Alan Pardew & Hatem Ben Arfa.

So far all of his shots have been from outside the box haven't they? Can't really determine if he's good at finishing on a few shots from 20 yards!

 

I hope to see this whilst Tiote & Ba are gone.

Krul
Simpson Williamson Coloccini Santon
Cabaye
Obertan ------------ Gutierrez
Ben Arfa
Ameobi Best​

 

Sorry but that's just suicidal. We may get away with playing it for one game at home to a struggling QPR, but we can't go to Craven Cottage and play that.

 

This, the whole Ben Arfa at CAM because it works on FIFA thing worries me, it just isnt that easy.

 

Against QPR I'd play

---------------Krul

Simmo----Willo-----Colo----Santon

HBA-----Cabaye---Abeid---Jonas

--------------Vuckic

-------------Best

 

Deary me, you are a joker aren't you?

If Mancini hadn't played Silva would that be a masterstroke?
If AVB hadn't played Mata would that be a masterstroke?
If Guardiola started using Messi 'sparingly' would that be a masterstroke?

HBA wasn't class vs Blackburn because he has been used sparingly; its because he is just class.

Oh and you're all wrong i'm afraid. Vs QPR its quite clear what our best formation would be:

Krul
Simmo Willo Colo Santon
HBA Cabaye (whoever you like) Jonas
Shola Best

Neither Best or Shola are good enough to play up front alone, but do look not bad together. HBA is the best option for the RW given the options. 4-4-2 is our best formation at home, pretty much proved this season.

This team would smash anything QPR's new boss could come up with.

HTL!

 

Find that hard to swallow

 

How about something crazy like this?

------------------Krul-----------------
Simpson------Willo----Colo------Santon
-------Guthrie---Cabaye---****-------
------Obertan---Ben Arfa---Jonas-------

**** = Either Gosling, Abeid or Vuckic.

 

Benny would get marked out of the game completely.

 

Perhaps, but Ben Arfa, Obertan and Jonas would be able to swap positions quite a bit so it would be hard for them to be marked.

 

Obertan in the team is a position wasted IMO

 

When Man City played us Mancini didn't start Silva, because he wanted to keep him fresh for when he really needed him.

AVB often rotates his squad. You point is completely ill informed. Not to mention the fact that Silva and Messi are fantastic team players who improve the effectiveness of the starting XI exponentially. Ben Arfa is massive talent who plays for himself and needs to learn to pass. You are forgetting two things about yesterday, he was poor, very poor in the first half and we were playing a championship level team - without Hoilett and Samba. Let's not jump the gun with HBA yet, he may not be ready to play on the wing in the system we play when we're up against well organised, quality opposition, and he drops too deep to play off the striker, he left Best far too isolated yesterday.

Let's hope his wonder goal gives him the confidence to push on, but I do worry that forcing out Jonas or Obertan for a player who CAN do amazing things but more often than not doesn't bother to do anything may not be good for the team as a whole. We're a better team with him, without a doubt, but we need to make sure we employ a fully fit and firing HBA correctly in our time or it is a futile exercise. I imagine this is why he has been used sparingly so far this season.

 

Completely, 100% this. I thought he was decent in the first half though.

 

.

 

Precisely. Ben Arfa is not even slightly as important to us as Silva, Mata and Messi are to their teams, they completely dictate play and the team is built around them whereas Ben Arfa is a player who goes missing for large periods and produces moments of magic on occasion. He may become key to us but he certainly isnt yet.

Not to mention none of the cited examples are just back from horrific double leg breaks.

 

Hopefully it won't be Best playing like. Would much rather have Shola up there even though he ain't great - Best is showing really that he was just a Championship striker on a good bit of form before imo

 

Calm down lads. We could have someone like Luke De Jong in soon so we wont have to worry about the horrible Best/Lover/Shola dilemma

<falsehopesmiley>

 

I really can't see us signing anyone of note this month.

Maybe in the summer but I honestly don't believe Pardew is being given any decent amount of money.

 

Got a feeling we will get a striker, dunno who like. Lover hasn't even been on the bench recently - think he will be gone this month so needs replacing

 

Supposedly 8 million.