, Abacus said:

That leg break he got at Man City, which as far as I recall wasn't even given as a foul, was one of the most sickening things I've seen.

 

So, I was so pleased he recovered from that, came back and was still the most sensational player I've ever seen.

 

I think what's sometimes forgotten is that the reason you pay for a ticket is to watch people do things like he could up close, and it's totally different to watching it on TV.

 

I thought the same thing the first time I saw Ginola play, but to me Ben Arfa trumped him in terms of the sheer excitement of just watching him. I still remember that goal from the halfway line, sat in the Gallowgate.

 

Even from when he picked up the ball to start that impossible dribble, the bloke next to me, never one given to getting carried away, just said excitedly "oh, here we go". It seemed there was something in Ben Arfa's mind right from the off.

 

And then just we watched him just go and do it and went crackers when he did - never felt anything like it when he got the ball and you just knew he was on one.

 

And that wasn't even his best goal 

 

 

That dirty cunt De Jong, wasn't it? Filthy bastard of a player. 

[pubteam]

23 minutes ago, toon25 said:

 

That dirty cunt De Jong, wasn't it? Filthy bastard of a player. 

I still remember the absolute trauma of that challenge, disgusting player.

[Kimbo]

I’ve never been more angry at something football related. It was a horrible foul designed to take out our best player early. De Jong was a disgusting reprobate.

[Erikse]

27 minutes ago, toon25 said:

 

That dirty cunt De Jong, wasn't it? Filthy bastard of a player. 

 

I was the most excited I had ever been over a player after the debut and then he breaks his entire leg 2 games later. Should've seen it coming, don't know why I was getting my hopes up.

[Vaj]

Genuinely think with the right attitude he would have been challenging for the ballon d'or, an unbelievably good footballer. Having that bad attitude, however, meant that we got to have him at Newcastle and I don't know if I will ever see a better footballer at Newcastle in terms of natural ability, a joy to watch!

[Abacus]

1 hour ago, Yorkie said:

 

It has.  But at a wider, cultural scale, rather than the game itself. 

 

In terms of the game itself, I do think there's less room for wild card players; at the very top level anyway. You'll always have individual brilliance and players who are obviously exceptional in their position, but sides have to be so rigorously drilled and athletic now. Individuality contradicts that. 

 

There are probably managers and systems out there which are more accommodating to mavericks. Maybe at international level, where there's less time to imprint a team philosophy on a group of players? 

 

I just want to see players doing what seems impossible to normal mortals and take my breath away, forget the rest of the politics and shite. That was Hatem.

 

Edit, basically I agree, but it's not what I watch a match for. Yeah sure, let's grind out a result. Are you there to see someone win the league with a daily grind, or are you there to see the most beautiful minutes of how football should be played?

 

 

Edited September 7 by Abacus

[huss9]

i got to see this lad and gazza in a black and white shirt.

may have been better or more productive players for us over the years but these lads were something special to watch in person.

 

if only Hatem had buried that chance against benfica.

[M1tche]

I genuinely believe that you if dropped that version of Ben Arfa into this team we would run close with the top 2. 

[Astroblack]

4 minutes ago, M1tche said:

I genuinely believe that you if dropped that version of Ben Arfa into this team we would run close with the top 2. 

Yea. Our team is better than the Leicester one of 2016 and Mahrez is pretty much identical. 

[joeyt]

 

 

 

[gbandit]

Hope we get a piece from Ben Arfa one day where he says the highlight of his career was his spell under us. Would be nice to hear that he loved it as much as we did 

[timeEd32]

The Blackburn FA Cup goal was like being returned to another era. With no TV coverage word started to spread of that goal. The anticipation of waiting for the highlights. In the hours between tales started to spread of how he had dribbled through four, five, a hundred men.

[Kaizero]

37 minutes ago, gbandit said:

Hope we get a piece from Ben Arfa one day where he says the highlight of his career was his spell under us. Would be nice to hear that he loved it as much as we did 

 

[Mike]

1 hour ago, gbandit said:

Hope we get a piece from Ben Arfa one day where he says the highlight of his career was his spell under us. Would be nice to hear that he loved it as much as we did 

 

44 years old sat in me kegs at 1am last night seeing if his name was an option in the new FIFA. If only mom and dad could see me now. Absolute disgrace (that it wasn't available).

[Ellis H]

Alan Pardew has revealed he had to ditch Hatem Ben Arfa at Newcastle United as he upset his staff and the Toon squad too often.

Ben Arfa was a genuine fan favourite but after a fall out with Pardew he was eventually offloaded to Hull City then Nice, only to make a return to the big time with Paris St-Germain where he went on to win two domestic cups in France.

 

Despite showing fans his brilliance in a black and white shirt, with memorable goals away to Everton and at home to Blackburn Rovers, Ben Arfa was eventually let go by Newcastle. Indeed, Newcastle were happy to release the French international without picking up a fee as they wanted him off the books completely. 

Pardew told Talksport: "Unfortunately for Hatem - who was an unbelievable talent and if you asked which player you'd want to give the ball to it would be him - but I did not play him all the time.

"He antagonised staff and players. He had this way of upsetting the camp. His defensive work was zero. But he was a tremendous talent on the ball."

 

Pardew has also been opening up on his infamous headbutt on Hull's David Meyler during the 4-1 win in 2014. The ex-Newcastle manager says it cost him a huge fine and an eight game stadium ban.
 

Pardew said: “Meyler sucked me in there he was very clever. He kicked me as the ball was running out of play and then on the way back I was giving him a few verbals and he sort of came towards me and I put my head into his head.

 

“It wasn’t actually a headbutt but when you look at the footage but the media went mental, I had nowhere to go. I accepted the charge and Mike Ashley fined me £100,000 straight away to make a stance on it - and that was without the fine from the FA!

“It was an expensive situation and I served my time. I had to sit in a hotel room and watch the game because I couldn’t be on the sideline which was really painful as well.

"It was Fulham we played and I was in a hotel room at the Royal Garden watching it on TV. "Can you imagine how frustrated? I was running around the room going mental on my own.

[gbandit]

What. A. Cunt.

[joeyt]

Because our defence was watertight under Pardew when Ben Arfa didn't play