He is the shirt seller, the money generator, the player who people pay money to go and see. He is a maverick capable of single-handedly changing a game, as witnessed against Everton earlier on in the season, and he can pull out all the tricks to keep the crowd on their feet. But he is also injured, and has been since September.
Ben Arfa will be back on Tyneside on Monday as he continues his recovery from the callous tackle that Nigel de Thug dished out earlier on in the season. A ‘tib and fib’ break was diagnosed which has left Hatem out of action for such a long time and has left Newcastle fans wondering what could have been.
Still, the road to recovery is nearly complete and fans can once again look forward to seeing the French wing-wizard in action. Did I say wing-wizard? Apparently not, according to Alan Pardew who talked to L’Equipe and gave quite an insight into the exact role that Hatem Ben Arfa will have in the team.
“Next season?” Pardew pondered. “He will play a central role in our attacking line. I want to use him as a playmaker, a number 10, just behind one forward. I am convinced he is able to score between 10 and 15 goals a season.”
Well at least with Wayne Routledge gone he won’t have to worry about who to give the number 10 shirt to!
On a more serious note, it does kind of quash those little formations that crop up that have Ben Arfa out on the wing. Apparently playing the free role is Benny’s best position, and it’s the one that he came here to play when he first arrived from Marseille. Personally, I can’t wait to see him back in action and I’m keeping everything crossed in the hope that the injury hasn’t ruined him.
If Benny is to play the number 10 role then he will need a striker who he can feed off. None of our current strikers are up to that task in my opinion so we’ll need to go shopping for a new one that can score goals and set up chances. I scoffed at the rumour the other day, but someone like Mario Gomez or Andy Carro…. Oops. Mario would do. It’s unlikely, but it’s just an example.
I won’t bore you with the rest of the interview as you’ll probably have read it yourself, but if you haven’t it’s basically about getting Benny back in a routine and taking it easy with him etc etc. The usual stuff pretty much.
The real titbit is the plan to play Benny where he can be at his creative best, and the thought of that excites me.
However, without without wanting to be the harbinger of doom, I just can’t get my head around this planning for next season malarkey. Not yet anyway. First and foremost we need to ensure that we are in a league in which we will actually see Ben Arfa pull on those black and white stripes. Call me cynical, but I very much doubt he would hang around as we trekked to places like Scunthorpe and Doncaster.
So while it’s nice to see that the club are looking ahead, I would urge them not to look too far in front and focus on the job in hand. It could all change come 5pm however and we could all breath just that little bit easier if we manage to tame the Wolves this afternoon.
Until then though, everything should be on hold.
1-0 West Ham 👿
toonsy(Quote)
Man utd’ll win 4-1 divnt worry 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Man u are starting with pretty much there reserve team that’s why their getting beat 👿
dan4toon(Quote)
Since I changed my avatar we’ve not won. It was all going great until you lot said it was disgusting and now look what you’ve done 👿
toonsy(Quote)
Lets see if changing it back works 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Man Utd will come back into this nee bother. They are pretty much dominating to be fair.
toonsy(Quote)
aaarghh…Toonsy…I never liked that Avatar mate…but like JB’s tache, if it gets us a win today stick with it… 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
Another penalty to West Ham FFS!
toonsy(Quote)
I told you Man Utd would get back into it.
West Ham 2-0 Man Utd
toonsy(Quote)
I telt ya man, Manure will win 4-1 and the Toon 3-1 nae botha.
Reet I’m offski, enjoy the match lads. HWTL
richietoon(Quote)
I’ve reverted back to my lucky championship polo top.
Jobey07(Quote)
I meant manure will win 4-2 😆
richietoon(Quote)
F*CK OFF WEST HAM!
Jobey07(Quote)
Lets hope this is the only upset today
dan4toon(Quote)
Jobey – You play Championship polo? How posh 😉
Later Rich. Have a goodun 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
Well a newcastle one i wore in the championship 😆
Jobey07(Quote)
Give it lowdy Richietoon…
West Ham 2-0 howay man…madness
Munich Mag(Quote)
I wonder if Fergie will get fined for fielding a weakened team? 🙄
toonsy(Quote)
Have to sit thru the Afl Fremantle v Geelong Can they score 11 points i the last few minutes? Not in our fookin liefe. Get it off and bring on the proper stuff.
You’ve no idea what purgotory we go thru here.
Brisvegas(Quote)
I hate man utd, I hate fergie. they seem like they’re pissing about
Jobey07(Quote)
Toonsy@93…good point mate..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Any tele links aboot for todays toon match ?
