Are we finally seeing the best of Ben Arfa?

toonsy

Is Hatem Ben Arfa beginning to find his feet?
If there is one player who has caused supporter unrest when it comes to team selection it is Hatem Ben Arfa.

Undoubtedly the lad has talent and can create magic with the ball at his feet, but there are also failings in his game, which included work rate and his willingness to work for the team when he doesn’t have the ball.

I used to have concerns about that side of things myself, but not anymore. We’ve seen in recent weeks that Ben Arfa is capable of of putting in a shift in both attack and defence, and that he is willing to help out the team while retaining that little bit of spark that can win a match in an instant, which can only be a good thing.

So are we starting to see what the real Hatem Ben Arfa can be capable of? I think so, and I think we’ll start to see a lot more of him as the season draws to a close. Make no mistake, the guy has not long been back from a horrific injury, and then another injury in pre-season. He’s been out a long time and it will take him a while to get back up to speed. I think we are now seeing what he really is capable of.

Alan Pardew seems to think Ben Arfa is approaching top form also. Speaking to the local press today he was full of praise for the Frenchman, even when talking about his work rate. To me that is a sign that Benny will be starting again on Sunday.

What do you make of it though? Do you think we are starting to see the best of Benny? Is there still room for improvement? Should he be guaranteed a start? Or do you want to see more from the mercurial Frenchman?

Your thoughts please.

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

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130 thoughts on “Are we finally seeing the best of Ben Arfa?”

  1. Yes that’s really 2 point about BA that makes me think that he has no chance to leave this summer.
    First ACON next year.
    Second, the guy was just on fire this year. Other clubs know that he doesn’t have the qualities or the technical abilities that will let him score the same number of goals next year. He is a good striker but for which club. Do you think he will play every game in a big club? I don’t think so, so I think after relfection he will know that the best thing for him is to stay here.

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  2. Troy – disagree about ba. He will be back once the team get back on track aswell. He has a nouse for Goals.

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  3. DAVE you have to be right somewhere,as you will never be right at home,your mrs will make sure of that 😉

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  4. Kimtoon @ 58 Krul and Colo signing contract won’t stop them being sold, it just increases their value 😉
    Onething is for sure you couldn’t second guess jabba and you couldn’t trust him or lambastad and that is 100%

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  5. Troy -You say he is average of late ,agreed ACON has had an effect in that respect no doubt. But any team bar the top2 or3 would want him ,hasn’t he just been voted this seasons best transfer or something. And pre this season i seem to recall he had a blinder in just a few games at West ham. He’s up with the best in the PL goal scoring charts and one reason we sit in 6th place.

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  9. Icedog@81 you are probs right but Saylor and Colo early doors might think they helped a wee bit.

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  12. i absolutely love ben arfa , he is a joy to watch for us!! yes he gives the ball away cheaply sometimes but dont all our players!! I knew this lad would come good! some daft people were saying in jan he would be off bcos he hadnt get up to speed 😆 😆 we really need to keep startin benny as hes by far our best right winger!! our team for sunday should have benny on the right and cisse upfront with mr ba! cisse will be looking to get back into stride with a week not playing so he should be fresh! lets smash the canaries on sunday. my team would be

    =============krul==============
    simp=======col==willo========santon
    benny====cab=====tiote=====jonas=
    ===========ba===cisse==========

    we desperatley need to get back into winning ways on sunday and a few goals wont do us no harm to try and get the goal difference back up!! our line up there could match any team in the prem on there day so hopefully all the layers turn up and put on a good show!! my prediction TOON 2-1

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  16. Celtic have agreed the deal for Forster already, it is £2m. All he needs to do is agree terms.

    Newcastle cannot ask for more than £2m for a goalie they never played in a competitive game, no one would pay more than £2m for his potential if his home club won’t even play him.

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  17. haha cheers mate , i was ashamed in myself when you said why did i not have a pic of him on when hes my granda in law!! love the pic , pure class!!

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  18. funkyjesus – thats mint , i dont really rate forster so 2m can go towards and center half 😀

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  21. BIG DAVE
    March 15, 2012 at 17:39
    Did anyone notice when Pards was making a sub on Mon night, Benny automatically thought it was him and walked over to come off, then realised it wasn’t him.

    yes he noticed that haha , poor ****** , pleased he got the full 90!! he did get the full 90 didnt he?

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  23. BIG DAVE
    March 15, 2012 at 16:35
    Good read Toonsy yeah we are starting to see the real Benny and the more he plays the better he’ll get.
    I still think he is a bit off his best, and I think we’ll see that next season when/ if we get a defence that are strong enough to do the job.
    I still can’t believe that there was fans only as far back as a month ago saying we should sell him in the summer

    that is what you call ” absolutely clueless”

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  24. Army no never met him he was a bit before my time, though I have a Linfield programme singed by him that my dad got when he was manager of linfield 😉
    Reet thats me outta here catch yous tomorrow sometime

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  25. Sorry boys. Had a text debate with a mate which distracted me.

    What’s going on.

    @BD

    Can’t believe you are speculating about Ba leaving! 😉

    As I’ve said, it’s all ****. My views are **** as well as yours. No one knows.

    @Sharpy

    I understand it maybe fun to speculate but as I’ve said it’s ****. Don’t let me stop you but don’t expect me to say its ****, with respect tho. 😉

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  27. Look at Army, showing off cos he’s married to WOR Jackies grand daughter.

