The maverick Frenchman injured his hamstring in Europa League action and returned to action four games later against Fulham last week.
Unfortunately, and despite his promising performance, he aggravated the injury at Craven Cottage and missed the game against Manchester City on Sunday, with the decision now being made by management to keep him out of action until the new year, essentially to protect the 25-year-old from any further damage and a potential longer term injury lay-off for the playmaker.
Manager Alan Pardew said: “There is a danger he could tear his hamstring. If he did that he would be out for two or three months whereas if we do it the right way and be sensible about it, it may only be three weeks. And obviously that is the route we are going to take.”
Not good news when you consider he is our only creative player who has, well, created much this season. Add to that the fact he can change a game in an instant and it is undoubtedly cause for concern. Is it cause for too much concern though?
Many people will be disappointed with this news of course, but if you look at the games Ben Arfa will miss you have to ask if, on paper at least, his presence in the team would have much bearing on what many expect the results to be. Granted he will be a miss against QPR for sure, but what about Arsenal or Manchester United? Those two teams can hurt us with or without Ben Arfa in the side.
This is why I’m thinking that perhaps it’s not such a bad thing that he’s being wrapped up in cotton wool. Like Pardew says, the last thing we need is him sidelined for a large bulk of the remainder of the season so if he he is to be missing, could it actually turn out to be at the right time so we can use him against teams where he can really do some damage?
Just a thought…
BB nee chance of that mate his *** would be oot,but i agree 😉
icedog(Quote)
Was just watching Moyes and I like when a manager comes straight out with it 😉 I know that they will sometimes try to protect their players and I think thats a good thing but when it’s obvious and blatant they might as well come clean
Big Dave(Quote)
looks like RICHIE is still in the huff or he hasnt stopped eating yet,comfort food of coarse 😆 😆 😆
icedog(Quote)
Pardew probably believed it when he naively said he was happy with his squad at the start of the season. Since then the club have been unlucky with injuries, but the most telling fact is that we have been lethargic and poor all season, and that is down to Pardew’s coaching and tactics amongst other things. The players seem to be starting to wake up to the task in hand, and started sweating for the stripes, unfortunately several players are off form at the moment, but at least the effort seems to be there.
It’s only a matter of time before we turn the corner, and start picking up again, but minimum 100% effort from everyone is required. We cannot afford to carry 3 – 4 players, EVERYONE needs to pull there weight to get us out of this mess 👿 I reckon Collo, Anita, Tiote and Santon can kick start the team, and Cisse will start scoring again. Wouldn’t mind seeing Obertan on the right hand side either to be honest, we have been too one-paced lately.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Ice he doesn’t keep that figure by not working on it 😆 😆
I did see that he said he was coming back home for Chrimbo and that he mightn’t get on much 😕
Big Dave(Quote)
MM @ 78 I have to disagree I don’t think Pards would have been happy, but what else could he have said ? to run the Regime down would have meant him going on the dole, and he has probably said he was happy to cover himself and more importantly to try to keep the current players happy as he knew he would need them to be onside because there is fuk all else he could do. As for Tiote helping kick start 😯
Big Dave(Quote)
35 minutes gone…. Reading 0 Arsenal 3 …. good job the **** are going through a bad spell …. 🙄
Munich Mag(Quote)
Big D, at the end of the day we finished 5th so he probably half believed it, though deep down he may have known we couldn’t expect to perfom like that again. However, he must also be shocked at the drop in form. I reckon Tiote will help kick start the season, and Anita will carry it on when he jaunts off to the ANC. Not sure who else is going to make the numbers up in midfield though 🙁
Munich Mag(Quote)
DAVE yes hes coming over he will be at qpr game and visting diff people and he wont miss out on a xmas lunch at every house he goes to 😀
icedog(Quote)
Ice I bet he does some eating over the festive period, they’ll need to get Eddie Stobart to take him to the QPR game 😆 😆
MM he made it quite clear that he wanted and needed players so I do think he would have been a bit peeved, but I wouldn’t expect him to make that public knowledge, but I do know what you mean 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave – sorry mate, I got way laid with the boy – little ****** found prezzies 😈
Aye, hats off to Moyes and Everton. I also agree that Pardew may have been telling afew porkies about being happy with his squad. I don’t believe it for a second, but if he had said anything different I think the contract he would have been offered would have been 8 yrs fewer than the one he got.
