The French sports channel Infosport+ is reporting tha Hatem Ben Arfa’s representatives have initiated talks with Tottenham, with a summer move in mind, and we would think the story could have some credibility to it, simply because if we are relegated a number of our French players will want away.
Ben Arfa – could lead Newcastle this summer
And even if we don’t go down, the credibility of Newcastle as potentially a top club in England has been shattered by our league position and by our pathetic results and performances in the Premier League this season.
I hate to have to write it, but it’s unfortunately true and we seem to have been a one season wonder last season.
Tottenham will have to replace Gareth Bale in the summer, if he leaves the London club, which certainly seems plausible, and of course Ben Arfa can also be a match winner, although he’s played very infrequently for Newcastle this season.
That’s one of the problems this season – as well as having 14 Europa League games which affected out league performance on the following Sunday.
Newcastle have also been without some of our star players, and as another example Coloccini has been out the last twelve games with a back injury.
When he picked it up on February 24th, it seemed innocuous, but he will have been out nine weeks if he returns at West Ham on Saturday.
The story on Ben Arfa could be false, and these kinds of stories are – most of time – and only last week Ben Arfa said he wanted to stay at Newcastle:
“I want to stay at Newcastle, there are only journalists who say otherwise. My agent and I have not talked about it, I’m focused 100% on Newcastle and hope to stay here.”
Newcastle Managing Director Derek Llambias will at least have to do some initial planning soon, in the event that Newcastle are relegated, and there will be a list of players we will have to sell if relegation comes about, and two of them at the top of the list will be Yohan Cabaye and Ben Arfa.
Two of out best players – but that’s what would happen if we are relegated for a second time on four years, and that possibility seems to have become g stronger over the last two weeks ago – based purely on our pathetic results.
How did this happen? 🙁
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23 comments so far
Ashtoon
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:19 PM
Comment #1Given our ’emergency situation’ I’ve come up with the team possibility below for WHU game. I would normally not like this sort of hoofball, direct approach. But I honestly think we will have to drop many of the pardew favoured clan and revert to battling, direct football basics to even stand a chance to scrap out a result against big 20 stone Sam. It includes only 2 frenchmen to start, HBA to be part of the bench offer, other subs can pick themselves from the usual under performing shower.
_______________Harper_______________
Simpson___Williamson___Colocini___Jonas
Oberfranny__Perch____Anita____Goufran
_________Shola_______Cisse_____
My hope in this set up would be decent pacey running delivered by Gouff and Obertan down the wings, with balls directed to Ameobi, for scraps to Cisse to poach. *Simples* (in theory).
Come what may, the WHU game can be expected to be a true battle of wills, and it’s one we may easily lose. But I am of the view we should just go for it with a much changed, and very direct set up. Not everyone’s liking, but in my view necessary in these circumstances.
Peter Beardsley
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:21 PM
Comment #2I hope everything went well for you Ed 😉
Keep up the good work the blog is much appreciated!
John Tudor
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:22 PM
Comment #3are the rats leaving the ship
Munster Mag
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:25 PM
Comment #4Ian Toon, I admire your optimism but as I said a long way back, I think it is misplaced and this is pretty obvious at this stage. You are incredibly tolerant of the shambolic coaching of Pardew. How a team with plenty of decent players can end up waiting for relegation ( and believe me thats what seems to be happening ) in this shambolic state can really only be answered by looking to the manager. His term at NUFC seems to mirror his other clubs, even if blind and deluded optimists like Ibiza ( nice bloke mind! ) tried to convince us otherwise. The guys that were right on Pardew were fellas like Toonbanno, Catchy and others who highlighted many weaknesses and suffered the term “negger” for vocalising it. I supported Pardew for ages butBrighton was a key moment – two fingers to a manager from the reserves…..utterly shocking. Moreover, we can say he has lost many players when we look at the lack of effort v Liverpool. if we stay up ( and logic says we wont ) , he needs to be sacked . Either way, the manager at NUFC has to dictate all football policy, especially player recruitment. Anyone who disagrees is for the mental home.
santonthenewmaldini
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:27 PM
Comment #5@Ashtoon
Dont necessarily mind the team you have put except Obertan he has had numerous amounts of chances and has let the team down he would end up getting taken off at half time after Mat Jarvis has given him and Ober the runaround
Arfa has to start no matter what I would actually like to see him in the no 10 role and get someone else to do the tracking back let him create as West Ham are actually pretty poor at the back if they are pressured
santonthenewmaldini
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:27 PM
Comment #6Sorry Ober and Simpson the runaround
t00ntime
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:30 PM
Comment #7HBA has already said he will stay if we show ambition. This is a non story. HBA said he would think about leaving if we dont buy. bale is 90% sure of leaving spurs. spurs need a winger, hba is linked.
If we stay up I think AP will be fired, we will bring in a new manager and MA will suprise us with some nice buys. HBA and Cabaye are trophy winning players, atm we’re Probably holding them back, but at the same time they are learning lessons. I think we will have some good cup runs if we get a manager/AP realises Cabaye is a CAM and sissoko is a CDM. Just that simple change will help alot imo.
danuneek
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:30 PM
Comment #8i don’t see the point of this article. We haven’t been relegated yet and are still in a better position than Wigan. We just have to fight it out in these last 3 games and try to get a win. We have the talent in our team to get a win either against West ham or QPR. There is absolutely no point in sacking Pardew until the season is over and then we can regroup and evaluate what went wrong. It’s pointless talking about who might be coming and going. For me, we concentrate on these next three games, starting on Sat. If we beat West ham, then everything is going to change. That’s football for you, fickle.
spitfire_
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:30 PM
Comment #9I can’t blame him if he decide to leave… who will want to play hoofball? Besides Benny deserves more!
gonufc (not Arf' bad)
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:32 PM
Comment #10Ashtoon – I see that team as surrendering!!
