Keggy_Keagal Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 HBA was always a player you had to allow free reign and in essence build a side to accommodate him. That doesn't really cut it in modern football when the likes of Messi in his pomp would still work for the side. To be fair to Hatem you did see him in games do a bit of graft but Pardew never seemed to give him a moments credit for it, a cleverer manager may well have been able to build on those moments and hopefully integrate those into his game more. He was far too often treated like our joker. Team in the shit, need to get summat out the match Pardew would send on Ben Arfa, sometimes he'd make something happen, then still be on the bench ,other times he wouldn't, so he'd still be on the bench, and often Obertan would be in ahead of him, incredibly frustrating for a tremendously gifted player. Barring that short period when it was HBA, Cisse and Ba, Pardew didn't have the first clue really on what to do with him. Which lead to Ben Arfa trying to throw a fridge at him I believe. As other said many times such a shame he never got to work with KK or Sir Bobby, you only have to look at his time at NIce to see what he could do to transform a team with a progressive coach. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawK Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 He was born 15 years too late. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smal Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 He would've pressed and worked reasonably hard for Howe, I think. I don't really think of HBA as being a lazy player; he just really, really didn't want to do what Pardew wanted him to do which was play as an auxiliary right wing back without the ball. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 I think he would benefit from an intelligent and compassionate manager for sure. Someone who knows not to treat everyone the same and is humble enough to persevere with people who are a bit different. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astroblack Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 I can’t believe how quickly Pardew abandoned the 433 after having so much success with it. Was easily the best football we were playing and everyone was benefitting. One loss and the donut threw it all away. So bloody frustrating. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgarve Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Would anyone take him back for a few months to cover Almirons position? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubaricho Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Just now, tgarve said: Would anyone take him back for a few months to cover Almirons position? He's gotta be like Fat Ronaldo by now surely? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 That wasn’t a serious suggestion was it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaylorJ_01 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 He's like a champion Padel player, probably in decent shape! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberto2005 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Just now, Ronaldo said: That wasn’t a serious suggestion was it? I sometimes just don't understand how some people can even think things like that 😂 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sima Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 36 years old, 9 goals in 7 years. Why not? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
duo Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 (edited) 1 hour ago, TaylorJ_01 said: He's like a champion Padel player, probably in decent shape! Who knew https://padel-magazine.co.uk/hatem-ben-arfa-participated-in-70-tournaments-padel-This-year/ ..imagine him being coached by Eddie Edited January 3 by duo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hakka Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 12 minutes ago, duo said: Who knew https://padel-magazine.co.uk/hatem-ben-arfa-participated-in-70-tournaments-padel-This-year/ ..imagine him being coached by Eddie What on earth could Eddie teach a Maverick like Ben Arfa? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEMTEX Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Seems like a ready made Howe replacement iyam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubaricho Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 wtf is this padel abomination?! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverThere Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 I was wondering when the Ben Arfa thread would rear it's head. Every time we hit a bad patch, it's back, like the ghost of Christmas Past. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyt Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSG Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Happy 37th Birthday. Sign him up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiLvOR Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Get him in for the FA Cup Final, last 5 mins to score the winner against Klopp. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyt Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 1 hour ago, NSG said: Happy 37th Birthday. Sign him up. God, we're all getting so old Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 39 minutes ago, joeyt said: God, we're all getting so old Speak for yourself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFEE Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 https://x.com/fun88eng/status/1765653251888734277?s=61 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 That's all from that one season at Nice as well Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallumG6 Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Christ as if he's 37. Time flies! The most technically gifted player I've seen grace the SJP turf, just glided past players as if they weren't there. Shame he never really fulfilled his potential, I saw somewhere he's playing padel or something now? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big River Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 I miss watching him play football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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