The No. 10.

[Happy Face 29]

Just realised he's our 3rd top goalscorer

[Baggio 0]

Can't say I agree with sticking him on the left, he's more dangerous when he's cutting inside and I'd prefer him to be running at defenders towards goal than to the touchline to get a cross in.

 

The problem we've got down the right is that Simpson isn't good enough going forward to overlap and get to the touchline, if he was then we could pull teams apart down that side.

 

The problem down the left is that Santon is right footed so wants to cut inside, that isn't a problem but it doesn't work with Jonas in front of him as he wants to cut inside the majority of the time too so we're not taking full advantage of the width of the pitch.

 

What I'd like to see Pardew do in the summer is get a quality left footed left back in and switch Santon to the right, that way we've got 2 fullbacks that will overlap and go on the outside of our 2 wingers that prefer cutting in.

[manc-mag 1]

Just realised he's our 3rd top goalscorer

 

He honestly could have a field day in that position for us provided he's relieved of ALL defensive responsibilities. I think that has to be a key transfer priority for us in the summer with the full back positions.

[Tooj 17]

I'd rather have Ben Arfa cutting in from the right as he can do more damage that way.

[trophyshy 7084]

Get them to swap sides every 9 minutes. Sound the claxon.

[Park Life 71]

Hatem is that rare thing, only ocassionally caught in the the big collider in Swissland, he is the quantum moment. He is very close to stopping time. He is infact outside of time. Let him exist. Let him breathe. Let us understand this thing....Wherever it might lead us.

 

he's got a great talent. You should try to accommodate him somehow. I said to my mate yesterday, he should start all games in that right wide position. I don't know if he likes it or prefers to play there, but the position is his if he wants it, if he is on his game then great, if he isn't then sub him. Is he an erratic genius ? He seems to be. But we should be starting him more now.

 

Word is he's happy to start wide right if he can get games that way. I sense that Pards for the first time really wants to play him. Is he an erratic genius? Of course he is, but I wouldn't have it any other way. There is something of the night about him, he has those gifts.

He will score a very special and important goal for us. I don't know when this will happen but I sense it.

[Park Life 71]

Hatem is that rare thing, only ocassionally caught in the the big collider in Swissland, he is the quantum moment. He is very close to stopping time. He is infact outside of time. Let him exist. Let him breathe. Let us understand this thing....Wherever it might lead us.

Pardew has him chomping at the bit, if he kicks on from here i will be giving Pardew massive praise as its a new period in Hatem's career. If he makes this work, after the injuries he's had and the clear adaptations to his game required to fit into our current system, then the manager will deserve a lot of praise. We've seen enough to know it might not work out for him, so making it happen will not be a straightforward task. I'm still confident because the player clearly has the desire to make it work, which we all saw yesterday.

 

Fair comment.

[Brock Manson 0]

If Chez's post is the case (which it could well be), then perhaps he's doing the same to Squidward and so Monsieur Obertan will emerge as Zizou part deux.

[StoneColdStephenIreland 74]

I thought Gutierrez was one of our better players on Sunday, he was always there as an option and was always trying to get at their defenders, because we were getting nothing through the middle of the park attacking wise. He kept getting left by himself to take on two players as Taylor was doing a Simpson and sitting back, instead of getting beyond him.

[manc-mag 1]

I'd rather have Ben Arfa cutting in from the right as he can do more damage that way.

 

Aye same here currently fwiw, assuming he remains 'happy' to play there.

[Monroe Transfer 0]

Some extremely strong, passionate words from our Hatem.

 

http://www.mirrorfoo..._medium=twitter

 

Hatem Ben Arfa wants to be the new Eric Cantona of English football now he has finally sorted his head out.

 

The Frenchman missed most of his first season with Newcastle after suffering a double leg break in October 2010.

 

But the enfant terrible, who went on strike to leave Marseille for the Geordies, has admitted his career has also been held back by mental insecurities and doubts.

 

Now, the 24-year-old, who helped turn Newcastle’s fortunes around in the north-east derby on Sunday after coming on as a half-time subsitute, is determined to make up for lost time.

