The No. 10.

[Guest alex]

Scored 1, set up 1 though.

Aye and if the ref hadn't made an abysmal decision their '1st goal' would have been a free kick. I agree with others we need to let him play to his strengths and cover him, we didn't play players like Robert expecting him to retain possession and track back, when we have Tiote we can definitely afford a 'luxury' player especially one that has provided 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 3 games.

 

Aye. Statistically, our 'luxury' player has been doing pretty well in the past few games!

Also, we accomodated a far less talented 'luxury' player in Kevin Nolan last season.

[irish magpie 0]

The fact of the matter is that Ben Arfa is going to be more effective when we have Ba and Cisse in the team and the likes of Tiote sweeping up in front of the defence.

 

spot on this

[Happy Face 29]

^{I don't think Ben Arfa will ever score the quantity of goals Nolan did.}

[Baggio 0]

Is the 4-3-3 we've been playing lately purely to accommodate Ben Arfa?

 

If it is then it doesn't matter how well he's playing individually if the team isn't performing as well, time will tell how well we adapt but it's a risk to change mid season after our current points total and league position.

 

Definitely a gamble.

[Brock Manson 0]

Think we're playing 4-3-3 to compensate for the players we're missing rather than trying to force Ben Arfa in somewhere.

 

Previous form seems to suggest Pards isn't building the team around the guy.

[Guest alex]

Think we're playing 4-3-3 to compensate for the players we're missing rather than trying to force Ben Arfa in somewhere.

 

Previous form seems to suggest Pards isn't building the team around the guy.

Aye, surely 4-4-1-1 would accomodate Ben Arfa better. This is to play Shola, Best and Ben Arfa. I'd rather not accomodate Shola tbh.

[Guest alex]

^{I don't think Ben Arfa will ever score the quantity of goals Nolan did.}

Neither will Cabaye but I think I know who'd I rather have play alongside Tiote in the middle of the park.

[Happy Face 29]

^{I don't think Ben Arfa will ever score the quantity of goals Nolan did.}

Neither will Cabaye but I think I know who'd I rather have play alongside Tiote in the middle of the park.

 

 

Agreed

 

[Guest alex]

Flat track bully tbh

[Ayatollah Hermione 14052]

It's mystifying how we got Nolan scoring that many. Chris Hughton must have had him on the marching powder.

[PaddockLad 17651]

There's sevaral good reasons why Ben Arfa is playing at NUFC and not at Barca or Milan and they were there for all to see yesterday evening. He's unfortunate that all he's got to provide service for at the moment are the virtually immobile bollock brothers up front and its difficult to see what formation/posistion is best for him because of that. But if we have a fit squad he doesn't start for me at moment. He needs to learn to be more of a team player because despite his immense talent his overall contribution is about the same as Leon Best's.I tried to point this out to the huge-haired ginger fuckwit stood in front of me last night at the game and it came as a bit of a surpise to find out this great sulky man-child's debating skills only extended as far as swinging punches in my general direction. Bit of handbags ensued but some prick behind us got involved and then ran away with his missus at the final whistle, only to run into us again at a boozed near the station. Cue his second sharp exit of the day. All in all a pleasant trip, but I blame fuckin Ben Arfa for everything this morning. He could've and should've won the game on his own last night but was too busy doing his 'best player in the playground' bullshit to actually take any notice of anything going on around him. I know he's got magic in his feet but if he can't utilise it properly then he's as much use to NUFC as tits on a fuckin bull.

[Park Life 71]

There's sevaral good reasons why Ben Arfa is playing at NUFC and not at Barca or Milan and they were there for all to see yesterday evening. He's unfortunate that all he's got to provide service for at the moment are the virtually immobile bollock brothers up front and its difficult to see what formation/posistion is best for him because of that. But if we have a fit squad he doesn't start for me at moment. He needs to learn to be more of a team player because despite his immense talent his overall contribution is about the same as Leon Best's.I tried to point this out to the huge-haired ginger fuckwit stood in front of me last night at the game and it came as a bit of a surpise to find out this great sulky man-child's debating skills only extended as far as swinging punches in my general direction. Bit of handbags ensued but some prick behind us got involved and then ran away with his missus at the final whistle, only to run into us again at a boozed near the station. Cue his second sharp exit of the day. All in all a pleasant trip, but I blame fuckin Ben Arfa for everything this morning. He could've and should've won the game on his own last night but was too busy doing his 'best player in the playground' bullshit to actually take any notice of anything going on around him. I know he's got magic in his feet but if he can't utilise it properly then he's as much use to NUFC as tits on a fuckin bull.

 

Think he he recognised nonsense when he heard it. Baseball bat too good tbh.

[Gemmill 46027]

He's right tbh. The kid was fucking useless yesterday.

[Park Life 71]

He's right tbh. The kid was fucking useless yesterday.

 

Think they all played badly...To single out the beautiful arab boy is beyond the pale tbh.

 

I'm also a little tired of this "...he's not at Barca and Milan line"...Well 99.9% of footballers aren't at Barca and Milan.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Park Life

[Gemmill 46027]

No one was giving the ball away like he was, Parky. Ben Arfa is vindicating Pardew's decision to leave him out of the team much more than he is convincing anyone that he's worthy of a first team place.

 

Let's hope it's different when the lads get back from Africa, but I don't see how that's gonna help his wasteful lack of concentration in possession.