I think going pure long ball would be the worst possible thing to do!!
All this long ball rubbish with Shola on every half time/ 60 mins is part of the problem!
We surely have to try to play and try to win!
t00ntime
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:35 PM
Comment #11You would take cabaye+Hba out? no. With out them we have no threat that has been proven multiple times. Cabaye has to be pushed forward, or play as CM in a 4-4-2.
——————Elliot—————
-simmo–colo—–Staylor-haidara
HBA—Sissoko–Cabaye–Jonas
————Cisse–Shola————-
or if fit the same def but.
Hba–sissoko–cabaye–jonas
—————-Marv—————
—————-cisse—————
can also swap marv and hba. The point is we have tried defending and we lost 3-0 and 6-0. this team has a mixture of attack and def.
Hba attack–sissoko def
cabaye attack– jonas def
etc
El Sleeve
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:37 PM
Comment #12I just watched the Liverpool highlights. Not once did our manager show any passion or shout instructions. he kept on giving ppl a thumbs up every time the camera was on him. is he serious? if i cared about my job i would be shouting instructions constantly at the players since non of them knew what they were doing.
if i was benny or cabs id be off because this joker is ruining them and our great club.
Ashtoon
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:39 PM
Comment #13@ 10 –
Ordinarily agree gonufc, my selection idea was based on the idea that the dressing room may well now be lost and a ‘plan B’ is necessary, with a view to beating a physical, battling team like WHU.
In reality for the WHU selection I expect an ordinary Pardew ploy to include all malfunctioning team members as normal. I.e simply repeat mistakes of old.
We know by now that Pardew will not select the consensus common sense ‘fans favorite’ passing team. As most games this season testify by starting line up.
Alberts_tash
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:42 PM
Comment #14Sorry to harp on about the adverts again, but is anyone else getting porno adverts for housewives in Sheffield? It’s gonna take some explaining when the girlfriend checks my Internet history.
Ashtoon
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:51 PM
Comment #15Alberts – no adverts here – I use chrome with ad block. No issues. Definitely no sheffield porno housewives anyway.
lesh
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:52 PM
Comment #16How did this happen?
If we can persuade Mr Pardew to tell us without repeating the many excuses we’ve been given over the year, we’d be delighted to know. Delighted? No, perhaps saddened to know.
As for speed and Benny, that’s his agents hard at work – probably without his knowledge. Bale may be off, there’s an opportunity for the mercenaries to make a fast buck. Agents? They’re like hyenas!
lesh
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:55 PM
Comment #17Ashtoon, my thoughts were on the same track as yours. Forget trying to play fancy football, get players who’ll work their chuckies of for the club and go for the points, no matter how ugly.
wolfshead@toon
Apr 30, 2013 at 11:56 PM
Comment #18why cant i get sheffield housewives 🙁
Ashtoon
May 1, 2013 at 12:06 AM
Comment #19In the absence of a sheffield housewives sky channel, I guess you have to find them yourself Wolf?
Alberts_tash
May 1, 2013 at 1:07 AM
Comment #20Wolfs- ill sign you up mate. There’s plenty on the list. They’re discreet apparently, but all look strangely familiar.
chuck
May 1, 2013 at 4:00 AM
Comment #21Spurs are a team on the ascendancy, NUFC is fighting (not that hard) to avoid relegation, Spurs are a London side, Newcastle are a small (relative to London) club, with a big stadium, almost three hundred miles from the capital.
If you are a foreign player, who would you choose ?
Aint brain surgery !
ABH
May 1, 2013 at 5:57 AM
Comment #22Couple of things…amongst many I am sure on Saturday were….Elliott…Championship goalkeeper at best one terrible display that was and Haidara…I know he has been injured but injuries don’t have you looking around wondering what the hell is going on…that’s just common sense and a good knowledge of the game…The thing is when a manager sends out a team with aplan and it isn’t working you have to rely on the highly paid players to use a bit savvy and put it right without the need to hold somebodys hand…Oh and Gallic temperament is world famous…remember there are no boundaries with these people when things are good they are world beaters….when things start going wrong..well its a good job the Numbers are on the backs of the shirt so you can see who is running away and hiding…remember what they did to a quite well respected football player /coach L blanc and their OWN country in the World Cup????? what chance Pardew Or Newcastle United….Oh and don’t forget that total football genius who became one of footballs biggest pains in the arse PLATINI…..Oh dear…This is just from a personal point of view as next year I have decided to take a closer look and move to France to live….secretly hoping to go find more Ben Arfas….
ABH
May 1, 2013 at 6:05 AM
Comment #23Chuck….
That all depends….but I know what you mean…Personally I think London is like a very hot bath dip your toe in and get the f##k out…Flash players would choose London but they aren’t all Flash Harrys…Whats Andy Carroll doing there by the way..I would not mind betting he doesn’t turn out against us.