 

Ben Arfa, whose controversial career echoes that of the great Cantona, insists he has the talent to win France the World Cup and earn him World Player of the Year honours.

 

“For sure, I would like to conquer England like Cantona did,” he said.

 

“I see my ambitions the same now as at the start - to become one of the best. Of course I have lost a bit of time in my career, but, in my life, I have the impression I have gained some.

 

“Really, it is a shame that a career cannot be made between 24 and 40 years old because then I would have more chance.

 

"But let’s see in three or four years. Then, I see myself at the top, winning for example the World Cup in Brazil or the Ballon D’Or. Because I still have lots of dreams.”

 

In a frank interview with France Football magazine, Ben Arfa - who left his home in Paris to join Lyon at the age of 15 -admits that parts of his career have been a nightmare.

 

“I think I lacked, above all, inner calm,” he said. “For a long time, I was not good in my head. Everything was a shambles.

 

“For 10 years I have heard, ‘With a talent like that, he does not have the right to fail’ - as if I was programmed to succeed at all costs. Since I was 13-14, people have always said to me I should be at the top. That is tiring in a boy’s head.

 

“I would really like to be the best player in the world. But, for now, I am not there, because I have been unhappy for a long time.

 

“At the age of 20, I already had a lot of money, but I had been happier when I was 12. I had too many problems to sort out inside myself.

 

“I had to come a long way.

 

“If I had had the inner calm that I have now, I am sure that I would not be at the level I am today but, without doubt, higher.

 

"I was missing the time to sort everything out in his head. I was too unhappy in my life to flower totally on the pitch. I was like an animal who only acted on instinct.

 

“Clearly, I lacked love. I had always learned to live like that. But there comes a time, you realise you cannot live all your life like that.

 

"It is still difficult for me to describe exactly what I was suffering from most. But since then I have kept the right distance from my circle. And I feel more at peace.

 

“I know that I have the image of an arrogant person and only shine when I want, but it is not when I want but when I can!

 

"Even more than everyone else, I would like to be good all the time. But, for now, it is not the case. I just hope that will come.”

 

Ben Arfa admitted he also struggled to return after that career-threatening injury 17 months ago.

 

“When I came back after my injury, I no longer had the desire to play,” he continued. “I found that the football they played was too far away from the one I loved.

 

"Even if I had dreamed of being a pro since I was little, I did not understand this game. Then, little by little, I refound my love of the game. The pleasure returned.”

 

The Frenchman admits he was disappointed not to get a call-up to play in last month's friendly against Germany but still believes he can make Laurent Blanc’s squad for the summer.

 

“To me, the Euros don’t appear impossible,” claimed Ben Arfa. “There are always players who get into the squad at the last minute.

 

"I know that I have already missed two (tournaments - Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup). But I am still hoping. I need only to push on a bit with Newcastle from here to the end of the season.”

 

 

No better time to push on than now.

[Alain Pardeiux 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN5aRlDnc3I

nice a few funny comments too, richardson buying a manhole cover for his arse lol Edited March 6, 2012 by Alain Pardeiux

[Park Life 71]

Good insight into Hatem there. Hope he fulfills all his hopes. Good stuff.

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt 1]

The bipolar French genius will shine

[OTF 7492]

Comes across as incredibly French in that interview

 

...But we have a good insight into his headspace. The return from the injury only to be subsequently reinjured must have been incredibly hard.

[ewerk 31207]

A moody Frenchman? Who could've seen that one coming?

[Christmas Tree 4827]

Lovely clip that shows what we are in desperate need of if he can keep it up.

 

So many things very nearly came off and could have lead to a few goals on a different day.

[Tino asprilla 0]

i get incredibly frustrated by him watching him in the matches hes played so far. But watching that video i cant help think ive been harsh, the lads only played 15 games this season, many as a substitute and what he does show is the ability and drive to push forward with the ball something we've really needed in the last few games. He needs games and I hope Pardew gives him a chance to play and fit into the team from now to the end of the season

[Happy Face 29]

i get incredibly frustrated by him watching him in the matches hes played so far. But watching that video i cant help think ive been harsh, the lads only played 15 games this season, many as a substitute and what he does show is the ability and drive to push forward with the ball something we've really needed in the last few games. He needs games and I hope Pardew gives him a chance to play and fit into the team from now to the end of the season

 

If someone made a compilation of the games where he didn't shine so much you wouldn't worry about being harsh. 4 minutes of disinterest and dispossession. It's fair to recognise he blows hot and cold. I'd love to see him start against Arsenal though, you just have to light the firework and see what happens, if it fizzes out, make a change.

