Newcastle top class winger Hatem Ben Arfa has given an interview today to the Newcastle web-site, and he has some interesting things to say.
The great Hatem Ben Arfa – Newcastle second striker
The 24-year-old French International has spent almost nine months recovering form his horrific double fracture of the left leg that he sustained at Eastlands in early October, following a tackle from Manchester City’s Dutch International defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong.
But as we heard a week or two ago, he was given a clean bill of health from Clarefontaine Football Academy, where he did much of his recovery, and the lad seems raring to go.
This is what Hatem had to say this afternoon:
“It was a very serious injury, of course, and took a long time to recover from – but I’m 100 per cent fit now,” “A lot of my recovery was done at Clairefontaine, the French football center, where I was under the control of the doctor who did the operation back in October.”
“I also came back to Newcastle for various updates with the club’s medical staff here, then back to Clairefontaine to continue the recovery.” ” And I managed to get a couple of breaks in as well, because you need that to keep the morale going.”
“And now I’m no longer under the doctor, so all the hard work has paid off.” “It was a very, very difficult few months and I’m really happy that now it’s all over and I can get cracking,”
“I’m really eager to get back.” “It’s good for my morale that we’ve signed such good players from France, players that I know and that I’ve played against,” “It’s going to be really good.
“I spoke to Sylvain Marveaux before he came here and it was a very good conversation.” ” I told him it was the right place for Sylvain to come and I’m very glad he took my advice.”
“It’s good for my morale that we have signed such good players from France, players that I know and that I have played against. It’s going to be really good. I spoke to Sylvain Marveaux before he came here and it was a very good conversation.”
“I told him it was the right place for Sylvain to come and I’m very glad he took my advice.”
He plays table tennis too!
There will be at least two French Internationals in Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye in the Newcastle side, and we are still hoping Newcastle will bring Charlie N’Zogbia back to Newcastle.
Those three players have skills galore, and it certainly seems Newcastle will be a much more skillful side next season than they were last season.
It’s just great to have Ben Arfa fit again, and it will be terrific when this lad plays again at St. James’ Park, when he will get a tremendous ovation – a very well deserved tremendous ovation.
Comments welcome.
30 comments so far
CynicalasEva
Jul 6, 2011 at 6:43 PM
Comment #1Not disagreeing that the players bought have the potential but most foriegners take time to bed in and adapt.
Still a v small 1st team squad
..SwedishMagpie..
Jul 6, 2011 at 6:43 PM
Comment #2.
CynicalasEva
Jul 6, 2011 at 6:43 PM
Comment #3ooh was I supposed to put 1st there
SwedishMagpie
Jul 6, 2011 at 6:46 PM
Comment #4any news on erdinc ?
SwedishMagpie
Jul 6, 2011 at 6:48 PM
Comment #5I don’t think we will get Charlie N’Zogbia 🙁
brobrotwins
Jul 6, 2011 at 6:50 PM
Comment #6Any 1 read about ashley going high street with clothes shops seems he does read the blog and listen to us calling his nocked dowm nocked off clothes haha
cousto
Jul 6, 2011 at 6:55 PM
Comment #7Hope we go in for Menez
CynicalasEva
Jul 6, 2011 at 6:58 PM
Comment #8I think it will be one out one in for the reaminder of the window – followed by the ususal excuses and pardews HBA and Gos are like signing two new players
TazmanianToon
Jul 6, 2011 at 6:59 PM
Comment #9He’s wearing number 10 in the picture, doubt he’s getting the number 9 so.
ToonMauritius
Jul 6, 2011 at 6:59 PM
Comment #10lads, any news on NZOG
CynicalasEva
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:00 PM
Comment #11bro – some more shops to keep clear off
Bryan
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:00 PM
Comment #12Great to see HBA back. He will be a big big player for us this season. There has been so much talk lately about this £35m that tbh iam sick of it. Lets forget about this figure and judge the players that do arrive on merit and quality, not price or lack of it. If the club can bring in players of the quality of Ba, Cabeye and Marveaux for the cost the club say, whether thats transfer fees, signing on fees or agents fees I am happy. It does not matter if we spend £5m or £50m as long as I can see an improvement in the team. And at this moment I think we have a much stronger team than last year, so that must be good. The good thing is there is still 2 months left in this window and we all know that the most movement of players will be in the last week of August. So please forget about this £35m and judge the club on the squad asembled after August 31st. I think we will all be pleasently surprised.
cousto
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:04 PM
Comment #13training top numbers mean nothing http://www.nufc.co.uk/javaImages/5b/de/0,,10278~9559643,00.jpg
cousto
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:05 PM
Comment #14look ameobi has changed colour
http://www.nufc.co.uk/javaImages/60/de/0,,10278~9559648,00.jpg
mcookie2
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:12 PM
Comment #15if we are to get N’Zogbia then it needs to be soon. If Villa sell Downing for 19 mil then he’s as good as a Villa player.
