Ben Arfa

[toonotl 2977]

Met him again on friday night at the airport, his mother was on my flight. I asked him if he remembered me from Lyon, he gans 'aye you were fucking mortal'. In French obviously.

[Lake Bells tits 1]

Taking off Ben arfa during half time was a bad decision, no way around it. We are desperately short of flair and he is one of the few who have it.

[toonotl 2977]

Pardew is obviously dead against playing him out wide. Probably has a lot to do with his lack of defensive ability. But when we're chasing the game that's neither here nor there.

[Happy Face 29]

Aye, ffs.

We need to be patient with him man. Look how long it has taken Ramsey to get back to his best.

 

This.

 

We've played Man C, Man U and Chelsea in the last three games and he's contributed in two of the three. And he's not fit.

 

This is one player we really need to stick with untill he is fully recovered psychologically and phsically. It's been a while since we've had such a pure footballer.

 

And despite the lengthy lay off he looks tons more dangerous than Obertan, Lovelyhands or Sammy. That subbing decision really had me wondering........

 

never saw him give us any quality like lova's gorgeous through ball for the Luiz red card foul or like Sammy's volley that got cleared off the line.

 

Course he deserves time and has shown great quality, just saying its sporadically, and it does him no favours to build him up, even on his off days.

[aimaad22 4156]

Aye, ffs.

We need to be patient with him man. Look how long it has taken Ramsey to get back to his best.

 

This.

 

We've played Man C, Man U and Chelsea in the last three games and he's contributed in two of the three. And he's not fit.

 

This is one player we really need to stick with untill he is fully recovered psychologically and phsically. It's been a while since we've had such a pure footballer.

 

And despite the lengthy lay off he looks tons more dangerous than Obertan, Lovelyhands or Sammy. That subbing decision really had me wondering........

 

never saw him give us any quality like lova's gorgeous through ball for the Luiz red card foul or like Sammy's volley that got cleared off the line.

 

Course he deserves time and has shown great quality, just saying its sporadically, and it does him no favours to build him up, even on his off days.

 

If two moments in the whole game from those two are enough for you then HBA's performance against City ought to merit a a starting position for a year.

 

Like others have said, we needed a moment of brilliance in that game, and it wasn't going to come from Lovelyhands. Got nothing against the man, just think the odd great pass in a game is just about what he can give us now.

[Dr Gloom 21912]

I'd give him a go out wide next time. Can't be worse on the right than oberpants was against Chelsea.

[Guest alex]

Obertan played more as one of 3 in midfield than wide right against Chelsea which is a role which didn't really suit him but would suit Ben Arfa even less. I think, especially seeing as when everyone is fit (or even when most players are) Pardew will be looking to play a 4-4-2 / 4-4-1-1, then we have to persist with Ben Arfa as the playmaker/no.10 playing off the main striker. Jonas will be available for the next game which means he can play on the left with Obertan on the right. I think that's served us very well so far even if Obertan hasn't been great (he's still grafted and provided pace etc.). I wouldn't be too knee-jerk about the Chelsea loss.

[Happy Face 29]

Aye, ffs.

We need to be patient with him man. Look how long it has taken Ramsey to get back to his best.

 

This.

 

We've played Man C, Man U and Chelsea in the last three games and he's contributed in two of the three. And he's not fit.

 

This is one player we really need to stick with untill he is fully recovered psychologically and phsically. It's been a while since we've had such a pure footballer.

 

And despite the lengthy lay off he looks tons more dangerous than Obertan, Lovelyhands or Sammy. That subbing decision really had me wondering........

 

never saw him give us any quality like lova's gorgeous through ball for the Luiz red card foul or like Sammy's volley that got cleared off the line.

 

Course he deserves time and has shown great quality, just saying its sporadically, and it does him no favours to build him up, even on his off days.

 

If two moments in the whole game from those two are enough for you then HBA's performance against City ought to merit a a starting position for a year.

 

Like others have said, we needed a moment of brilliance in that game, and it wasn't going to come from Lovelyhands. Got nothing against the man, just think the odd great pass in a game is just about what he can give us now.

 

Not sure why we needed that much more brilliance than we had. We hit the woodwork 62 times, not to mention the saves and goalline clearances. Seems to me we just needed that bit of the luck we've ridden superbly up until this twot of a referee decided to balance it out.

 

Ben Arfa is clearly our most gifted player. Daft arguing comparisons with Lova or Sammy...or Best whose position he's taken, all I'm saying is it's frustrating I go to SJP excited every time he's playing, but i leave frustrated by him, having only youtube clips of away day exploits to masturbate to.