[SloopJohn 0]

Arsenal have such a shit midfield you think Hatem will have a lot of space against them...Song last night was dreadful

[StoneColdStephenIreland 74]

I think a change of formation might be needed against Arsenal, especially if Pardew is thinking of accomodating Ben Arfa into the side. I would probably go with taking Cisse out it's even though he's done nothing wrong, it's just if we dont change to a 4-3-3/4-5-1 then i think we could see another Tottenham performance especially against Arsenals 3 CM's and the pace theyve got in the team. I'd bring in Guthrie aswell to play alongside Tiote and Cabaye in place of Taylor aswell.

[LeazesMag 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN5aRlDnc3I

 

nice a few funny comments too, richardson buying a manhole cover for his arse lol

 

he is magnificent when he plays like he did on sunday.

[Happy Face 29]

Touted as one of Europe’s best talents, Newcastle United were due to get their hands on a pure ‘wizard’ of the game, an exceptional French flair footballer from the bowels of the infamous Clairefontaine academy.

 

Hatem Ben Arfa’s debut at Newcastle started with the proverbial ‘bang’, with a glorious goal in a 1-0 away win to Everton. However, then came that Nigel de Jong tackle and Ben Arfa’s season was duly over. Alan Pardew knew exactly what he had at his new club acquisition and signed the playmaker in January 2010, and the black & white fans could not believe the talent their club was gaining.

 

Talk of No.10 roles and word class status over the summer, laid the expectations down for the young Frenchman, but on rehabilitating from his long lay off, Ben Arfa hasn’t had as fruitful a time as he, and probably all of Newcastle, would have hoped.

 

A goal against Bolton, a wonder goal v Blackburn and a few cameos here and there; Hatem Ben Arfa has struggled to dig his way into Alan Pardew’s first team plans, deemed a little too ‘sporadic’ in his play and lacking the defensive discipline the team requires.

 

Of late though, Newcastle United have not been playing like the team that has seen them flourish to the dizzy heights they’ve reached in the Premier League this season. 2 hugely disappointing halves of football in the last 2 games have seen the Mags take just 2 points from 6 at home to opposition that would probably have been steamrolled earlier on in the campaign.

 

And, in both of those encounters, a certain Frenchman has shown his credentials and offered Newcastle that little spark they seek to continue their progress over the final 11 hurdles of the season. Against Sunderland particularly, Hatem Ben Arfa manipulated the ball like no other player at Newcastle, at least, can do, constantly tormenting Sunderland’s Keiran Richardson to the point of his departure via substitution.

 

NUFC_Stats looked at the numbers for the enigmatic Frenchman so far…

 

 

It’s obviously not too fair to compare Ben Arfa to the other players at Newcastle due to his limited pitch time, but the above graphic can give an indication as to what some of his strengths and weaknesses have been.

 

In terms of his pass completion, only 4 of the starting regulars have a better accuracy than Hatem Ben Arfa and his 78% is 1.5% above the team average.

 

One of the Frenchman’s best attributes has been his dribbling and no one at Newcastle currently produces more successful dribbles per game than him on average. At 1.7 per game, he is 0.2 better off than Jonas Gutierrez.

 

When it comes to crossing, most fans will tell you that he always seems to want that extra touch and doesn’t deliver as early as he could sometimes – because of that notion, he hasn’t produced as many as he should (0.1 per game) and his 7% cross accuracy is the worst of any player at the club.

 

However, when it comes to getting a shot off, only Demba Ba & Papiss Cisse from the starting regulars have more frequent shots a goal than Ben Arfa – he gets one-off every 59 mins on average, although Shola and Dan Gosling do it a little better out of the non-regulars.

 

Finally, one stat not shown on the graphic is his tackling – he has thrown himself into 5 tackles this season in his 15 Premier League appearances, he has won 100% of them!