Does anyone else think Jason Puncheon would be a good signing for about £1-2m. He only has 6mths left of his contract with Saints but he’s been quality for them this season and better than Marv and Oba IMO?
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy no worries mate, as for the Lad finding prezzies 😀 my wee Lad was up talking to me in my computer room yesterday and when he went back down I just realised that his new laptop was sitting out so thank god he never seen it 😯
On Puncheon tbh I haven’t seen much of him so I don’t really have an opinion on him
Big Dave(Quote)
well i see the ressies going down the same path got thumped 5.1 😯
icedog(Quote)
Have to say I think it was a good idea that Pards cancelled the Xmas party as most of the players don’t deserve to have one after the season they have had 😀
Big Dave(Quote)
Sharpy
Screw puncheon, routledge has been immense this season. Passing has been clever, runs have been good and he’s been on the score-sheet a couple of times. Looked **** when we played lump it up to Carroll football but with a ground passing system he could flourish as he has at Swansea.
Andymag(Quote)
Ice
Soton may have a good youth system/academy but 5-1 is disgraceful. Thought Alnwick and Good were supposed to be good (no pun intended).
Andymag(Quote)
love him or hate him at least KK played footy that was good to watch 😉
icedog(Quote)
Dave – I could have knacked him, he’s got the nose of a blood hound coz there’s nee way he just came across them. It took some quick talking and fancy wrapping so our lass didn’t realise
Sharpy17(Quote)
KK I had a lot of love for KK 😉 the real one that is not that ***** that comes on here 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Andy – aye Routledge is a threat and I’m thinking Puncheon could be the same for us. He has 2 goals and 5 assists so far this season which isn’t bad. If we could get him for as little as £1m then he has pace and would create going forward. He has to be worth considering.
He has PL experience and could be put straight in and good to go straight away if required.
Sharpy17(Quote)
DAVE aye mate not that jabba loving scum bag 😆 😆
icedog(Quote)
Ice thats the one 😉
On Routers I always said he has as much to offer as Oba, and he was already ours so didn’t need to buy him and he was probably on less money, but them maybe because Oba played for Manure they thought they were getting a steal so jumped in with both feet
Big Dave(Quote)
How much did we pay for Oba? £3m? Isn’t that double what we sold Routledge for?
Andymag(Quote)
ANDY aye but he speaks french 😀 😀
icedog(Quote)
Dave – totally agree about Routledge and Obertan. I’m not sure how much we got for Routz but to sell him and then folk out £3m for Oba was just stupid business IMO.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Our great leaders plan working well I see. Yet again our wonderful youth team got a thrashing…
Where’s all the numpties who were saying his master plan is fantastic?
2 points off the drop zone, much coveted youth system conceding goals and points left right and centre and players quite obviously annoyed and disappointed at the regimes broken promises.
What a plan, Mike!!
Stuart79(Quote)
Ben Arfa missing is obviously a massive blow as he is our best player when he’s up for it, absolutely unplayable on his day.
I do think Cabaye is a terrible miss though. In all our games, we are lacking that Central Midfielder who can feed the ball through to Ba and Cisse. A fit Cabaye is something we are in desperate need of and the sooner he returns the better.
Also, i felt in the second half against City, Ba and Cisse played well together and gave us reason for encouragment. Pardew is right in saying IF we play like we did against City, we will beat QPR which i am confident we will do.
As for the striker shortage, does anyone else have the opinion young Campbell should be given a shot? Rapid and good eye for goal, he could cause havoc as a strike partner for Cisse and Ba, would create so much space and streatch teams with his pace, something we have been missing since Martins. As for transfer targets, i hope the rumours regarding bids for Gomis and Remy are correct, if we can get those two in i would happily let Ba leave.
FlashJonas(Quote)
BB @67 I wanted to get back to you but was away for a while. I understand your point about snatching my hand off if offered 17th place but I don’t want our owner thinking that is acceptable for our club. It’s a bloody disgrace is what it is and he should already understand that. It’s not all about selling his worthless tat and getting pissed with Derek I hope. I would love to hear an honest statement about the position we’re in for once but there’s no hope of that as we all know. Even Derek the flunky has been silent lately.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Now THIS would make my day
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/newcastle-united/9751682/Marseille-and-France-striker-Loc-Remy-set-for-10m-January-move-to-Newcastle-United.html
The Kid(Quote)
Well this is what we need it to be, based on current events, I reckon.