[Park Life 71]

No one was giving the ball away like he was, Parky. Ben Arfa is vindicating Pardew's decision to leave him out of the team much more than he is convincing anyone that he's worthy of a first team place.

 

Let's hope it's different when the lads get back from Africa, but I don't see how that's gonna help his wasteful lack of concentration in possession.

 

Not denying he was poor. But we wouldn't have been playing if he hadn't scored against Blackburn.

 

We need the Africans back as you say.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Park Life

[Gemmill 46027]

No one was giving the ball away like he was, Parky. Ben Arfa is vindicating Pardew's decision to leave him out of the team much more than he is convincing anyone that he's worthy of a first team place.

 

Let's hope it's different when the lads get back from Africa, but I don't see how that's gonna help his wasteful lack of concentration in possession.

 

Not denying he was poor. But we wouldn't have been playing if he hadn't scored against Blackburn.

 

Howay, that's junior school stuff.

 

Fingers crossed the return of Ba and the introduction of Cisse give the whole team a lift.

[ChezGiven 0]

Dont think yesterday proves anything but it definitely shows Pardew's team selection is a lot more complicated than loudmouth know-nowts would have you believe.

[Park Life 71]

Dont think yesterday proves anything but it definitely shows Pardew's team selection is a lot more complicated than loudmouth know-nowts would have you believe.

 

Don't put yerself down like that man.

[manc-mag 1]

I'd still put the blame for last night at Pardew's door overall because Brighton were there for the taking, but at the same time I think it also goes to show that the: just play Ben Arfa/Pardew is a clueless mong not to and should be sacked (Norwegian rhetoric) of a few weeks back was a load of old shite. It is a team that gets its best results when it's a keep ball/harrying/work ethic and it's not good enough yet to be cavalier against the lions share of opponents. Ben Arfa does lose you the pressing edge out of possession and does surrender possession. He also makes things happen that other players can't and has done since his inclusion. So surprise surprise it is a balancing act after all and requires managerial judgment, unlike what the Norwegian experts would have us believe. For me Pardew got it wrong last night in that this was a match we should have been more adventurous once we'd put in the first 30 being 'solid' ie once we'd established Brighton were essentially shite and prevented them from scoring early and turning it into the usual lower league away cup exit farce.

 

That said Ben Arfa was on the field from the start so he also has to look at himself and his own performance. In fairness he did the best thing of the night with the through ball for Best, but then basically became our most counter productive player. That sums it up for me and shows why it's not the outright 'no brainer' many would have us believe.

[manc-mag 1]

Dont think yesterday proves anything but it definitely shows Pardew's team selection is a lot more complicated than loudmouth know-nowts would have you believe.

 

Basically what I meant to say in much more succinct and punchy language. Well put.

[JonGoodwyn 1]

It does look like he's trying to justify his place in the team by constantly attempting the dream through ball when there are far easier/better options that he could take.

[ChezGiven 0]

Either Pardew gave Brighton far too much respect or Poyet was lying pre-match when he said he had sent his team out to play their normal game. Ben Arfa was well shackled by the El-Abd who looked a bit of a tasty cunt. If i was recovering from a double leg break, not sure i'd be putting my career on the line with that lad either. Waddle had it spot on, the problem was the distance between Shola and the rest of the side.

[Park Life 71]

I'd still put the blame for last night at Pardew's door overall because Brighton were there for the taking, but at the same time I think it also goes to show that the: just play Ben Arfa/Pardew is a clueless mong not to and should be sacked (Norwegian rhetoric) of a few weeks back was a load of old shite. It is a team that gets its best results when it's a keep ball/harrying/work ethic and it's not good enough yet to be cavalier against the lions share of opponents. Ben Arfa does lose you the pressing edge out of possession and does surrender possession. He also makes things happen that other players can't and has done since his inclusion. So surprise surprise it is a balancing act after all and requires managerial judgment, unlike what the Norwegian experts would have us believe. For me Pardew got it wrong last night in that this was a match we should have been more adventurous once we'd put in the first 30 being 'solid' ie once we'd established Brighton were essentially shite and prevented them from scoring early and turning it into the usual lower league away cup exit farce.

 

That said Ben Arfa was on the field from the start so he also has to look at himself and his own performance. In fairness he did the best thing of the night with the through ball for Best, but then basically became our most counter productive player. That sums it up for me and shows why it's not the outright 'no brainer' many would have us believe.

 

Fwiw the first half of the season Pardew tried to find and did find a balance to the psychology of the side. He did make mistakes, but he has also found a solidity to the side (when Tiote and Cabaye are on song). My doubts about Pards aren't in the category that he is a shit manager as there are so many variables in each game, my douts are more along the lines of tactical intuition and his ability to change games from the dugout. Fulham was one of those games and Brighton is another and you might even say Swansea & WBA. The main problem he has is that he does like a more direct game and that means it is difficult for him to rationalise HBA in the side. I think you either have to totally believe in a player like this or just be honest and come out and say we want to play two proper wingers. I feel Pards due to the clamour from some sections of the support is caught between two worlds. It's an interesting tension mind and makes for good debate as we all instinctively want to see more good football.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Park Life

[ChezGiven 0]

Dont think yesterday proves anything but it definitely shows Pardew's team selection is a lot more complicated than loudmouth know-nowts would have you believe.

 

Don't put yerself down like that man.

 

You're still reeling from my punch yesterday, these pussy jabs aren't going to distract me.