    Don’t you forget you didn’t even realise Jackie and Bobby are your relatives! 😛

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  28. @Army

    I loved that strip WOR Jackie wore.

    I have an original with a Warburtons sponsor on the front. Pure proper pukka shirt from the quayside market!

    I paid £500 quid.

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  30. I know it’s original cos it’s got a grandad collar with buttons and made of Lycra. The bloke who sold me it gave me an authenticity certificate about it being the very first ever Lycra shirt for football tops and it was signed by Mr War Button himself.

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  31. Oh aye. On the label inside it says, made in China. The lad on the stall reckons all the old footy shirts were made in China cos in those days China imported Newcastle Brown Ale and stotty cakes!

    What a bloke. Dead knowledgeable like. 😯

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  32. The thing was, he was dead argumentative, I said black, he said white, there was no common ground when it came the colour of my money.

    One thing we did agree on was that I got the best price for the lettering on the back of the shirt.

    I did him big style cos we were arguing over the price per letter. He wanted £10 per letter and I got him down to £5!!! Result!!

    WORE JACQUIE ! 12 x 5 = £70!

    He was gutted!!

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  33. I’m not into this legal marriage of cows and bulls.

    One step at a time for me.

    Civil marriage maybe but the latest is some of them are having pre nuptial agreements before marry.

    The world has gone mad!

    For me they either marry or the don’t!

      (Quote)

  34. Serious now! I have booked a holiday on the slopes in Finland. I need some advice.

    Do you think my placka sledge will be allowed on the ski lift or will I have to walk up on my tennis rackets? 😕

      (Quote)

  35. Bloody hell, I feel like I’m imposing on people here but does anyone know the difference from a cat and a gerbil?

    I went to a pet shop in Elswick 2 year ago and asked for a gerbil.
    It was bloody cute like when I first bought it and put it in a Gerbil cage.

    The shop keeper said it would grow big cos it it was a pedigree and breeded from big gerbils.

    Two years later and it’s massive. It nearly fills the cage and shows no interest in burying or using the spinning wheel.

    I never doubted it was a gerbil until it meeowed the other week.

    I’m now suspecting its a bloody cat! 😯

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  36. Am I the only one who has dilemmas?

    I feel it might not be the right forum but cos I know you quite well now I feel I can tell you almost anything without getting embarrassed.

    I’ve got the hots for Trevor McDonald the newsreader.

    Any advice bearing in mind my wife looks like Moira Stewart! She won’t be bothered that I fancy another newsreader but bloody Trevor McDonald!!!! 😯

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  37. Hey lads! I consider you all trustworthy now.
    I’m starting to feel comfortable in your company now.

    I feel as if I can tell you things without you looking down or ridiculing me.

    I had a hiccup today.

    I was at a job interview today for a job that Ive always wanted since I was a young kid.

    I don’t know how it went but just to say I was nervous as hell. It means everything to me.

    Anyway, I went to the toilet before the interview and then rushed into the interview room.

    I don’t believe I could have answered the questions any better even if I had known the questions beforehand.

    To be fair their eyes were nearly popping out as I was answering! 😯

    Anyway, it was only when I was walking away after the interview that I realised my nob was still hanging out my zip and flaying in the wind! 😯

    I’m in a right quandary because I don’t know if they were impressed with my answers or my ****!!

    I will update you tomorrow when they give me the result. 😕

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  38. ****! I’ve just re read my last post and feel more nervous!! 😯

    I hope they take into account I was bloody nervous and that’s why my nob was shrivelled!!

    I would hate to think that I failed because they thought I was relaxed! 😕

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  40. UK SUBS
    SLF
    THE CLASH
    COCKNEY REJECTS
    SHAM 69
    ANGELIC UPSTARTS
    DROPKICK MURPHEYS
    BONEY M
    ABBA
    THE DOOLIES

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  43. Terence Arthur “Terry” Hibbitt (1 December 1947 – 5 August 1994) was an English football player, who was on the books at Leeds United, Newcastle United and Birmingham City during his career. His position was midfielder. His brother Kenny also established himself as a successful footballer.

      (Quote)

  44. A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer such as pine or fir, traditionally associated with the celebration of Christmas. An artificial Christmas tree is an object made to resemble such a tree, usually made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

      (Quote)

  45. A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid. A wing is an airfoil, which has a streamlined cross-sectional shape producing a useful lift to drag ratio.

      (Quote)

  47. Troy at 112. Don’t be nervous about your knob hanging out of your pants mate… The one hanging from your forehead will have taken the attention away from your other exposed appendage 😆 😆 😆

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  48. On topic, it is great to see Benny gaining in confidence but I think B&B @ 25 summed it up well.. Benny’s opposing player got past him far too easily and Benny just turned and watched him run off. This happened a number of times in the last game. I still like seeing him in the starting line up as every opposing team will know he can be a threat. It will give them a little extra to think about..

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  49. Never been on this websight before the articals are verry good 1 thing i have picked up on. is that troy stavers needs a lif no one is even replying to his 20 odd posts in a row 😮 😮 😮

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  53. Yeah Dave. Drowning his sorrows, no doubt, since he has just found out he needs a lif. 😯
    😆

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  54. I was howling at my own banter last neet! 😆

    It’s even funnier this morning. 😆

    Self gratification can be an ugly trait but I find it quite rewarding. 😛

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