I cant believe we went back to our dull 4-4-2 after last season having bought no quality wingers.
————————————————–Krul———————————————-
–Debuchy—————–New player————-Coloccini————–Santon—–
—————–Cabaye——————-Anita———————Tiote——————–
————-Ben Arfa——————–Cisse———————–New player———-
New player here means a decent quality player. Not some freebie or ultra cheapie on the hope they eventual turn good. We need proven quality in to give the first team a lift.
It seems we really are following the Arsenal model I guess – they are gradually turning ****. We seem to be doing it at an accelerated pace.
Pootle(Quote)
If we were to go back in for Debuchy, for example, I would think there would be a fair chance a selling club in this situation would stick a couple of million on because they may well know how desperately we need quality reinforcements.
Which, ironically, makes all the summer low-balling and penny pinching seem like a bit of a pointless waste of time.
Pootle(Quote)
G2 – I agree, a xmas statement would be good, or even better an apology to the fans for letting us down, BIG TIME. Ha. Wont be holding my breath for that one.
Regarding the Ressies, there is a serious problem with our coaching at that level. Its simply not working and isnt good enough,
As for Obertan. he was a Pardew special, and shows why he shouldn’t be given any control over the incoming players. Clueless.
Rudolph must still be laughing even now. – said it before, SAF doesn’t let good players leave on the cheap, just his dead heads who he knows wont make it at manure.
There’s a sucker born everyday.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
areet Pootle. Haven’t seen you on here for a while. 😕
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
The Kid @ 103 – the telegraph reckon on Obertan going to Marseille in the deal. Dont know where they get that, but the talk the other day was about Marveaux going as part of the deal.
I would like us to keep Marv as he hasn’t really had a chance here yet.
Obertan going would be good news.
Just hope we can get the deal done. Its complicated when it involves other players tho and I dont have much faith in our boards negotiating skills 😈
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Plus there is the “LONDON” factor.
We cant compete with that, so I wouldn’t rule out spuds beating us to this Remy deal 👿
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Great Christmas is ruined 😥 Pootle is back 🙄 😕 😆 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Aye aussie – “Arsenal turning ****” still managed to bang 5 past Reading.
I wish we were as **** as them 😕 😆
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
BB 😉 yep I have missed those peals of wisdom 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
They are turning **** gradually. You should talk to some Arsenal fans and see what they think. Unless its too difficult from the other side of the world, like.
We are on the fast track programme thanks to the tight pockets of your stupid fat love interest. 😳
Pootle(Quote)
Areet BB. Just came back for a quick look at all the arseholes who thought we didn’t need decent new players in the summer cos our squad was really strong backtracking. It’s amazing.
😆
Not so many people worrying about protecting the state of the fatman’s wallet at the minute either.
😮
Pootle(Quote)
🙄 😆 😆 😆 🙄
More baseless driven from my pal Pootle 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
🙄 driven = drivel 🙄
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Pootle 😆 yeah it seems like a lot of fans have now learnt that they don’t have to look after Jabba’s money.
Although you stillget the odd one trying to say how great he is blah blah blah, and trying to make excuses for the Regime 🙂
Big Dave(Quote)
Let’s not forget Big Dave’s man crush on Jabba 🙂 🙂 he sure does mention him a lot 🙂
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Aussie considering the bastad owns our club and is the one that has caused us soo much grief, and is still willing to gamble on our clubs future, its hard not to mention the c@nt. So sorry if that hurts your feelings as I know you don’t like anyonerunning him and lambastad down 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Touche’ 🙂 🙂 however, I challenge you to find a post of mine where I state that I like or support Ashley? (Other than to stir you 🙂 )
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
this Ba thing is really starting to boil my pi$$
ice pup(Quote)
@104 u got the job
😉
ice pup(Quote)
Ice – the kid clearly doesn’t want to sign the contract that the club have offered him, and I’m one of those who thinks that we should stick with their best offer and not give in to his demands.
But now he’s mentioning other clubs in the press it’s clear where his heads at. So in light of that I hope he leaves in Jan and we can put an end to this stupidity.
Reports on Remy look promising but again, til the lad is photographed in SJP hold a strip with his name on it, I’ll write it off as PAPERTALK for now like.
It frustrates the **** out of me too mate, but if he does go, I hope we don’t turn against him. I’m angry and disappointed he wants to leave, but also grateful to him for his goals last season and this season. It just stinks that there is little to no loyalty in the game anymore.
