Christmas Tree 3997 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 So, latest thoughts on Ben Arfa. Is he 1. Finished 2. Will make a canny impact sub. 3. Send out on loan 4. Get Rid 5. Should still build a team around him. 6. A luxury player that we cant carry My own view is that he has the skills, put not the brain or team play to make the most of them. His moments of brilliance are a joy to behold but far too rare a sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Carr's Gloves 3240 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 So, latest thoughts on Ben Arfa. Is he 1. Finished 2. Will make a canny impact sub. 3. Send out on loan 4. Get Rid 5. Should still build a team around him. 6. A luxury player that we cant carry My own view is that he has the skills, put not the brain or team play to make the most of them. His moments of brilliance are a joy to behold but far too rare a sight. Yeah but your knowledge of football is about on par with Wolfy's knowledge of particle physics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gloom 19950 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 So, latest thoughts on Christmas Tree Is he 1. Finished as a wind up merchant? 2. Will make a canny impact player to wind us up 3. Send out on loan to Newcastle Online 4. Get Rid 5. Should the forum be built around him? 6. An obese player whose weight we cant carry My own view is that his wind up skills are still there but they're fading, and he has not the brain to make the most of them. His moments of brilliance, on the food and fitness forum, are a joy to behold but far too rare a sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Them options man. Not even a 50 cent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howmanheyman 27328 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 So, latest thoughts on Christmas Tree Is he 1. Finished as a wind up merchant? 2. Will make a canny impact player to wind us up 3. Send out on loan to Newcastle Online 4. Get Rid 5. Should the forum be built around him? 6. An obese player whose weight we cant carry My own view is that his wind up skills are still there but they're fading, and he has not the brain to make the most of them. His moments of brilliance, on the food and fitness forum, are a joy to behold but far too rare a sight. I'd also add his 'Mike Ashley' posts have slipped to non league standard wind ups but his HBA posts are a higher level but wont be troubling the top ten anytime soon. His 'How do you.......?' posts in the General topic section can still get a smile from discerning TT posters but overall, like his protege Shane, he might have to spend some time on loan at a gentler forum in order to hone his techniques if he's to progress to a Toontastic standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 13895 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Team > Individual Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Team > Individual I would ask Peter Beardsley to try and hammer this point home to Ben Arfa. He had as much skill on a jinky run, but his assists to Andy Cole when he set the goalscoring record he still holds are what stand out to me, rather than his own goals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 3997 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Strange lot at times. Our "star player" can't get on ahead of Obertan and I'm on the wind up? Dear me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Strange lot at times. Our "star player" can't get on ahead of Obertan and I'm on the wind up? Dear me Would be fine if you only questioned the fact Obertan was used as a sub ahead of him. But you provided 6 options, 5 of which were that he shouldn't start any games. Utter shite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Park Life 70 Posted November 7, 2013 Author Share Posted November 7, 2013 The best player we have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gloom 19950 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 The best player we have. but is he a luxury player we can't afford? get rid i say, impact sub at best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Park Life 70 Posted November 7, 2013 Author Share Posted November 7, 2013 but is he a luxury player we can't afford? get rid i say, impact sub at best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 13895 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I would ask Peter Beardsley to try and hammer this point home to Ben Arfa. He had as much skill on a jinky run, but his assists to Andy Cole when he set the goalscoring record he still holds are what stand out to me, rather than his own goals. Yeh definitely. On a personal level - whilst I agree he's our best player - I'm not that fussed having to leave him out if things are going well. As I posted in the Sunderland thread he's been dealt a fairly raw deal for a few games this season. I wouldn't worry about it too much though because Pardew tends to manage him quite well. If he's out another couple of games he'll come back radgie as fuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kelly 1117 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I would ask Peter Beardsley to try and hammer this point home to Ben Arfa. He had as much skill on a jinky run, but his assists to Andy Cole when he set the goalscoring record he still holds are what stand out to me, rather than his own goals.Yeah the own goals were a bit of a twat but I can't remember too many of them to be fair so we'll let him off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 ...and his goals scored/assist record at Newcastle is better than at any previous club, so what Pardew's got from him seems to be about the most consistency we can hope for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Yeah the own goals were a bit of a twat but I can't remember too many of them to be fair so we'll let him off. I was going to edit it when I read it back but couldn't be arsed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 