When Ben Arfa first arrived at Newcastle airport in August of 2010, just after we had been promoted after a terrific season in the Championship that saw us get a massive 102 points and come straight back up under then manager Chris Hughton, we had a young 23 year-old mercurial French international travel to Newcastle to try to force through a move to the club he wanted to play for – Newcastle United – while he was still on the books at Marseilles.
Ben Arfa – was once flying at Newcastle United
Ben Arfa knew all about the great French players of the past, who had played on Tyneside, for former great Newcastle sides, and he wanted to do the same thing.
And while his career at Newcastle didn’t get off to a good start, and he broke his leg in two places at the Etihad Stadium in October 2010, he recovered from that terrible injury, and he was ready and started to play again in the following season, during our American tour.
And Ben Arfa played very well for Newcastle in the second half of the 2011-2012 season, and finally nailed down a starting place at the beginning of 2012, after he stepped up to the plate and did a lot more work than he had been used to in France, and we finished in 5th place in the Premier League – the best league finish since 2004 under Sir Bobby Robson.
And in that season, Ben Arfa graced St. James Park with some unbelievable individual goals, like those two efforts against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup and Bolton in the league, which Alan Pardew said at the time were two of the best individual goals ever seen at St. James’ Park, and he was right about that.
But fast forward two years and after two poor seasons, when we have been on some terrible runs in the league – we lost 10 of 13 league games in the 2012-2013 season, and in the season just finished we lost six in a row for the first time ever in the Premier League, and we lost eight of our last ten league games we played. 🙁
And Ben Arfa rarely played this year, and in the final games of the season he wasn’t even on the bench, as the relationship between Ben Arfa and manager Alan Pardew seemed to sink to new lows.
No one person is to blame for this situation – Ben Arfa has to take responsibility for not working hard enough on the field when he did get a chance, and presumably not following the instructions he was given when he did come on.
Alan Pardew has to take responsibility because here is a mercurial winger, blessed with terrific skills, whom the Newcastle fans love, and we have simply been unable to get the best out of the player.
And now because we are more of a grafting side these days and cannot be accused of being successful, it’s hard for the present day Newcastle side to support a player like Ben Arfa – since everybody needs to work their socks off just to be in the side.
And nobody is a winner if Ben Arfa does leave in the summer, which now looks to be almost certain.
Ben Arfa failed at Newcastle, and Alan Pardew and the club failed to get the best out of a very good player who first arrived at Newcastle, even though he had a reputation at the time for being hard to manage.
We’d still love to see Ben Arfa stay on Tyneside for next season, even though he will be in the final year of his five year contract, and maybe also Sylvain Marveaux, who we haven’t seen the best of in his three years on Tyneside – but he’s another good player with good skills.
But it’s very likely that both players will leave the club this summer and everybody will lose – the player(s), the manager, the club and the Newcastle fans.
And we still think if Ben Arfa does leave, he will be picked up by a Champions League club – and that’s a statement in itself.
Comments welcome.
117 comments so far
beermonkey
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:09 PM
Comment #41welsh & RH
come on you know we cant compete with clubs like Swansea
Belfast
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:11 PM
Comment #42I honestly think if he went to Liverpool, he would be brilliant.
Think somebody like Rodgers would get the best outa him
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:17 PM
Comment #43Newcastle has its moments as well – we seem to get the best out of the likes of Perch, Simpson and Willo 😉
…not bad! Not bad at all. Let Liverpool have the flair players whom doesn’t track back!
Belfast
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:23 PM
Comment #44Amen Jasper amen
toonarmydownsouth
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:32 PM
Comment #45A lot of confusion over Ribery, could be set to miss the WC
The favourites to step in are Lacazette or Cabella
We best get our skates on then before there fee’s rocket!
welshgeordie9
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:33 PM
Comment #46Belfast
i took your advice and asked for help and the cheeky sods said that there’s nothing wrong with me, how bad is that.
Ha ha ha
Belfast
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:37 PM
Comment #47Phone the Cardiff funny farm instead, far better apparently
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:37 PM
Comment #48If Ribery and that little twat from Citeh are not going then France only have to get rid of Benzema and I actually think they have a shot at winning the WC!
cyprus
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:45 PM
Comment #49Who called Pardew a motivator? Is there really a condition that can be described as having been ‘pardewed’?
