From The Guardian.
Ben Arfa to Newcastle
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Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) discuss United's fantastic win away against Athletic Club in the semi-final of the Europa League.
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From The Guardian.
Very exciting.
What happened to Ben Arfa, has his career just stalled a bit? He was a pretty major prospect along with Benzema a couple years ago from what I remember..
Bit of a mentalist from what I've picked up from french news.
What a fecking moron. He's even more stupid than I thought. I give him a year before he leaves the barcodes.
Well, since he's supposed to go there on a one-year loan...
Terrible attitude from what I've read.
To think he was higher rated then Ben Zema when they first came on the scene...
I was never impressed by him, has a bit of skill on the ball but erratic doesn't begin to describe his decision making and distribution.
I was never impressed by him, has a bit of skill on the ball but erratic doesn't begin to describe his decision making and distribution.
Yeah but he fell out with Benzema who was more consistant than him at Lyon which lead to him being sold to Marseille, since joining i hear hes fallen out with everyone there and not on good terms with the staff/owner. Last season during the jan tranfer window there was interest (apparantly) from us and a few other big teams as rumours were circling he had yet another confrontation with the manager and wanted out. With the interest the manager or owner said how he was a important part of the team and would not do business for anything less than €40m - effectively pricing him out of a possible move, whether it was a tactic they hoped to use to get as much for him is unknown it does seem to be the only logical theory to why they put a huge price tag on him after falling out with everyone. If i was in their position i would have looked to sell him but at €40m did they actually think people would be interested?
I havent really heard anything else about him since but i wouldnt be supprised if his attitude was brought into question again... its a shame because he had so much talent when he was first coming through
Ben Arfa is one of those players that could be a good player. He just needs to be taken under someone's wing, and have certain things drilled into him day after day.
I still think if someone does that he could be a very effective player, but like you say his decision making etc is erratic to say the least.
Can't see the point of taking him on loan for a season for those reasons.
A fee of €800K for a one-season loan, with Newcastle paying the player's wages and retaining an option to complete a permanent transfer has been claimed.
Saw this on the nufc website yesterday. Thought they were joking 
And no one better call him a flop. We play against him next week 
Well, my bad. Will read the whole article next time.. Still, he should have stayed at Marseille, he could have become a key player for them this season (on form he's better than any of his team-mates) and help the team retaining the title. He'd rather fight to avoid relegation with Newcastle instead... What a lack of ambition and a waste of talent. It's not as though he was a 18 year old unknown player looking for some playing time, he's 23 ffs.
I hope they get him.
The Premier League is going to be rather interesting this season... Barton's back, Balotelli is joining a bunch of mercenaries and now Ben Arfa is strutting his stuff with a side who will find the road a lot bumpier than he thinks...
Did he win his place back in the team? I thought he did which makes this deal really odd.
Did he win his place back in the team? I thought he did which makes this deal really odd.
Seems like he is becoming Quaresma the 2nd. God gave him all the talents int the world only to have a shitty attitude.
I concur. At his best Ben Arfa is simply a joy to watch much like a raw Cristiano Ronaldo used to be.
It's funny that when we were supposed to be interested midseason, they were saying he's not going for less than 20 million or something like that.
Now he's leaving on a loan to Newcastle?
Now he's leaving on a loan to Newcastle?
He never has.You can only on him for a few moments of great inspirations.The rest of the time he's invisible.
They've been trying to sign him for about a month now, but Marseille have been holding out for a permanent deal rather than a loan. But with a distinct lack of rival bids I think Newcastle are starting to have a real chance. Would be exciting to see him play in the PL, always good to have some flair players around.
There's a fine line between clubs holding off on selling a player with a view to (and thereby) raising their value, and holding off on selling them, but reducing mass interest in the player.
I thought they were resigned to letting him go, which they probably were, but I'm surprised to see him going to the geordies.
Nothing happened to him. He has been in the top sides of the French league for his entire career, was in Dominech 30 man squad ahead of the world cup. Solid left winger, and a great signing for Newcastle...
