Hatem Ben Arfa will become a free agent next summer, and he has already played his last game for Newcastle United – and for the record he played 86 games with 14 goals and 18 assist in four seasons at Newcastle, and that’s not many, but he hardly played that first season when he suffered a double fracture of his left leg at Manchester City.
Ben Arfa played the whole game at Arsenal on Saturday
Ben Arfa came to Newcastle with a history of having poor relationships with his previous managers, but at Newcastle he seemed to get on well with Alan Pardew, and even seemed to have matured on Tyneside.
But then early this year there were a couple of dressing room arguments with the Newcastle manager after a couple of defeats, and those led to Ben Arfa being ostracized at Newcastle – and he went out on loan to Hull City on the last day of the summer transfer window, although many Geordie fans were not too happy about that.
This is what Ben Arfa has told Sport Confidential:
“In the past, I only thought about myself. I thought I was alone in the world.” “I am very fragile, too fragile.¨
“Being a free agent next summer? It is huge pressure. I have used up all my credits. It is like playing Mario – I have one life remaining, I have to take care, but I will take on the challenge.¨
“Playing for one of the biggest clubs in Europe? I will achieve it.”
Hatem Ben Arfa is a very gifted footballer, in fact one of the most gifted players in the world, if the truth be told.
But unfortunately, he has never fulfilled his tremendous promise as a footballer, and it may be due to some temperament issues and his personality.
But he can still come through as a footballer, but whether some big club will pick him up next summer is debatable – although a club like PSG or Monaco in his home country would very likely take the chance.
Unfortunately his career at Newcastle United is now over, and there’s something very sad about that somehow. 🙁
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
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43 comments so far
mag92
Oct 23, 2014 at 3:48 PM
Comment #1He needs to sort out the thing in between his ears and then the rest will take of its self.
NOVA2967
Oct 23, 2014 at 4:03 PM
Comment #2He’ll be playing for the Rangers FC
ravz09
Oct 23, 2014 at 4:03 PM
Comment #3Two spares for spurs this sunday – pm me on ravz_09@hotmail.com if you are interested
ilovetoon8788
Oct 23, 2014 at 4:10 PM
Comment #4So far, he has even been crap at Hull. 1 good assist and then disappeared the next game at arsenal. Same old story with us.
pawl250
Oct 23, 2014 at 4:13 PM
Comment #5So what has happened to the great magical being that is Ben Arfa?
Hasnt he set the world alight since his move to Hull supposedly (SARCASM)
“He will prove Pardew is a numpty” people said on here…..shows what people on here know!
Pardew is a numpty, that is besides the point, but it certainly was not Ben Arfa proving him to be one!
Infact I totally agree with Pardew let him go. Its abit like Harry and Taarabt, Not a bad player (in terms of exciting) but he is just a waste of space…..
Benny is an average player! ALWAYS has been. Hyped by the Newcastle fan base to be something he really is not…..
“Biggest teams in Europe” he will be in the Turkish league this time next year as no one with anything about them wants to even glance at him…..
Waste of space.
Typical player that gets hype for doing 1 magical thing in 2 matches out of 10, yet that in those other matches contributes absolute zero…. may aswell put a shirt with his name and number on a branch a stick it in the ground.
Mister Tuff
Oct 23, 2014 at 4:26 PM
Comment #6Back to the Fans Forum. I would not neccessarily criticise people for joining the FF -as they probably volunteer themselves in the hope the are benefitting the fans.
Having said that, after re-reading the latest minutes again in general a lot of what was discussed (or more accurately -publshed in the minutes) was abjectly poor. Whilst there were some attempts at probing questions my God rarely have I reviewed such an insipid, boring, spiritless, wishy-washy and spiritless event.
Or to use a colloquial summary -what a pile of shite.
One bloke commeneted :-
“PP added his opinion that from his seat in the Milburn Stand, he believed MA’s passion and “emotional reaction” to Newcastle’s goal and win were genuine.” (in response to question about Mr Tubbs committment to the Toon).
What a load of bollocks.
Another bloke stated :-
“DM added that the club had made its stance on the Chronicle very clear and that Forum members should therefore stop asking about it in meetings.”
So now we have a member of the FF wanting to silence other members viewpoints/questions/comments.
