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Hatem Ben Arfa (still a free agent)


Dave

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I used to watch Hatem compilations on YouTube before my 5 a side games to get me pumped. I'd try and play just like him. Didn't half give me some false confidence :lol:

 

God I was fucking obsessed with him. Was at Fulham when he scored that ridiculous goal/chip thing, ended up about 6 rows forward, screaming in some randoms face. Fucking get him back man.

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1 minute ago, SiLvOR said:

I used to watch Hatem compilations on YouTube before my 5 a side games to get me pumped. I'd try and play just like him. Didn't half give me some false confidence :lol:

 

God I was fucking obsessed with him. Was at Fulham when he scored that ridiculous goal/chip thing, ended up about 6 rows forward, screaming in some randoms face. Fucking get him back man.

That the one we lost 2-1? Can’t remember it very clearly but was at the game 

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33 minutes ago, Gazzaschicken said:

He was in spy bar on Osborne Road one night and parked his blacked out porcshe outside on the double yellows and my mate sat on his car bonnet with his kegs down swinging his scarf around in the air singing toon songs pissed out his skull. Ben arfa came over shouting but then started laughing his head off shaking his head then came inside and had some banter with us for 10 mins then fucked off. 

 

He was sound. 

 

Had the pleasure of meeting Hatem Ben Arfa at a charity do once. He was surprisingly down to earth, and VERY funny.

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5 minutes ago, SiLvOR said:

I used to watch Hatem compilations on YouTube before my 5 a side games to get me pumped. I'd try and play just like him. Didn't half give me some false confidence :lol:

 

God I was fucking obsessed with him. Was at Fulham when he scored that ridiculous goal/chip thing, ended up about 6 rows forward, screaming in some randoms face. Fucking get him back man.

Love this.

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26 minutes ago, gbandit said:

That the one we lost 2-1? Can’t remember it very clearly but was at the game 

Yeah that's the one, seem to remember Duff doing his usual anger fuelled world beating performance against us. Never got why he used to be so mad at us, like fuck, you were so insignificant and shit :lol:

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One of the most gifted players I've ever seen in a B&W strip - he really should played at a much higher level than he ended up.  He let himself down in his career - it wasn't just down to wankers like Pardew and Bruce - but I'd take him on a six month contract.  He'd give the crowd a boost, and besides - if Hatem waddled onto the pitch ten stone overweight, hobbling on a gammy knee and chain-smoking, he'd likely still be more of a goal threat than the likes of Almiron.

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1 minute ago, Heron said:

Hatem is massively overrated on this forum. Pure culty levels. :lol:

I've decided to forget the half-arsed performances, the lack of professionalism, that final derby game where if he stood on the halfway line scratching his bollocks for 90 mins he'd still have put in more effort.

 

He now sits in a warm, happy place in my memory banks.  Along with 'first half of the season' Rob Lee, Papiss's first 14 games, and Alex Mathie's volley.  My mind shall not compute anything else about them :) 

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That's fair. From a purely objective stance, I think he had a bit more end product than ASM but ASM is arguably a more skilful dribbler of the ball, despite not being technically as good.

 

I think if we had a similar quality team to then, now, ASM would be loved a similar way, but fankly we're well away from that level at present.

 

Ultimately though, both are FIFA street ballers with a showman attitude in a team game, playing for a club where luxuries cannot be afforded and they need to learn to do more to 'fit' the needs of the team rather than have the team 'fit' their own (personal) needs. 

 

 

Edited by Heron

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17 minutes ago, Heron said:

That's fair. From a purely objective stance, I think he had a bit more end product than ASM but ASM is arguably a more skilful dribbler of the ball, despite not being technically as good.

 

I think if we had a similar quality team to then, now, ASM would be loved a similar way, but fankly we're well away from that level at present.

 

Ultimately though, both are FIFA street ballers with a showman attitude in a team game, playing for a club where luxuries cannot be afforded and they need to learn to do more to 'fit' the needs of the team rather than have the team 'fit' their own (personal) needs. 

 

 

 


not having ASM being a better dribbler. He’s got a more show boating style of dribbling but Ben Arfa had it stuck to his foot before deciding to give it a little nudge to power past defenders. Much more effective style.


I like ASM and not blind to Ben Arfas failings but imo there’s nothing that ASM scores more highly on

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14 minutes ago, Heron said:

That's fair. From a purely objective stance, I think he had a bit more end product than ASM but ASM is arguably a more skilful dribbler of the ball, despite not being technically as good.

 

I think if we had a similar quality team to then, now, ASM would be loved a similar way, but fankly we're well away from that level at present.

 

Ultimately though, both are FIFA street ballers with a showman attitude in a team game, playing for a club where luxuries cannot be afforded and they need to learn to do more to 'fit' the needs of the team rather than have the team 'fit' their own (personal) needs. 

 

 

 

 

ASM is a talent, but I don't think he touches Ben Arfa as a dribbler of the football. 

 

ASM is more of an explosive over dribbler that loses the ball a fair bit. Think Ben Arfa was so much more technically gifted and had an immense touch and control of the ball. He was a puppeteer that had defenders on a string. He toyed with them and it was incredibly difficult to get the ball off him.

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1 minute ago, Colos Short and Curlies said:


not having ASM being a better dribbler. He’s got a more show boating style of dribbling but Ben Arfa had it stuck to his foot before deciding to give it a little nudge to power past defenders. Much more effective style.


I like ASM and not blind to Ben Arfas failings but imo there’s nothing that ASM scores more highly on

 

This, this, this, this this!!!

 

It didn't make sense how good he was at that while moving at high speed and while constantly changing directions. It was impossible for defenders to handle. Just an incredible ability.

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5 minutes ago, LV said:

I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved Ben Arfa.

 

I will just never ever understand those who didn’t rate him. 

Whenever I speak to another Newcastle fan I use Ben Arfa as the yardstick, if they criticise him then I consider them to be

 

1) full of shit and

2) not a lover of football 

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48 minutes ago, Heron said:

Hatem is massively overrated on this forum. Pure culty levels. :lol:

 

I was there at St. James' when he scored that goal against Bolton - still remains to be one of the most edge of my seat moments I have experienced going to games. On his day he was the definition of scintillating. The lad had a thunderbastard of a strike on him and some canny tricks - the people who didn't like him were based on his supposed attitude and selfishness but players like him are naturally "selfish" for lack of a better word because they have the skill and magic to make something out of nothing.

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Honestly a six month stint to save us from relegation would be the stuff dreams are made of and would make him an all time legend. Probably my favourite NUFC player of all time, in terms of how much I enjoyed his style of football. He could defo do a job like 34 year old Peter Beardsley did in the early Keegan years, right? Even if as a playmaker number 10 type. Has he even been linked? 

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