Gateshead-Mag
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:29 PM
Comment #16cousto // Jul 6, 2011 at 7:05 PM
look ameobi has changed colour
http://www.nufc.co.uk/javaImages/60/de/0,,10278~9559648,00.jpg
hahahaha creased m8
Rui Fosta
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:29 PM
Comment #17Can’t wait to see this master mind back in action, tiote and arfa are imperative to our success next season as long as arfa is fit and tiote isn’t suspended we should improve on last season and personally I see an improvement as Europe.
This is my 1st ever post after reading for 4 years.
I’m a realist and I am witnessing the best team we have had on our books since sir bob god bless him, and I emphasise team. That surely equals good times ahead for the Geordie faithful.
bigdan1980
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:32 PM
Comment #18i’m now officially “impatient” sign someone will you. damn cwaarshole getting my hopes up, its like being let down at xmas. i should really stop reading his vile garbage but i cant I JUST CANT!
Andy
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:36 PM
Comment #19Also he’s changed into gary neville
Darryl
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:36 PM
Comment #20“I spoke to Sylvain Marveaux before he came here and it was a very good conversation.” ” I told him it was the right place for Sylvain to come and I’m very glad he took my advice.”
“It’s good for my morale that we have signed such good players from France, players that I know and that I have played against. It’s going to be really good. I spoke to Sylvain Marveaux before he came here and it was a very good conversation.”
“I told him it was the right place for Sylvain to come and I’m very glad he took my advice.”
He was quoted as saying the same thing twice was he? lol.
howay the daz
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:45 PM
Comment #21Newcastle’s N’Zogbia bid
http://www.espn.co.uk/news
Newcastle United have had a £10 million bid for Charles…
just found this but dosent show a date or say much.
Smooth moves Shola
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:48 PM
Comment #22——————Krul——————
Gosling–Taylor-Colo–Enrique
—————–Tiote
————Barton-Cabaye———-
——Ben Arfa——-Marveaux—
——————Ba
Subs: Harper, Simpson, Williamson, N. Taylor Ferguson, Jonas, Erding.
Capable of 60 goals? I reckon so.
Tom_Toon
Jul 6, 2011 at 7:54 PM
Comment #23Gervinho:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/339435697.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJF3XCCKACR3QDMOA&Expires=1309979178&Signature=CFtL7ZD%2FAdB7WKH9N0LDcBU5t90%3D
Stevo
Jul 6, 2011 at 8:11 PM
Comment #24My French housemates parents have just come to stay for the weekend. And her father is a massive football fan. I just quizzed him on NUFC’s new French signings. This is what he said:
On Yohan Cabaye – ‘He’s an average player. Similar type of player to Gourcuff’
On Marveaux – ‘Below average’
He had never heard of Abeid. But reckons we should sign this guy – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Martin
ONLINE GUY
Jul 6, 2011 at 8:26 PM
Comment #25News just in on Newsnow
We are after the Na Na brothers from FC Rekjavic
Both strikers..I suppose they can play up front with Ba
Great forward line with Ben Arfa playing just off Ba
Imagine Ba Na Na and Ben Arfa ..frightning!
ONLINE GUY
Jul 6, 2011 at 8:28 PM
Comment #26Not to mention Raylor Taylor Saylor Naylor
Rui Fosta
Jul 6, 2011 at 8:44 PM
Comment #27Just put pro evo 11 on havnt played on it since January I have realised that I have erding in my squad and he just scored in my first match against fiorentina, omen could be 🙂
BOOM BOOM THE 1ST
Jul 6, 2011 at 9:45 PM
Comment #28who oh who will our no.9 be.
SincerelySamuel
Jul 6, 2011 at 11:41 PM
Comment #29@onlineguy really Ba, Na, and Na = Banana FFS i spose well be signing Guily and keeping the Bull also signing a rightback called Luss and deploying Marveaux on that flank so our left side will be Guily Bull our right will be Marveaux Luss nice try tho 😛
cyprus
Jul 7, 2011 at 11:29 AM
Comment #30I like the language! He got a couple of breaks (indeed) and now he wants to get cracking again (please don’t)!