Hatem Ben Arfa (still a free agent)

[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.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Hazard has ok work rate but it's nothing special, he certainly doesn’t do anything that comes close to what Pardew expected from Ben Arfa.

 

 

[Hanshithispantz]

Up until the last year or so there's been little indication that he didn't have a professional attitude though?

 

 

[M4]

Just as a reminder, the French Ligue 1 has an official YouTube account posting highlights and goals:

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/Ligue1official

[Tooj]

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

Have a read up of what Guardiola said in that new book about how Robben should be playing.

[Guest firetotheworks]

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.

 

Considering players like Ketsbaia and even Sibierski are seen as being cult heroes, at least in some way, I would say HBA definitely is.

[Mike]

I'll never understand why a dickhead whose sole plan was "Magic!" had no use for Ben Arfa.

[TRon]

I'll never understand why a dickhead whose sole plan was "Magic!" had no use for Ben Arfa.

 

Word.

[r0cafella]

I'll never understand why a dickhead whose sole plan was "Magic!" had no use for Ben Arfa.

Magic ranked below a bit of luck and graft that's why.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Pardew's ego comes before everything, we all know that. If he thinks he's right and it flies in the face of reality, he'll go with his ego every single time.

[Hughesy]

Never really saw a lack of workrate from HBA anyway. Always seems to be a bit of a myth to fall back on. Do any of the people who don't rate HBA recall any/many goals that were a direct result of him neglecting his defensive duties?

[ponsaelius]

The people that hate him, I'd love to hear who their favourite NUFC players are of the last 10 years.

[Jack Flash]

Never really saw a lack of workrate from HBA anyway. Always seems to be a bit of a myth to fall back on. Do any of the people who don't rate HBA recall any/many goals that were a direct result of him neglecting his defensive duties?

 

That's the thing about an attacker losing the ball. There'll be about 8 players behind him so if he loses the ball high up the pitch it shouldn't be his fault if it ends up in the net.

 

"These people, their lives are humdrum, their jobs make them humdrum. They don't have much money in their pockets but they like a pint and they want to talk football. So it's your job on a Saturday afternoon to give these hard working people enough conversation for the whole week. You've got 90 mins every week to do it. It's your job to get on that field and have as many shots on goal as possible, to create as much excitement in the opposition penalty area as you possibly can. Every time you get on the ball you've got to give them something to remember, something for their weekly conversation in the pubs."

 

"Above all, don't let coaches talk you into anything other than what you've been bought for, that is to score goals. Every time you get the ball, you must think "how can I score a goal?". You've got to do your damnedest to stick it in the net. Remember, the opposing half is your stage. There are 10 others in the team to look after everything in the other half and 11 being there isn't going to make that much difference."

 

"There is one thing you must ensure. It is that during the game, you must maintain enough fitness, strength and stamina to be a threat right till the end. In the last minute, when the ball is booted out of defence, you've got to fight tooth and nail to get it, control it and the be able to run with it from the halfway line. You are going to have people kicking at you, pulling you and doing everything in their power to stop you, but you've got to have the strength to see them off. Then, when you've got to the opposition penalty area, you've still got to have the stamina to compose yourself and beat the goalkeeper. All this, because you are the match winner. Let nobody talk you into being anything else."

 

This says it all. Or it did until football became needlessly complicated for some reason.