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Hatem Ben Arfa (still a free agent)


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I don't really want to read too much into his comments about us as a club because I think he can be a bit of a gobshite but the rest of it is bang on and I hope it helps to push AP out the door.

 

The timing of this stuff is also really interesting, I wonder what he seriously hopes to gain from it.

 

Well Pardew and the club are putting a lot of negative stuff into the press about him.  Whether it is true or not, it is damaging his reputation especially if he has to find another club.

 

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He'll not play for the club again. He'll be moved on in the summer regardless of who is manager.

 

That's the whack. Done.

bingo.

 

The frustration is if our fanbase were more united we'd have a lot of control over Ashley's decisions. He gets away with this stuff only because he thinks he can without it coming back on him. This whole "Ashley doesnt care" thing is a bluff, he uses it to keep control. His actions & whole persona are not that of someone who doesnt care.

I highly doubt even a completely united fanbase (which is unlikely at the best of times) it would make that much difference. He's never going to start basing decisions on what the crowd want it will be based on £££ nothing more nothing less.

 

Logic like that is why he is where he is. "We can't really do anything".

 

The fans clearly affect the team & the teams performance controls the worth of Mike Ashleys asset. Why do you think they continually try to keep fans onside?

Season ticket sales, and most of that is centered around price rather than any attempt to keep the fans onside.

 

Well thats still keeping fans onside isn't it? You can't say hes not worried about fan opinion, yet really wants to sell season tickets.

 

Anyway beyond that you an go back to the Keegan trial when it came out that they lied to us. The stadium renaming was explained away as much as possible to be for the club. They changed it back with Wonga to get people onside about that. The accounts are constantly used to keep the fanbase happy. Pardew is quite clearly continually lowering expectation, excusing Ashley & trying to keep fans onside.

 

Its all over the place. Yet people still come out with "He doesnt care about the fans". If he didn't we'd not have heard half the BS we've had to.

 

He absolutely cares. Mick will tell you as well, having heard it from as good as the horse's mouth.

 

The whole reason they shut the singing section down was because they were singing nasty songs about him.

Yuo're right he does care and I keep trying to get that across to people. His image is of somebody who doesn't care because if people think that way they may not give him any stick as they think it's pointless.
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Guest thenorthumbrian

Football history is littered with talented but troubled players. From Maradona to George Best, from Gazza to Hughie Gallacher. Managers either put up with the baggage they bring or find that they don't have the self confidence or ability to cope with them. Pardew is obviously the latter when it comes to Ben Arfa.

 

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Guest thenorthumbrian

I don't really want to read too much into his comments about us as a club because I think he can be a bit of a gobshite but the rest of it is bang on and I hope it helps to push AP out the door.

 

The timing of this stuff is also really interesting, I wonder what he seriously hopes to gain from it.

 

Well Pardew and the club are putting a lot of negative stuff into the press about him.  Whether it is true or not, it is damaging his reputation especially if he has to find another club.

 

 

I don't think any player at United can criticise Ben Arfa for lack of effort considering the way the team has gone missing in recent matches.

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The only thing I dont understand about Ben Arfa is why isnt he doing more to shed his excess pounds. I agree he hasnt been treat great but it works both ways and its not as though we havnt got decent training facilities where he could hit the gym every day and try and force his way back into the team through working hard on the training ground and shedding half a stone or so instead of giving press interviews.

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I don't really want to read too much into his comments about us as a club because I think he can be a bit of a gobshite but the rest of it is bang on and I hope it helps to push AP out the door.

 

The timing of this stuff is also really interesting, I wonder what he seriously hopes to gain from it.

 

Well Pardew and the club are putting a lot of negative stuff into the press about him.  Whether it is true or not, it is damaging his reputation especially if he has to find another club.

caulkin sums up the possible other side to it pretty well

 

George Caulkin @CaulkinTheTimes  ·  14h

You can look at Ben Arfa from another angle, of course: 1 year left on contract, likely to leave, important to show he's not a bad-boy...

 

George Caulkin @CaulkinTheTimes  ·  14h

If he's being left out of squad because of "team unity" reasons, as is the suggestion, it doesn't reflect well. So ... smoke and mirrors.

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Wasn't Ben Arfa an absolute machine when we went on our big streak when we finished 5th? He's an enormous part of why Pardew still has support in our fanbase and in the press.

 

That front 4 with him Cisse, Ba and Cabaye were all absolute dynamite basically. They weren't always all firing on all cylinders at the same time, especially Ba and sometimes when Cabaye was a bit deeper, but generally one of them (other than Cisse at the time obviously) was on their game. Against West Brom they all were, but HBA stood out.

 

We all know that that was the last we saw of that formation though.

 

:thup:

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Guest firetotheworks

It's one thing to play the good lad, it's another thing entirely to say that you'll stay and fight for your place even if the manager doesn't want you.

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I don't really want to read too much into his comments about us as a club because I think he can be a bit of a gobshite but the rest of it is bang on and I hope it helps to push AP out the door.

 

The timing of this stuff is also really interesting, I wonder what he seriously hopes to gain from it.

 

Well Pardew and the club are putting a lot of negative stuff into the press about him.  Whether it is true or not, it is damaging his reputation especially if he has to find another club.

caulkin sums up the possible other side to it pretty well

 

George Caulkin @CaulkinTheTimes  ·  14h

You can look at Ben Arfa from another angle, of course: 1 year left on contract, likely to leave, important to show he's not a bad-boy...

 

George Caulkin @CaulkinTheTimes  ·  14h

If he's being left out of squad because of "team unity" reasons, as is the suggestion, it doesn't reflect well. So ... smoke and mirrors.

 

If it was important to show he's not a bad boy, then you would think holding a press conference to take a dig at the manager isn't the best way to do it. I think he's just defending himself from the negative rumours that he's a trouble maker and the rest of the squad don't like him. Or at least the shit players don't.

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Guest firetotheworks

He's been given exactly the same treatment as Nile fucking Ranger ffs. :anguish:

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AP: "Luuk de Jong has returned to the group (after injury). Other than that, everyone who was at Arsenal will be available."

 

Ruled out for Saturday then.

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Miles Starforth ‏@milesstarforth  3m

Asked about Ben Arfa's comments, Pardew again said team would be picked 'on merit'. Ben Arfa did NOT train with main group today. #nufc

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Pardew's interview on SSN  :anguish:

 

Sat there smirking throughout. Bell-end.

 

'He trained with a different group to that which I trained with.' Just talk properly you prick.

 

'It's not about Hatem, it's not about me.' Bullshit. It is always about you.

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