Goals from Birkir Bjarnason and one time Toon target Kolbeinn Sigthorsson gave the visitors an unlikely lead, but Mathieu Debuchy – a current NUFC target, allegedly, Franck Ribery and Adil Rami ensured the hosts extended their unbeaten run to 19 games.
The most important part of all of this is seeing how our boys played of course. Whilst Yohan Cabaye seems to be a nailed on cert to go to the tournament, he had a quiet game and was withdrawn just shy of the hour mark. Hatem Ben Arfa was withdrawn at the same time as Yohan but his chances of going to the tournament will have surely been enhanced after his showing last night.
Full of running and link-up play, our dynamic number ten showed flashes of brilliance and looked to be the only one who was going to make something happen for Les Blues. He combined well with Karim Benzema, Yohan Cabaye and, perhaps interestingly, Mathieu Debuchy on the right side of the pitch, which could give cause for excitement amongst fans of NUFC.
A glimpse of things to come perhaps? We’ll see…
Anyway, I’m made up for Hatem. He played well last night and showed he would be worth taking to the tournament, but then perhaps I’m just being biased? Nobody would deserve it more than him though, not after what he has been through these past couple of seasons and the way he has come back from it all.
He’s had one major injury and another fairly serious one not long after that, so to come back and be able to put in the performances he has done is quite remarkable really. Not only that, but he has added another side to his game over the course of the season which is basically a willingness to do the dirty work along with being a game-changer going forward.
I hope he goes, I really do, and I guess we’ll find out soon enough. I just hope that if he does then he doesn’t ***** the interest of another club, or pick up an injury, or come back tired for our charge on Europe next season!
Les faits saillants….
P.S – Congratulations to Tim Krul also who has made the Holland squad and will be going to the tournament, albeit only as a likely backup to Maarten Stekelenburg. It will still be a great experience for Timmy though, of that I’m sure.
Ben Arfa should be automatic for Les Bleus.
Yohan Cabaye has been steady all season but over praised by many on here.
He had a spell of 3 or 4 games near the end of the season when he played great and deserved the hype. Mind, that was when Barfa played his best games and allowed Cabaye to get further forward.
I like Cabaye. He works hard, tidy player and has shown he can turn in some crackin performances but too many games he is average.
Barfa has shown that he can frustrate by his lack of work ethics, trying to do too much but has also demonstrated his sheer class! A world class player on his day.
He was given an excuse last season due to his long lay off thru injury but I would expect him to be our most important player next season.
He’s either going to be a superstar or classed as a luxury player if he doesn’t step up to the mark.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
2nd
Troy Stavers(Quote)
troy i think the reason cabaye sometime looks average is when he plays in a deeper role. his greatest asset is his creativity which can not shine through when applying a more defensive job.
Nobby(Quote)
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11678/7783068/Magpies-eye-Sky-Blues-ace
anyone seen the lad play..
hitman(Quote)
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/15125/7773572/The-20-year-table
Interesting read, we are 6th over all in the hisotry of the Premiership
Johno Toon(Quote)
Wuz up guys, just got up (I love study leave wants the exams are finished
), anyone know anything about this Coventry guy we’re interested?
Andymag(Quote)
Oh man, what a player Ribery is….
Munich Mag(Quote)
Aye, according to wiki he’s got 89 goals in 26 games 😯 so sign him up I say 😆
Johno…we’re 8th 😉
richietoon(Quote)
MM….Just a pity he’s such a c@nt to go along with his skill 👿
richietoon(Quote)
Richie…aye he’s a great player, but a bit of a merve too apparently…..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Richie
Ate, isn’t he classed as a paedo as well? 😯 😕
Andymag(Quote)
Ate = Aye
Stupid predictive text.
Andymag(Quote)
MM…It’s just the diving about and worse is the getting in the ref’s face and trying to get players carded all the time….and he can be a dirty fooker. When you have that skill there’s no need.
Andy….they’ve already altered his wiki this morning, earlier it said he was the greatest player in the world for his age….stilll haven’t got the goals right yet though 😆
richietoon(Quote)
…he also scored 3 and assisted 2 in Coventry’s 9 nil win over Leicester last season. 😯
Good ol’ Wiki eh, don’t you just love it.
Rodzilla(Quote)
Having watched the France v Iceland game last night I have to disagree that Debuchy and Ben Arfa played well together.
Debuchy played most of the game in the Iceland half of the pitch , stifling Ben Arfas’ play and forcing Ben Arfa to play deeper
Debuchy as a full back was a disaster. He was at fault for the second goal , being unable to get back in time to allow Sigthorsson to put the ball in the net unchallenged. In the second half,. Iceland should have had a third goal when they exploited the missing full back , the keeper making the save with Debuchy still in the Iceland half of the pitch.
If we do sign him don’t expect him to make any goal line clearances.
sidekick(Quote)
Richie
Is it just the wrong way round ie 26 goals in 89 games or are the figures wrong entirely?
Andymag(Quote)
Andy…..The appearances are right at 26, no goals and 1 assist 😉
richietoon(Quote)
richietoon says:
May 28, 2012 at 12:01
Johno…we’re 8th
In my defence it was monday morning and im still hunover from the weekend
Johno Toon(Quote)
Bingo, Sidekick, I was thinking the same thing. That France defense was shattered by two counter attacks that should have been dealt with more easily. Debuchy and the LB–was it Evra?–were way out of position.
Cabaye playing so deep seems a waste. He was so good for us when he was pushed up into the attack but disappears, as, maybe any player will, when lying so far back.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Whoa–19 arrested in Italian match fixing… again.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Richie
Did Ribery seriously only get one assist and no goals this season? 😯
Andymag(Quote)
Fsotc
Right about cabaye. As we saw this year he seems born to play a more forwad role. Still a good player in a withdrawn role, but not his best position
MDS(Quote)
G’day mates!
Fresh from Denmark:
Jores Okore is under Pardews loop at The moment. He is Young, extremely clever, and has Been selected for The Danish euro squad.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jores_Okore
I would recommend him highly, cause he was clearly The Best defender in The Danish league and have just won The Danish league with fc Copenhagens little brother club: fc Nordsjælland.
Fc Nordsjælland squad is very interesting with solid prospects as Okore, and Young Andreas Laudrup(son of Michael Laudrup).
Hope this is true, because he Will be cheap and i rate him to become as good as Saylor with time
Danishtoon(Quote)
For me, the best example of Cabaye’s creativity was when he set up demba ba with a perfectly weighted chip over the defenders head against norwich away. Demba smashed it home. One of my fave goals of the season that, if we won that game more people may have talked about it. 😉
Nobby(Quote)
Danish – Weren’t we linked with him over the summer? 😕
toonsy(Quote)
Toonsy:
I Think so but i am not sure.
But if we are going to get quality Young players in this summer. He certainly would be perfect.
Hope The Danish papers are keeping this rumour hot because it is still “hot”.
Danishtoon(Quote)
HBA on his blog says he had tired legs because he’d done a lot of heavy training during the week, which is normal at this stage of the competition.
Yeah they could come back tired, but they could come back super fit as well?? 💡 😀
Susan(Quote)
Andy….No mate, all the stats I was talking about are from the kid from Coventry 😉
richietoon(Quote)