I’m afraid the FF has descended into an ineffectual talking shop -waste of time and effort.
cyprus
Oct 23, 2014 at 4:39 PM
Comment #7Opportunities for hate mail eh. This lad’s unfortunate circumstance goes by one name: Alan.
mag92
Oct 23, 2014 at 4:48 PM
Comment #8HBA, is nearly 28 and he’s that good he’s on loan to the mighty Hull City, someone needs to give the kid a reality check!
mag92
Oct 23, 2014 at 4:55 PM
Comment #9Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Great player who lets his football do the talking, unlike HBA, who just talks.
optimistic prime
Oct 23, 2014 at 5:24 PM
Comment #10I’d rather have HBA in my squad than Obertan, bearing in mind Obertan has scored 4 in 88 EPL matches with virtually the same amount of assists.
Both disipear in games and both never seem to live upto their billing but if I had the choice it’s a no brainier.
Toon Tang
Oct 23, 2014 at 5:37 PM
Comment #11Big ups to Vito Mannone for actually managing to get all the tickets refunded. I don’t know if anyone remembers but I had said after our last away blunder?, if the score reaches a certain amount without reply. You should automatically be refunded. Whether just the ticket cost or full trip cost I don’t know ’cause it would be hard to gauge if people were lying or not.
Anyways, the moral of the story is… Don’t get beaten so heavily on away days and you wouldn’t get into the mess in the first place.
Toon Tang
Oct 23, 2014 at 5:40 PM
Comment #12Also factor in sendings off and other unforeseen circumstances. If your team finishes up with 11 men maybe?
Toon Tang
Oct 23, 2014 at 5:43 PM
Comment #13Making a 700 mile round trip out of hard earned cash in the current financial climate and your team doesn’t even try. I would be demanding the money to be brought round in cash on a silver platter by the players them self.
Toon Tang
Oct 23, 2014 at 5:45 PM
Comment #14Special delivery by Pards and Ashley. “Do you wanna sign for it mate”?
optimistic prime
Oct 23, 2014 at 5:45 PM
Comment #15Toon tang
If Ashley compensated fans for dink NUFC performances he wouldn’t be a billionaire for long 😉
On the sending off, IMO if they get sent off for something easily avoidable they should automatically be fined a weeks wages. Raising their hands, pro foul etc.
Average_Contents
Oct 23, 2014 at 5:51 PM
Comment #16And we’re off.
http://mobile.newsnow.co.uk/A/740254878?-11058:809
Toon Tang
Oct 23, 2014 at 5:52 PM
Comment #17OP, I can feel that cash draining from his coffers already mate. There’s a few things like that that they will one day introduce no doubt, like being offside 10 or more times in a game and taking a ‘foul throw’ – all the really basic ,schoolboy stuff eh.
I notice Cisse has been trying harder on his offsides recently as well come to think of.
Toon Tang
Oct 23, 2014 at 5:55 PM
Comment #18Got a bit of wonga riding on the Europa tonight as well so could do with the clean sweep.
optimistic prime
Oct 23, 2014 at 5:57 PM
Comment #19Toon
You not think Cisse has lost a bit of pace so he’s now finding it harder to be off side 😉
Ooooo we’re linked with Doumbia again, never happening remember we signed 9 even if there dink we still signed 9
jimmysmith
Oct 23, 2014 at 6:09 PM
Comment #20Apparently Ben Arfa tracked back and put in a shift for Hull in their excellent result at Arsenal. He also looks very fit and powerful. Maybe the penny has finally dropped and he may just end up owing Newcastle, and even Pardew, a debt of gratitude.
lochinvar
Oct 23, 2014 at 6:13 PM
Comment #21Understanding the French is not easy and believe me I know because I worked with them. However if you think French and act French you can get closer to getting into their way of thinking. Hatem was a free thinking, flowing, creative player and his leg break destroyed that panache and therefore diminished his believe in his creative ability. That was all restorable to a fragile ego but required a manager that himself was creative and able to find ways to bring back Hatems magic. Reality check is that Pardew amongst others didn’t have that capability in their own make up so Hatem was sidelined only adding to the negative mind set. Hatem still has magic in his boots – it just needs a special kind of coach to help him achieve that. It’s beyond Pardew – he sees in monochrome not colour.
optimistic prime
Oct 23, 2014 at 6:35 PM
Comment #22Just watching Lille Everton, who’s NUFC pretending to be intrested in ?
so I can have a look see
welshgeordie9
Oct 23, 2014 at 6:50 PM
Comment #23If they ever do a new Snow White and the seven dwarfs film then I would recomemend the following people to them.
Blackley and Brownley can be Bashful.
