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Hatem "Number 26" Ben Arfa


loonyTOON
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You are all haters!  I hate you all! :angry2:

 

He did more for us than any player in ages.  It is no coincidence, imo, that since he left, the club started it's quick decent to the bottom! I could care less what he is or not doing somewhere else today.

Haddaway and shite. Cabaye? Nolan? Enrique? Ba? Coloccini?

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It's always going to be a bit from Column A and a bit from Column B with the likes of Ben Arfa. They need to be lucky enough to come across the right club and the right manager. He's obviously an awkward character, but as the cliche goes that often comes with the more talented players. As Ant says, if you want Tevez don't sign Berbatov, if you want Milner don't sign Ben Arfa etc. Somebody a few pages back asked if Ben Arfa would have got into a Ferguson team. Well you could have probably asked the same question about Cantona before he signed for Leeds, as he'd fallen out with pretty much everyone he'd ever played for and even quit the game at one point. Riquelme was similar to Ben Arfa as well - basically written off as a lazy luxury player - until he ended up at Villareal under Pellegrini, and he spent a good two seasons as probably one of the top five players in Europe. It's just a shame with Ben Arfa cos he's the most exciting talent we've had for ages and he's definitely got the ability to be a genuine world class player. I'd love to see him playing in big champs league games.   

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It's always going to be a bit from Column A and a bit from Column B with the likes of Ben Arfa. They need to be lucky enough to come across the right club and the right manager. He's obviously an awkward character, but as the cliche goes that often comes with the more talented players. As Ant says, if you want Tevez don't sign Berbatov, if you want Milner don't sign Ben Arfa etc. Somebody a few pages back asked if Ben Arfa would have got into a Ferguson team. Well you could have probably asked the same question about Cantona before he signed for Leeds, as he'd fallen out with pretty much everyone he'd ever played for and even quit the game at one point. Riquelme was similar to Ben Arfa as well - basically written off as a lazy luxury player - until he ended up at Villareal under Pellegrini, and he spent a good two seasons as probably one of the top five players in Europe. It's just a shame with Ben Arfa cos he's the most exciting talent we've had for ages and he's definitely got the ability to be a genuine world class player. I'd love to see him playing in big champs league games.   

 

aye, in terms of natural talent, he's up there with the best newcastle players i've ever seen. that's why people still defend him - it's what he could have been in the right circumstances. 

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He'll waste himself, the same way he has really wasted his talents his whole career. He's a shit professional and has a shit attitude, while Pardew clearly didn't manage him well it's obvious that it's not all down to Pardew seeing as the bloke has fallen out with nearly every manager he has played under.

 

As pointed out by others PSG probably got him because he was free, French, and was the best player on the team of a club in their division. The bloke has had numerous chances and pissed them all away, it looks like he's doing it all over again and as Tooj said he'll have no one to blame but himself.

 

I agree with Andrew's point that Nice was probably the best place for him as they were willing to put up with his downsides whereas a club like PSG can afford to buy players who are as effective during games without any of the issues. It's a shame really but the list of lads like him who could have been so much more than they were is long, Laurent Robert was mentioned and I think that's pretty apt as Robert could well have played for top sides if he had any semblance of professionalism/work ethic about him. 

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It'll be motivational, they didn't make this purchase blind - he's fuckin class and PSG won't waste him, in the long run - end of.

They didn't make a purchase full stop/ end of

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To be honest, I'm appalled that he's not a perfectly balanced player.

 

As has been said, PSG knew exactly who he is, what he can and can't do and what you can and cannot expect him to do. 

 

I just really don't understand the anger and contempt he receives when his worst crime is not being great at putting in the effort on the defensive side of things. He's obviously a wonderfully talented footballer, who was a rare positive in a sea of negatives at Newcastle, he did brilliantly at Nice when given license to apply his talent and could do the same at PSG if he were held in higher regard. PSG would be questioned if they went out and bought Tiote and then criticised him because he couldn't contribute in the final 3rd.

 

I just don't think that Graft > Talent, we may as well fuck off and watch Rugby if that was the case. 

 

He'll never be a world class player, but it was a joy to watch him play in Black and White. Now he's plying his trade elsewhere, where's the harm in remembering the good bits? Just like we gloss over Ginola's well documented failings, or Shearer's? 

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His ego was an asset. I doubt many become world class without having a one.

 

It no doubt helped him get where he got, but it also meant that he wasn't always doing what was best for Newcastle United.

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He could be using it the other way, and casually remarking that your version of events sounds very elaborate, and that thus, by implication, he is suspicious of it.

Edited by Rayvin
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