3997 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Would be fine if you only questioned the fact Obertan was used as a sub ahead of him. But you provided 6 options, 5 of which were that he shouldn't start any games. Utter shite. But thats just my opinion. That doesnt stop others offering their own opinion given his form and exclusion this season. Im sure there will be some screaming at Pardew to start him where as others may have tempered their expectations of what he can achieve here. It is a football forum after all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 3997 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 The best player we have. And Ferguson "Has the best left foot at the club", but that wasnt enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 3997 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 but is he a luxury player we can't afford? get rid i say, impact sub at best. Would you have started him against Chelsea? Whose place should he take? Is it surprising Debuchy is playing some of his best football without Ben Arfa ahead of him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 3997 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I would ask Peter Beardsley to try and hammer this point home to Ben Arfa. He had as much skill on a jinky run, but his assists to Andy Cole when he set the goalscoring record he still holds are what stand out to me, rather than his own goals. Spot on, as where his assists for Lineker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Face 29 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 But thats just my opinion. That doesnt stop others offering their own opinion given his form and exclusion this season. Im sure there will be some screaming at Pardew to start him where as others may have tempered their expectations of what he can achieve here. It is a football forum after all It wasn't your opinion. It was a question you posed to the forum. And phrased to the highest level of wummery you could manage, to suggest everyone either agrees there's little he can offer us at all, or that if anyone doesn't agree they're a dafty fanboy who wants a team built around his erratic talents. You're welcome to your opinion if you've had enough of him and want to say that. You're daft if you think Saturday gone means Obertan has more of a future here though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gloom 19950 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Would you have started him against Chelsea? Whose place should he take? Is it surprising Debuchy is playing some of his best football without Ben Arfa ahead of him? yes. he should have got a run out ahead of shola, cisse and obertan. maybe i'm an old traditionalist but i'm from the school of thought that says you play your best players. ben arfa is one of our best players. we certainly shouldn't be getting rid. we should be building a team around him and finding a system that plays to his strengths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howmanheyman 27328 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 He's most definitely droppable, his performance against Sunderland was dire, it's when he's not on top of his game that he's hard work for his teammates and manager. He's also still not in tip top condition imo. It's a hard call though as how do you know if he's going to be Villa away Ben Arfa or mackems away Ben Arfa? (Or is he going to be JFK's Ben Afrie, even?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kelly 1117 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I think it's his inconsitency that's prevented him from moving on to a top club (I suppose you could say on that basis that we should be thankful for that) and on that basis he's completely dropable. He started the season brilliantly but in the last month he's been poor. Part of that will be playing him out of position against the bin dippers and the smelly cunts from down the road, part of it's down to the opposition crowding him out and part is due the aforementioned inconsistency. Against the cockney makems I don't think I'd be putting him back in the starting eleven. They've been going on recently about how narrow their pitch is which won't suit him on the wing and the teams that have frustrated them have apparently not let them play down the wing. We all know that he won't offer much support to whichever fullback is behind him. I'm starting to come round to my dads idea of playing Tiote, Anita and Cabaye in the centre with Sissoko and Gouffran out wide and Remy on his own up top. That gives us a chance of posession in the middle, two players who will graft out wide and a player up front who can provide a threat from inside and outside of the box. Just because I would do this away to Spurs doesn't mean that I think Ben Arfa can't impact this game later on and doesn't mean I wouldn't play him in other games home or away. And judging on the way Pardew has played him before and how he's reacted, I would expect him to come back positively after missing a couple of games. I would add that there is literally no circumstance in which I would have Obertan in ahead of a fit Ben Arfa and I don't think Pardews decision to bring Squidward on second half on Saturday means he's in any way ahead of him in his thinking (only a complete moron would think that). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noelie 103 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 My concern about BenArfa is that he may become a bit of a problem child like he was at his former club. Being dropped is one thing but seeing the likes of Shola and Obertan getting playing time while you're rooted to the bench has got to mentally be upsetting. On the other hand, I can't see why Pardew did that, neither Shola or Obertan are game changers and not in the same class as BenArfa. And certainly not players to put in when you want to hold on to a lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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