Edited December 5, 2011 by Happy Face

[Dr Gloom 21912]

Obertan played more as one of 3 in midfield than wide right against Chelsea which is a role which didn't really suit him but would suit Ben Arfa even less. I think, especially seeing as when everyone is fit (or even when most players are) Pardew will be looking to play a 4-4-2 / 4-4-1-1, then we have to persist with Ben Arfa as the playmaker/no.10 playing off the main striker. Jonas will be available for the next game which means he can play on the left with Obertan on the right. I think that's served us very well so far even if Obertan hasn't been great (he's still grafted and provided pace etc.). I wouldn't be too knee-jerk about the Chelsea loss.

 

it looked our normal 4-4-2 to me on saturday with ben arfa dropping just behind ba though i might be wrong there. i thought shola looked lively after he came on and possibly deserves a start against norwich.

 

ben arfa needs games but this system of two out and out strikers is the one we seem to have most success with. he can't be worse on the right than obertan has been recently. could be worth a shout. you'd fancy him to put at least a few good balls in, can't remember one from obertan against chelsea.

[Guest alex]

I just think we're set up quite well with the two wide men in midfield (when Jonas is available) and we should persevere with Ben Arfa in his proper position. That's not me defending Obertan's performance against Chelsea, he was crap, but I think Ben Arfa would be wasted out wide (in a 4-4-2). I think, even with the injuries, we've got a good chance against Norwich, with the front 6 being Obertan-Guthrie-Cabaye-Gutierrez with Ben Arfa playing off Ba. Shola did alreet, aye, but Ba and Ben Arfa are different class to him tbh. I'd probably play Santon at RB, keep Taylor at LB and go with SImpson and Perch in the middle. I think that's a decent enough side tbh and still keeping the right shape for our personnel.

[Dr Gloom 21912]

That Simpson/perch pairing troubles me. Can see us losing our solidity there, especially with tiote's shielding still

missing. Though Guthrie has done well tbf.

 

I'd fancy us to get something at Norwich but the injuries are going to have a big affect. Consistency of selection has been one of the main reasons we've done so well this season. The reserve options don't look to clever.

[Guest alex]

That Simpson/perch pairing troubles me. Can see us losing our solidity there, especially with tiote's shielding still

missing. Though Guthrie has done well tbf.

 

I'd fancy us to get something at Norwich but the injuries are going to have a big affect. Consistency of selection has been one of the main reasons we've done so well this season. The reserve options don't look to clever.

Obviously, aye. Little or no alternative though.

[Park Life 71]

Shola for CD.

[sweetleftpeg 0]

Shola for CD.

 

I said that coming out the ground Saturday. Might have to happen.

[Guest alex]

Bet Alan Smith still doesn't get a game.

[aimaad22 4156]

Aye, ffs.

We need to be patient with him man. Look how long it has taken Ramsey to get back to his best.

 

This.

 

We've played Man C, Man U and Chelsea in the last three games and he's contributed in two of the three. And he's not fit.

 

This is one player we really need to stick with untill he is fully recovered psychologically and phsically. It's been a while since we've had such a pure footballer.

 

And despite the lengthy lay off he looks tons more dangerous than Obertan, Lovelyhands or Sammy. That subbing decision really had me wondering........

 

never saw him give us any quality like lova's gorgeous through ball for the Luiz red card foul or like Sammy's volley that got cleared off the line.

 

Course he deserves time and has shown great quality, just saying its sporadically, and it does him no favours to build him up, even on his off days.

 

If two moments in the whole game from those two are enough for you then HBA's performance against City ought to merit a a starting position for a year.

 

Like others have said, we needed a moment of brilliance in that game, and it wasn't going to come from Lovelyhands. Got nothing against the man, just think the odd great pass in a game is just about what he can give us now.

 

Not sure why we needed that much more brilliance than we had. We hit the woodwork 62 times, not to mention the saves and goalline clearances. Seems to me we just needed that bit of the luck we've ridden superbly up until this twot of a referee decided to balance it out.

 

Ben Arfa is clearly our most gifted player. Daft arguing comparisons with Lova or Sammy...or Best whose position he's taken, all I'm saying is it's frustrating I go to SJP excited every time he's playing, but i leave frustrated by him, having only youtube clips of away day exploits to masturbate to.

 

Yeah it just wasnt meant to be our day was it?