 

 

The above table shows the possession-based touches from Newcastle players in the Premier League this season. For his time on the pitch, Hatem Ben Arfa’s numbers for unsuccessful touches and dispossession are relatively high and he has overran the ball less than only Jonas and equal to Obertan. HBA’s total losses of possession aren’t too healthy either; he loses possession 9.67 times on average per game, worsened only by 5 Newcastle players.

 

 

Although Ben Arfa’s dispossession statistics aren’t the best, what he doesn’t do, is lose the ball in silly areas – that’s a misconception of his game. The above table shows HBA’s passing stats in his Premier League appearances this season.

 

In his own half, his passing percentage is 91% – 8 games he has produced a 100% passing record in Newcastle’s half of the field. It is further up the field where these dispossession numbers come into play. His loss of the ball via passing drops along his accuracy – 73% in the attacking half and 71% in the final third.

 

From an attacking and creative point of view, the area in which the Frenchman works is the most vital and interesting part to his analysis. Last week’s article (NUFC: Goal scoring and creativity) highlighted the need for more innovative play in the final third and around the penalty area.

 

 

Ben Arfa’s aforementioned 71% final third passing accuracy is only bettered by Davide Santon, and is equalled by Gabriel Obertan, meaning when he gets the ball in there, there are few better at making things happen with it.

 

Against Sunderland, Hatem Ben Arfa wreaked havoc in this area.

 

 

The graphic shows where Ben Arfa picked up his 34 ‘receives’, showing just how attacking minded he is in getting on the ball. 19 of those 34 receives were in the final third of the pitch; 31 in the opposition’s half.

 

Relating back to the dispossession stats – even when Ben Arfa is tackled or has a bad touch, because of the area he generally takes possession in, the opposition is still left with a lot of work do before they hurt NUFC.

 

 

Once on the ball, that havoc for Sunderland really magnified! The above shows where HBA attempted his dribbles and that 7 out of the 10 he initiated were successful. But, the graphic shows just half the story.

 

Everyone who was either at the game or watched it via ESPN can have been only dumbfounded at the way he consistently breezed past Richardson – one in particular where he cut through two of Sunderland’s players with ease, using incredible skill and pace.

 

For the majority of his performances this season – both. For Wolves and more so Sunderland – MAJESTIC!

 

Hatem Ben Arfa is a world beater, there are no two ways about it. But, what he has to develop in his game is an adaptation to the English way of playing. He needs to be more meticulous in where he decides to start his ‘magic’ and concentrate on the basics when he is near halfway.

 

Once in the final third though, is it really a concern if he loses possession even 50% of the time? HBA does what others at NUFC don’t and that is continuously attack the full back. Jonas Gutierrez was once Newcastle’s best bet at doing it, but in Pardew’s more defensive standing outfit, he is now required to fulfil more a duty helping out at fullback and his attacking game has suffered.

 

At home in particular, Ben Arfa is absolutely imperative for Newcastle to continue their form and finish the season high-placed. Pardew is not going to change his formation to suit the Frenchman, so a place on Newcastle’s flanks is where he should be settled for now. He has the pace and skill that full backs simply cannot handle, and his determination and persistence mean that regardless of his dribble’s/skill’s success, he will continually try to make things happen.

 

With Arsenal’s defensive record the way it is this season and considering his last performance, Ben Arfa simply must start against the Gunners on that right hand side – should Ryan Taylor suffer though? Probably not. Simpson however…

 

http://www.eplindex.com/11161/hatem-ben-arfa-mercurial-maddening-opta-stats.html

[Happy Face 29]

I posted it for the Ben Arfa info, but it makes me weep to look at Krul's possession loss. I'd put whoopee cushions on the top of his boots so he pumps every time he kicks it.

 

Gotta start throwing the ball out to defenders and building from the back more.

[trophyshy 7084]

I posted it for the Ben Arfa info, but it makes me weep to look at Krul's possession loss. I'd put whoopee cushions on the top of his boots so he pumps every time he kicks it.

 

Gotta start throwing the ball out to defenders and building from the back more.

 

Completely agree with that, but we love a bit of hoofball don't we?