Sharpy17(Quote)
aye sharpy once they start mentioning specific teams they’d like etc the writing is on the wall…. oh well lets be happy we payed nowt and he’s done a bloody good job bar him wanting to ****** off of course 🙁
ice pup(Quote)
Pup – aye, though I think him going to Arsenal ill probably depend on what happens with Walcott like. Pretty ironic that Arsenal could get rid of their greedy bar steward to recruit ours 🙄
Still it’s a business world now and us poor fans are left to live with it. As long as the business men replace him and strengthen the squad in Jan, and more importantly keep the likes of Benny.
Sharpy17(Quote)
It’s just dawned on me how important this weekends football is, and how crucial a win against QPR really is.
I didn’t realise that Reading face Man City and Wigan have Arsenal – which you would expect Reading and Wigan to loose.
So if we can beat QPR then we can put a bit of distance between ourselves and the bottom 3.
Now I am nervous!!!!
Sharpy17(Quote)
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11678/8341150
Looks like remy wants to come.
Alex(Quote)
Alex – well that’s certainly sounds promising mate.
Maybe that’s why Barton learnt French!, so he could tell Remy how great the club is and how the board is all about building the squad 😆
Seriously though, in an ideal world I’d love to see a front 3 of Benny/Ba/Remy – with Pards rotating Ba and Cisse through the middle. My ideal line up would be:
—————- Krul ————-
Debuchy/Colo/M’Bwia/Santon
—- Cabaye/Sissoko/Anita —-
—– Benny — Ba — Remy —-
I really don’t see it happening, as the addition of those 4 who probably cost in the region of £30m I’d reckon. But I reckon that team would compete with most in the league IMO.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Agree mate but i dont see Remy happening unless we lose Ba. or as the reports say obertan goes in the deal, which would make sense.
Pards said only 1 in unless people leave.
So it could be a Centre half in .
Simpson out – Debuchy or Pieters in
Ba or Obertan out – Remy in
Gosling out – Sissokho in
Alex(Quote)
Alex – I’d take Debuchy or Pieters for Simpson, would be chuffed to bits if Gosling went and Sissoko came in and I’d probably **** myself if we swapped Obertan for Remy and kept Ba!! 😳 😛
I’m not sure we’d be fortunate enough to swap Gosling for Sissoko though. I think that may only come off if Tiote were to leave. It would be great if it wasn’t though.
I was checking on a couple of CFs we were reportedly linked with last year, and Bas Dost is banging goals in for Wolfsburg since he went there, missed out with him I think. Also Jelle Vossen is still among the goals at Genk – would mind him at the toon either.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I can see the sissokho thing happening, im sure some one will pay a million for Gosling and he might be on a half decent pay packet. I just hope Ashley invests due the TV revenue coming in to play and the fact Xisco will be off the books in the summer.
Alex(Quote)
Alex
With Gosling’s injury record no one will pay a million for him, maybe if we were buying a championship player we offer money + Gosling for him.
Andymag(Quote)
We’ll be lucky to give Gosling away!
Sick and tired of the bollocks coming from APs mouth. I just don’t believe a word he says. Surely even he can’t believe we only need one player in. He looks and sounds a man totally out of his depth. It should be three at a minimum. It’s entirely possible we’ll lose to QPR and the alarm bells really will start clanging.
georgio(Quote)
Lads I really can’t see Debuchy coming he has made it crystal clear that he wont be leaving mid season, and apart from then I still cant see it coming off in the future IMO he knows we don’t value him highly enough.
On Pieters he hasn’t even returned to training yet from his injury during preseason I think, so cant see that coming of yet
Big Dave(Quote)
Alex – I’m with Andy on Gosling like, I don’t see us getting a million for an injury prone player who is currently injured!.
Personally I’d offer Marv and Obertan for Sissoko and Remy. I know we’d be loosing 2 wide players but we’d be getting one in and I think Sammi and Fergie offer back up on the left.
I’d also consider getting Puncheon in for £1m to add back up. I’m sure Ashley could stretch to that like.
Sharpy17(Quote)
We wont sign anyone. Will huff and puff get linked to everyone under sun and then announce that because cabaye and HBA are back we dont need to strengthen 👿
Liam Southern Toon(Quote)
Just heard that Lescott is looking for a loan move – could be right up our street.