 

I think we're also expecting way too much from HBA too soon. Its still almost like his first season here thanks to De Jong, frustrating but its true. It took the likes of Nasri a good while to show their best. HBA seems to be that kind of player to me, needs to play regularly and needs confidence from his team mates. Its encouraging to me that Pardew seems to have given him the freedom to play the way he likes(though after Saturday Im not sure). Telling him to be solid like Cabaye for instance would never work. We've played the 3 best teams in the league, against City he was our best player and he got us a point against Utd. I for one am satisfied with that. Give him some games, we play some lesser teams now and he will thrive when we play more freely.

 

Again it seems to me we're getting a bit too carried away with our expectations from him but haven't had a player like this in a while so we should be forgiven

[Ayatollah Hermione 13861]

I'd love to see Shola at the back, with the captain's armband, flying in with mint tackles and bollocking Perch.

[Guest alex]

I know it was probably a piss-take suggestion but Shola would be abysmal at CB.

[trophyshy 7083]

shola at centre half ffs :lol: I can't believe people have spent a couple of posts actually discussing that most ridiculous of possibilities. If you need to be told the differences between a lazyarsed 'striker' and a central defender and the differences in their jobs on the football pitch, you're beyond help. It'll be Perch and Simpson at the back and so it should be. Kadar hasn't played any first team football since the Championship and is probably fucking shit if we're being realistic and Williamson isn't fit. Perch has been fine even if he should have been tighter to Drogba. Luckily, nobody that plays for NORWICH is as good as Drogba ffs.

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt 1]

Shola would be an imperious centre half, just look at the physique of the man, the term 'brick shit-house' was invented for Shola. They call him 'the razor' in training because people bleed when they challenge him. Shola doesn't have time to bleed.

[Guest alex]

Looks like a heavyweight boxer. Plays like one too.

[Ayatollah Hermione 13861]

shola at centre half ffs :lol: I can't believe people have spent a couple of posts actually discussing that most ridiculous of possibilities. If you need to be told the differences between a lazyarsed 'striker' and a central defender and the differences in their jobs on the football pitch, you're beyond help. It'll be Perch and Simpson at the back and so it should be. Kadar hasn't played any first team football since the Championship and is probably fucking shit if we're being realistic and Williamson isn't fit. Perch has been fine even if he should have been tighter to Drogba. Luckily, nobody that plays for NORWICH is as good as Drogba ffs.

 

 

Imagine, man. A hat-wearing Shola bringing it out from the back like a libero of old.

[Park Life 71]

Shola would be an imperious centre half, just look at the physique of the man, the term 'brick shit-house' was invented for Shola. They call him 'the razor' in training because people bleed when they challenge him. Shola doesn't have time to bleed.

 

Spot on.

 

Shola was born to the role.

 

I can just see him now grinning incredulously as a pen is given for hacking down the forward needlessly on the extreme left hand edge of the area with no support.

 

[Park Life 71]

shola at centre half ffs :lol: I can't believe people have spent a couple of posts actually discussing that most ridiculous of possibilities. If you need to be told the differences between a lazyarsed 'striker' and a central defender and the differences in their jobs on the football pitch, you're beyond help. It'll be Perch and Simpson at the back and so it should be. Kadar hasn't played any first team football since the Championship and is probably fucking shit if we're being realistic and Williamson isn't fit. Perch has been fine even if he should have been tighter to Drogba. Luckily, nobody that plays for NORWICH is as good as Drogba ffs.

 

 

Imagine, man. A hat-wearing Shola bringing it out from the back like a libero of old.

 

 

 

....with time as he jogs forward to snack on an apple.

Edited December 5, 2011 by Park Life

[manc-mag 1]

shola at centre half ffs :lol: I can't believe people have spent a couple of posts actually discussing that most ridiculous of possibilities. If you need to be told the differences between a lazyarsed 'striker' and a central defender and the differences in their jobs on the football pitch, you're beyond help. It'll be Perch and Simpson at the back and so it should be. Kadar hasn't played any first team football since the Championship and is probably fucking shit if we're being realistic and Williamson isn't fit. Perch has been fine even if he should have been tighter to Drogba. Luckily, nobody that plays for NORWICH is as good as Drogba ffs.

 

 

Imagine, man. A hat-wearing Shola bringing it out from the back like a libero of old.

 

 

 

....with time as he jogs forward to snack on an apple.

 

The career long overhyped Wes Brown was star gazing the other day against Wolves for their goal when that cross came in but can you imagine Shola ball watching in the back four ffs? And that's from a man who-as Alex says-even when he does jump, you'd struggle to get a football pink under his studs.