Ketsbaia9 can be Doc
Jail for Ashley can be Dopey. …
GeordieTwo can be happy Happy. …
Manxpie can be Sleepy
Ibizatoon can be Sneezy
Average_Contents can be Grumpy.
Well come along you lot i can’t you sing.
Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho
It’s home from work we go
[Whistle]
mag92
Oct 23, 2014 at 6:53 PM
Comment #24Nufc are apparently chasing Seydou doumbia from CSKA hopefully he’ll fare better than Obertan under the idiot Pardew, who told Obertan to find a new club in the summer.
mag92
Oct 23, 2014 at 6:56 PM
Comment #25Doumbia has 60 goals in 89 appearances for CSKA.
Offkey
Oct 23, 2014 at 7:06 PM
Comment #26Doumbia is 26…….really, are you sure, I think there is a smudge on his birth certificate
Mag52
Oct 23, 2014 at 7:09 PM
Comment #27Looks as if one or two of the myths which have been pedalled incessantly on here in recent times are in danger of being exposed.
First it’s the loan deal for Mbiwa which was, apparently, only agreed to by AP on the understanding that a replacement was being signed (according to the recent fans’ forum).
Now it appears that HBA has a problem with pressure and lacks confidence. Pity he couldn’t have taken a leaf out of Obertan’s book, knuckle down, get himself fit and behave like a professional footballer on goodness knows how many squillions of pounds per year.
Offkey
Oct 23, 2014 at 7:25 PM
Comment #28@27 On Mbiwa – Oh, ok, we had a verbal agreement for a player but even though they had backed out we still sent mym off to Roma on loan anyway……….and everyone thought it was for the best (or words of that ilk), yeah that makes me think of Pardew in a completely different light……
HBA makes the above statement and he has a problem with pressure…….dont get me wrong, the lad seems delusional to me, but a problem with pressure and confidence…on the above statement….nah, dont buy it
JamesToon
Oct 23, 2014 at 7:34 PM
Comment #29It’s so painful to think that if we had kept our best players and bought the players we have done, we could have had this squad:
Krul
Debuchy-Lascelles-M’Biwa-Haidara
Cabaye-Tiote
Ben Arfa-Cabella-Remy
Ba
Subs:
Darlow-Coloccini-Janmaat-Sissoko-De Jong-Aarons-Cisss
mag92
Oct 23, 2014 at 7:54 PM
Comment #30The difference between Ebola and Liverpool is Ebola is a threat to Europe!
mag92
Oct 23, 2014 at 7:57 PM
Comment #31Pardew should have had a centre half in well before MYM, went out on loan. Did Pardew not watch any of the stooges last season.
Jeff from Benwell
Oct 23, 2014 at 8:05 PM
Comment #32JamesToon // Oct 23, 2014 at 7:34 PM
It’s so painful to think that if we had kept our best players and bought the players we have done, we could have had this squad:
Krul
Debuchy-Lascelles-M’Biwa-Haidara
Cabaye-Tiote
Ben Arfa-Cabella-Remy
Ba
Subs:
Darlow-Coloccini-Janmaat-Sissoko-De Jong-Aarons-Cisss
You missed out Carroll you mong
mattyNUFC
Oct 23, 2014 at 8:07 PM
Comment #33Excited to see how galtier sets up st ettienne at inter
jazzyp
Oct 23, 2014 at 8:11 PM
Comment #34Doumbia yes please…if only true. I would have thought he would command the best part of 12-15 million
Mag52
Oct 23, 2014 at 8:19 PM
Comment #35Mag 92.
If Pardew had any say in the buying of players there’s a pretty good chance we would have had both a CB and a decent CF bought in during the window.
welshgeordie9
Oct 23, 2014 at 8:23 PM
Comment #36Jeff from Benwell
Did you like my line up for the seven dwarfs or should I change it a little bit.
welshgeordie9
Oct 23, 2014 at 8:24 PM
Comment #37Slept like a log last night…….. Woke up in the fireplace.
Did you get it.
Ha ha ha
optimistic prime
Oct 23, 2014 at 8:26 PM
Comment #38Jeff
Carol?
You having a Girrafe?
Sport he’s a donkey not a Girafe
catchy in norway
Oct 23, 2014 at 8:33 PM
Comment #39https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UaJAnnipkY
a great song for tonight,
its just happy
catchy in norway
Oct 23, 2014 at 8:34 PM
Comment #40anyone in the dream team on here ???
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