Munich Mag(Quote)
Munich – It’s not looking good at the minute. Closer to kick off maybe…
toonsy(Quote)
Sorry, but Vidic should have got a red there like. Last man and he only got a yellow? Hmm….
toonsy(Quote)
As long as Newcastle win I couldn;\’t give a stuff
Brisvegas(Quote)
F’kin 100 get in, man
Brisvegas(Quote)
You alright there Bris 😆
dan4toon(Quote)
Brisvegas 😆 😆 😆
Jobey07(Quote)
last man…Vidic should see red surely ?
Munich Mag(Quote)
we need a win today
kevinkeegan(Quote)
Congratulations Brisvegas…!
Hang on in there mate, get some matchsticks to keep your eyes open…the game will kick off soon ! 😉
Munich Mag(Quote)
well, if West Ham can beat manure, why shouldn’t we beat Wolves ? Nowts the bother, with the right application and tactics, we’re in front of 50,000 Geordies FFS….!
Munich Mag(Quote)
Jeez it’s been a fookin long day. And there’s still an hour and a half to go.
Brisvegas(Quote)
MM – Was just going to say that 😆
You pulling an all-nighter, Bris? 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
Brisvegas…is your whisky bottle empty yet ?… 😆 😆 or you started on the second one ?!
Munich Mag(Quote)
What time is it doon under Bris ?
See the skippy’s turned Germany over last week here 1-2 not bad…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Got bad feeling about day!!
Think we will struggle to score and Wolves could sneak a one goal win.
Hope I am wrong. 🙁
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
😆 MM just answered you on .organ 😆
Cant wait to see the team that we put out today
either way 3pts today
Howay the Lads
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave – This is the predicted team from the radio:
Harper – Simpson – Coloccini – Williamson – Ferguson – Barton – Nolan – Guthrie – Gutierrez – Lovenkrands, Ameobi.
toonsy(Quote)
I just keep sayin to myself – howay the fookin lads.
Brisvegas(Quote)
howay toonsy any team news yet me **** cheeks are doing ten to the dozen…
CC(Quote)
Lee Ryder: Guthrie to start.
Really? Never knew that 😯 🙄
toonsy(Quote)
CC – Nah not yet. I get home team news first but then I have to dig for the away team news. I should get it in a text, in fact I do get it in a text, but I got that text ant 6pm against Bolton and at HT against Stoke 🙄
toonsy(Quote)
lee ryders fingers on the pulse 😆
CC(Quote)
Newcastle United (4-4-2): Steve Harper; Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, Shane Ferguson; Joey Barton, Danny Guthrie, Kevin Nolan (c), Jonas Gutierrez; Shola Ameobi, Peter Lovenkrands
Subs: Tim Krul, James Tavernier, James Perch, Sol Campbell, Steven Taylor, Nile Ranger, Shefki Kuqi
Ireland not even on the bench
Jobey07(Quote)
have we scored yet ? 🙄 🙄
Munich Mag(Quote)
Jobey – Aye, that’s what I got as well.
New thread up with team news.
toonsy(Quote)
somebody somewhere is taking the **** big time with Ireland…..
What a toon legend he turned out to be ! Fookin Pardew waxes lyrically about the bloke…and he aint freakin anywhere near the team…! 🙄 🙄
Pardew…he gets absolutely nowt right in the press or what ?? sorry like, just don’t like to see us having the p taken out of us…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Munich Mag – skippies? Socceroos please. Good win, even if it was a 2nd rate German team – if such a thing exists in relation to Australia – we also had a few missing – Cahill being one. Brilliant result. I like the international break only because the Socceroos get to play. Too hard to explain the politics of that statement – don’t ask. I could write a book about it. About to open a new bottle of Johnny Walker.
Brisvegas(Quote)
Munich – To be fair, Pardew will have seen him in training at least, which is more than any of us will ever know about him.
toonsy(Quote)
ok Bris…from mow on Soceroos in wor hoose !!
A win against ANY German team is good, I mean the second string are also quite strong….
Enyoy the Johnny Walker bud !
Munich Mag(Quote)
sorry toonsy…just boils my pee a bit. I hope there is not some money gamble/tactic going on here with Ireland….some kind of deal going on. With the Del Boys we have pulling the purse strings at the toon it wouldn’t surprise me… 🙁 🙁
Munich Mag(Quote)
I wonder if Rooney will get in trouble for his blatent swearing into the camera.
Drogba got a ban for that a year or two ago, didn’t he?
funkyjesus(Quote)