This might be good for us too. He will get Premier League experience which can be useful if we are to sign him later, because we could need a good left winger, and Ferguson perfers to sign proven Premier League players. Newcastle might not even get a option to buy later, they are not such a big club. I guess Ben Arfa is best in a 4-4-2, does not fit as good Deschamps 4-3-3, and that might be the reason he is moving on.
You're missing out the bit where his suspect mentality was exposed as being a monster of a problem and losing his place in his team.
Actually Marseille needing the money is the chief reason. Deschamps needs the money and Ben Arfa is one of his sale-able assets.
£800k or £1m he's going to receive this year for a one-year loan is hardly worth that.
That is a card that is as overplayed as it is misimplied - you don't understand the psychological aspects around that... There are years ago since all that fuzz about Ben Arfa's attitude, when the feck will he be forgiven for that? If you are not expecting turmoil in the adolescent years, you will not do very well in predicting human behavior.
Basically - if a 25 year old has constent behavior issues - like Bellamy - there is a problem.. Ben Arfa had issues with Benzema and at the French u21 team... Its a long time ago. Since he joined Marseilles I have hared little about attitude problems regarding Ben Arfa so that is not really that relevant. "attitude" can also be a good thing. For example if Joe Hart goes back to City only to do the bench - he needs to anything and everything to get out of there - because if he stays at the bench to long, he will not make it as a goalkeeper.
Best, Zidane, Cantona, Keane, Maradonna were players whom has all showed bad personality/attitudes in their days as footballers - but in their case it is sheldom focused as a negative...
He needs to sort his attitude out and gain some brain. I've always wondered why Arsene hasn't gone for him. He's talented, he's french and Wenger knows how to bring the best out of players, pluse he has the experience to deal with problematic players.
His mentality was his big problem last season. We arent talking years ago, we're talking right now. Its the one thing that holds him back because he has lots of talent, easily enough to be playing for one of the top teams. But not every technical footballer becomes a fantastic player.
I guess you didnt keep up with Marseille last season then. In which case I'm not sure why you're talking about him as if you're an expert. Mentality is not just about misbehaving on the pitch, but also about making sure you perform from week to week, being a team player not being selfish. Its about doing the hard work over a season in training and in the matches and using common sense to know when is the right time to try and do it all yourself and when you're best off finding a team mate and making a run off the ball, with the end goal of making the most of your technical ability.
And while we've seen flashes from Ben Arfa, his mentality is holding him back and will most likely continue to do so. Going to Newcastle, I think he'll remind a lot of their fans of Laurent Robert. Another player with some talent and spectaular play but with mentality and selfishness issues.
tomwfootball Hatem Ben Arfa refused to train this afternoon, apparently in protest at Marseille's reluctance to let him join Newcastle.
37 minutes ago via web
37 minutes ago via web
I'm surprised he is not being sold outright. Because Deschamps in the interview I watched said he was really hard up on cash and had to sale one or 2 good players to strengthen.
Good attitude then.
He scored an absolute peach for France last night. I think Marseille realize that they have a top prospect here that just has not quite made the grade yet and they dont want to lose him for a fraction of what he will be worth in a year or two.
I don't think they've realized it.I think they wanna sell him for a higher price cause at first he wanted to stay but they needed money.He's had 4 coaches so far (so very good ones) and no one has been able to see an ounce of his potential on a regular basis.He might be another Quaresma or he might be a fantastic player.
I just don't see the point to join Newcastle all of teams but no one else is interested in making such a risk to sign him
I thought he was pretty good for France last night, even without the goal.
Seems to have grown an inch or two and bulked up as well, I remember him as lightweight.
Seems to have grown an inch or two and bulked up as well, I remember him as lightweight.
He flew into Newcastle airport On Friday.
He would be idolised at Newcastle.
1400: BREAKING TRANSFER NEWS:
Newcastle have announced the signing of Hatem Ben Arfa on an initial season-long loan deal from Marseille.
BBC Sport - Football - Live - Saturday football
Newcastle have announced the signing of Hatem Ben Arfa on an initial season-long loan deal from Marseille.
BBC Sport - Football - Live - Saturday football
Good signing for the Barcodes
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