Santon and Ben Arfa.

86 minutes through, so not counting any chickens yet, but just wanted to throw my 2 pence in before the mad rush...

1) Santon: He has looked world class today! His positioning, strength and attacking movement was quality but for me, his 1 touch passing was awesome. He looks composed and solid and has improved every game he has played (clearly his confidence is on the up). My man of the match!

2) Ben Arfa: Clearly he has heard Pardew's comments and tried to please him. He has lost the ball 3 times this game where he hasn't won it back immediately (though he has tried) each time it was because he had NO options but to run...Well done Hatem - looked quality and worked hard!

 

Guthrie or Williamson for me - HBA makes me so mad when he tries to do too much and loses it, but when he pulls it off and finds someone in 20 yards of space on the far side as he has done with Best a few times today I love him.

 

From the radio it sounds like HBA has been instrumental. Pretty much all our chances seem to have come from his play.

Can't make a judgement on Santon by the radio but I'm happy he's playing well!

 

spot on i reckon

 

santon was alright i thought mackie got the better of him a few times though. Shola is the most static player i've ever seen!

 

Agree with this!

Guthrie and Raylor also had good games (after looking a tad sloppy in the opening minutes)

Colo and Willo solid as ever.

Not the best performance or match ever. But happy nonetheless

 

Wouldn't disagree with either of those 2 to be fair...Guthrie did really well today, although I actually think Colo played better than Williamson (purely for his ball handling and the runs he made today!)

Either way, Santon was brilliant, we've got a properly good player on our hands there like!

 

Code:

Thought Santon and Guthrie were our best players, they gave us what little drive we had going forward.

Best did well in the first half but was less effective out on the left, class goal. Shola was poor.

Ray Wilkins got the Ben Arfa situation spot on. He doesn't start because he gives the ball away far too much and doesn't take the simple pass when it's on. Our success is based on the unit, not the individual. Benny still has to learn that.

 

For me, i think Santon didnt go wrong today. He defended well but on the counter he destroyed QPR on that wing. Seems like every game he gets better and better.

And he had that chance to score too!

 

Meh, I'd rather watch Ben Arfa lose it after going on a mazy dribble than us lump it up the pitch and lose it instead. HBA wasn't perfect today but he's getting there. Some of his play was just world class today.

 

Ben Arfa made a lovely run and pass to Santon I think but nobody was in middle for the pull back. To be fair to HBA he was doubled up on and had little options.

 

Everyone likes to slate Ben Arfa because 'he gives the ball away'.......i'd like to praise for winning it back.

Everyone gives the ball away. Id rather he did it trying something special, then Krul/Willo thumping it to no-one.

 

Although he got the situation spot on, on the two occasions Wilkins mentioned Ben Arfa not passing it, there was literally no option! I remember distinctly Ben Arfa picking the ball up in the CENTRE on of the pitch, then running out to the left (into space) Wilkins: "ah, the ball was there for a pass into the middle of the pitch" ... clearly not ray you mong!

 

Santon or Guthrie for man of the match!

 

Santon, Ben Arfa & Guthrie all awesome today.

Guthrie is fast becoming one of my favourite players, more than capable of doing Cheicks job when hes out.

 

i'd rather Krul and Willo thumped it than try and do something special
Althoughyou do make a good point. I think Bennywas tryingtoprove to Pardew today that he was willing to put everything into the team effort. His tracking back was actually pretty good

 

Santon's full back play is brilliant, it's like having Enrique back the way he was shielding the ball facing his own goal and his attacking down that side was great too. Him and Jonas are becoming a force to be reckoned with.

 

Everyone slates him for not tracking back including Pardew but Shola is just a lazy plank. Needs to be dropped, the only good thing he did was hold the ball up.

 

And he only did it 4/5 times the whole match!

 

Even if Ben Arfa sometimes does give the ball away at least he offers something. Ameobi may as well have gone off at half-time and us play with ten men.