I’d like to ask Cisse, HBA, Mbiwa, Goufy, Colo, Sameobi and others if they have been pardewed or if they just lost form collectively.
cyprus
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:53 PM
Comment #50Sad day when-if HBA goes. He was supposed to be the beginning of the new entertainers (ask Ginola).
Btw, would Ginola (a strong character on and off the field) have gotten a game under Pardew? Would he have been the legend that he is? Fine lines here and a guy like Pardew can do damage, even unknowingly.
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:53 PM
Comment #51Cyprus…I think alot of us thought he had great man management skills in the beginning. Appearances can deceive you know!
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:54 PM
Comment #52Cyprus…where did you study in the States (and for how long?)
scout
Jun 1, 2014 at 7:57 PM
Comment #53I was pardewed after watching the 6 nil liverpool game
scout
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:01 PM
Comment #54Is anyone on here from Newcastle?
Graeme
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:05 PM
Comment #55Scout, yes mate, I was born & bred in the Toon
Now live in Lancashire, but usually in West Africa
toonarmydownsouth
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:11 PM
Comment #56Scout
Originally yeah why?
cyprus
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:13 PM
Comment #57University of Montana, Bsc and Master… UK, London: PhD
cyprus
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:14 PM
Comment #5850% geordie…
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:20 PM
Comment #59Only at heart 😉
Cyprus…so you are a business major?
cyprus
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:22 PM
Comment #60Yes Jesper
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:35 PM
Comment #61Are you back in Cyprus again or still in London?
cyprus
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:40 PM
Comment #62Yes,
I’m in Cyprus hence the name 🙂
Graeme
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:42 PM
Comment #63Cyprus, North or South?
cyprus
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:44 PM
Comment #64The Republic of Cyprus, Graeme 🙂
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:47 PM
Comment #65Cyprus…my dad was a UN soldier (from Denmark) for three years back in the late 60tees 🙂
…he was also in Gaze!
cyprus
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:52 PM
Comment #66Did he like it? UN soldiers I’ve met tend to enjoy it here. Not much ‘action’, nice beaches etc. Even though Cyprus in the 60’s was not all that peaceful!
mindshaft
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:53 PM
Comment #67Whitley Bay, parents from Fenham
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:56 PM
Comment #68Cyprus…he stayed for 3 years 😉
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Jun 1, 2014 at 8:57 PM
Comment #69He didn’t enjoy Gaza though! To rough and violent!
cyprus
Jun 1, 2014 at 9:03 PM
Comment #70Jesper,
how come you chose NUFC if I may ask?
Ben3arfa
Jun 1, 2014 at 9:07 PM
Comment #71I HAVE BEEN PARDEWED
scout
Jun 1, 2014 at 9:08 PM
Comment #72Can you remember a man called john jobie???
Toon1978
Jun 1, 2014 at 9:16 PM
Comment #73Scout
I live in Wallsend. Just a few mins drive from training ground and 10 mins from stadium. Born in Toon, lived here all my life.
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Jun 1, 2014 at 9:23 PM
Comment #74Cyprus…I love football and have played it since I was 4 years old. Been a prof. but injuries ruined it for me at an age 16-17 🙁
…grew up on Man United because Jesper Olsen played there (he was my favorite Danish player) and we always watched English football on Saturdays in my house.
I saw Le Tissier and Shearer from SOTON an was really impressed as a kid. Followed Shearer to Blackburn and when Shearer moved to Newcastle U followed. At that time I really lived the football they were playing and they were probably my second favorite team at the time.
Shearer changed all that.
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Jun 1, 2014 at 9:24 PM
Comment #75*U = I
the truth will out
Jun 1, 2014 at 9:25 PM
Comment #76wots this and torres ffs
toonluvva
Jun 1, 2014 at 9:28 PM
Comment #77Born & bred Geordie origionally from Walker, then Fenham and now Gosforth.
the truth will out
Jun 1, 2014 at 9:30 PM
Comment #78http://shortme.us/news.php?url=fernando-torres-close-to-signing-for-nufc-52409
Graeme
Jun 1, 2014 at 9:32 PM
Comment #79Cyprus, My dad was in Kyrenia in the the mid 50’s with the UK Police, I didnt get there until a few years ago, now looking to buy a place out there. Makes a great escape from Nigeria, thats for sure lol
kevymartins
Jun 1, 2014 at 9:33 PM
Comment #80Fernando Torres like pfff is there any players we have not been linked with?