I also don’t believe if we’re signing just one player that it will be Remy. We’ve needed a centre back for three years now!
georgio(Quote)
Waste of time getting rid of obertan and marv. Marv after cabaye and HBA is our most technical player and obertan our quickest. If the remy deal is on just buy the lad dont get rid of players. Sammi and fergie arent good enough we need all the experience we can muster.
Liam Southern Toon(Quote)
i dont trust a word that comes out of the clubs mouth i just let it go over my head they are full of ****,as for BA if he wants to go thanks for your goals and bye bye but do agree with him when he says he does not like hoof ball footy,join us pal 😉
icedog(Quote)
Dave – do you reckon well get a full back in in Jan mate?, I can see us cashing in on Simpson before he leaves on a free. If they do surely they’d have to get someone in?!.
Georgio – I would defo take Lescott, but I think he’s too old for our recruitment policy. Him and Colo would be a great combo I think though.
Regarding only one in – what Pardew said was that he only see us adding 1 or 2 to the squad, but that doesn’t mean replacing players leaving.
So if he got Remy and Obertan went the other way – he hasn’t added to the squad.
I think the 1 or 2 in would defo include a CB and maybe Sissoko.
LST – it’s all well and good Obertan being quick but there’s never an end product. The kids an athlete not a footballer!. I would consider keeping Marv coz don’t think he’s had a fair chance yet. But if Pardew isn’t going to play him and favours Fergie and Sammi ahead of him (which seems to have been the case this season), then I’d sooner he was to broker a deal for a better player to come in, coz he’s nee use to anyone sat on a bench or at home.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Ice – yip I have to agree with Ba like, but don’t agree with him talking about it in the press like. When he starts slagging Pardews tactics off and saying he fancies Arsenal – it’s Bye Bye Ba time.
Also just been looking at SSN app and Pards saying that they made a mistake not bringing in ONE more senior player in the summer. ONE?!, who you kidding Al?.
He also says its a collective mistake by him, Ashley, Lambollox and Carr 😐 ? … Really?!
I was under the impression that Carr had found the players and Pardew had back them. Surely that means it was Mike and Dekka who ****** up?. But if not, and Pardew and Carr were partly to blame, I could think of no better punishment than an 8 yr contract for them both 👿
Sharpy17(Quote)
SHARPY lol 😆 😆 😆
icedog(Quote)
Ice – I might try it out tho the next time that big sale gets away from me, and the gaffer asks what happen, I’ll just say “well it was partly your fault, but if you still have faith in me, how about a pay rise?” 😆 😆 not only do I know his response I can imagine the look on his face!! 👿 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
SHARPY you live in the real world mate,would not like to see the look on your face 👿
icedog(Quote)
Ice – the look on my face would be one of a hopeful man. Hopeful the job centre had a decent job for me coz me gaffer would have slung me **** out fast than Lambastard can **** a transfer up!! 😀
Sharpy17(Quote)
😆 😆
icedog(Quote)
Offloading a proven top EPL goalscorerer like Ba and replacing him with an untried Frenchman like Remy sounds like a sound piece of business if you ask me …. 🙄
Munich Mag(Quote)
(THIS IS A GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING. THIS POSTER IS LIABLE TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR POINT OF VIEW. ONLY ENGAGE IF YOU AREN’T SENSITIVE AND DON’T TAKE HISSY FITS)
Listening to Goughy and Danter on Talksport earlier, they were discussing the possibility of swapping Ba for Walcott.
If we aren’t going to give Ba the £80k per week or so that he’s allegedly asking for, we certainly won’t pay £100k to Walnut which is what he’s asking Arsenal to pay.
Some of the callers were saying they would swap Ba for Walcott. There’s nee way for me.
Ba is a prolific goal scorer. If we are to survive this season we need to keep Ba, not sell anyone and buy a quality CB and CF.
Of course, Ba may use his release clause but I would dont know how the regime expect to keep hold of quality players if they aren’t prepared to offer better wages.
Of course, its all guess work when it comes to wages and how much they want, but I would imagine it won’t be from the quotes suggested.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
MM – I understand your point mate, but what you have to remember is that the board are choosing to offload Ba, he has a clause in his contract meaning all a club has to do is offer £7.5m and the bypass the board and negotiate directly with Bas agents.
Remy is untested, but I would think with Cabaye and Benny in the squad, he’d settle pretty quickly and he’s clearly a talent.
Sharpy17(Quote)