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Hatem Ben Arfa (still a free agent)


Dave

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Any chance he could play a bit deeper behind the front three? Would be ridiculous. :lol:

 

Good lord, imagine that.

 

Buying a Ben Arfa Barca kit if this happens :lol:

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I'd stay at Nice if I were him. Never going to happen like.

 

 

:lol: What? And turn down Barca

 

Exactly why it won't happen, but he's currently:

 

1. Playing every week.

2. For a good team.

3. Seemingly getting on with his teammates and manager.

4. Receiving international recognition for his performances.

5. Being hero worshipped by his club's supporters.

6. Enjoying his football.

 

All of that is at risk if he moves.

 

As far as I'm concerned, these are the things Ben Arfa thrives on and needs in order to perform to the best of his ability. He's far too fragile to be a smaller fish in a huge pond at a club like Barcelona. He needs to feel loved and cherished. Idolised even.

 

That post match interview when he was playing for us (I forget the opposition) when he said something along the lines of "The fans say GO! GO! GO! and I can fly" - such enthusiasm and such joyful nature to his words, he needs that love to thrive on the football pitch.

 

The most frustrating thing about his time here for me, was those fans who lapped up Pardew's bullshit about his work ethic and how he didn't track back. Fuck that, man. When you're a kid growing up watching football, you don't give a flying fuck about defenders, clean sheets, tracking back. You want to see players like Ben Arfa running at opposition players, taking them on, putting them on their arse. Proper edge of the seat stuff. So what if he doesn't track his man, when you're lucky enough to have a player like that in your team you make the other 10 players do the defending, knowing that when he gets the ball, he'll make things happen.

 

For all the shit we put up with under Pardew, the heavy defeats, negative tactics, winless runs etc - his involvement in alienating Hatem from our club is the thing that will ensure my disdain for him for the rest of time.

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Rafa and Hatem!

 

Would have been an awesome combo!

 

Really? From what I've heard of Rafa he doesn't exactly bow down to a players ego and seems to have a preferance for everyone in his team to put a shift in to a certain extent. As much as I'd like to think otherwise, I don't think Rafa and Hatem would have got on particularly well, but he certainly wouldn't have chronically mismanaged him like Pardew did and let him go for nowt.

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For all the s*** we put up with under Pardew, the heavy defeats, negative tactics, winless runs etc - his involvement in alienating Hatem from our club is the thing that will ensure my disdain for him for the rest of time.

 

This this this.

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What's the character limit on thread titles?  Should just keep the description going for maximum effect:

 

Topic: Hatem Ben Arfa - given away for free by Newcastle United, won player of the year having guided Nice into the Champions League and has now signed for FC Barcelona

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In the Times today there's a story that Chelsea are interested. No idea whether this is just stuff being put out by his agent but I'd be surprised if there's anything in it.

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He'll rot on their bench all season and only play in shit Spanish cup games/when others are rested. His weight could be an issue like, if he's not playing regularly we all know the lad loves a kebab!

 

But then again, I don't think anyone could turn down the opportunity to play for them :lol:

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His weight could be an issue like, if he's not playing regularly we all know the lad loves a kebab!

 

We don't know that though. We've been told that by horrible people. I prefer to believe Ben Arfa and his agent who said he turned up weighing more, but it being due to muscle mass.

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To be fair, it's not out of this world to think that big clubs would want him, if only as a back up player. I mean what a player to have coming off the bench.

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In the Times today there's a story that Chelsea are interested. No idea whether this is just stuff being put out by his agent but I'd be surprised if there's anything in it.

 

I'm starting to think it's the former.

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Guest neesy111

His weight could be an issue like, if he's not playing regularly we all know the lad loves a kebab!

 

We don't know that though. We've been told that by horrible people. I prefer to believe Ben Arfa and his agent who said he turned up weighing more, but it being due to muscle mass.

 

This, he was told by Pardew to bulk up which for a player like him is the exact opposite you should do.  Would you ask Messi to bulk up ffs.

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Ben Arfa at Barcelona. Fair fucking play, lad. Can't be bothered to lament his time with us - we all knew he was class and it was a tragedy, end of. Good on him for really making something of his career, really hope he goes there.

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He should just stay where he is. He needs to be somewhere where the planets align. Other than financially, he wouldn't benefit personally from the move and I don't think he is particularly financially motivated.

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It's certainly much safer for him to stay put.... but the notion of HBA succeeding at Barca is just too much to pass up on. Might even shut the mouths of all the stupid Steve Bruce wannabe cunts talking down about wor Hatem.

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I trust he'll do enough due diligence for whatever move he makes, given the problems he's had in the past. He has to know the manager trusts him and values him. Obviously it's basically impossible to say no to Barca but I just hope he gets enough chances.

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