Do we really need HBA to track back?

For 20mins......we know the script........jeez man don't encourage Bano. LOL

 

Simple one for me this. We need HBA to work hard. In terms of tracking back it depends on the role he is fulfilling. If his defensive game is not up to it then don't put him in a position where its required. Its horses for courses. I have watched Ben Arfa and I have seen no unwillingness to graft. Not in a Joey Barton or Yohann Cabaye type way, but I wouldn't want him charging around like. You have to have all kinds of options in your squad to meet the various challenges you'll face in the course of a season. Most teams, and certainly all the top ones, have players who have a bit more licence to thrill. HBA is ours.

 

Pardew has instilled a teamwork ethic in this squad and you can see that the players work hard for each other.

If Ben Arfa has to drop back and defend; he does.

We have good outlets down the wings to counter and Ben Arfa should be one of the options upfront available on the counter. His pace and trickery will cause many problems for a backtracking defence.

 

For me, as a team we play so much better in a 4-4-2. Maybe a 4-4-1-1 with Ba and HBA could work but we have'nt seen to much of that.

 

cant remember the last time we even tried that...

 

I wouldn't mind HBA playing in the 'number 10 role' whilst the African Nations Cup is on, but in the long run, he needs to be wide right.

There area couple of reasons for me saying this:

1) He looks a damn-side better on the right wing than anywhere else. He is able to just run at the same full-back all game and by the end of the second half on Saturday I bet Martin Olsson was pleading for the referee to blow his whistle. His right foot is good enough to put in a decent delivery, and his left foot is deadly when cutting inside to shoot. Also, his workrate is nowhere near as bad as it has been claimed.

2) However, the main reason for not having him in the centre is Ba. Ba plays the 'number 10 role', and he has been doing so all season. He is always dropping off to pick the ball up and tracking back to help defend in the centre. This is a tactical decision from Pardew as I remember him saying in the interview before the Stoke game that it was important that Guthrie, Cabaye and Ba won the midfield battle. Ba has looked a far better player all season when playing with a big man (i.e. Shola/Best) as they can hold the ball up allowing for him to run beyond. If HBA was playing in the centre with Ba, I think we would lack a presence upfront as neither of them are out-and-out centre forwards.

 

Chelsea at home

Ben Arfa was subbed off at half-time having hardly touched the ball...

 

It doesn't. Playing Ba and HBA together means Demba has to play a target man (limiting his options) and HBA has to play a goalscorer (which he's not yet quite as good at).

Can imagine it working in a trio if we signed another target man though.

 

This

 

I'm pretty sure he only tracked back because Taylor was off with a nose bleed so he had too and clearly not that well as he gave away a penalty, as far as I can remember I don't think he does track back that much.

 

Did he play behind Ba against man city?

 

Bolton anyone? Ben Arfa and Ba scored and we won 2-0.

 

No it doesn't? Did you not see Beardsley and Cole? No target man. The worst aspect of Dembas play is when he is the focal point/target man. He doesn't always retain possession that well. But if you ask him to play either in the Cole or Bearsdley role, he'll do either very well. (Just very different to how Beardsley and Cole would have doen them!) For me he is like a more complete version of Andy Cole. I suppose my point is I don't believe you need a target man at all.

 

I think so. From what I remember there was City, some of Bolton when he came on, Liverpool?...

I'm a bit of a moron though so don't take my word.

 

This!

All of this talk of HBA 'not tracking back' is all theory. How many times has HBA played on the wing this season? For half an hour, thats how many.

What kind of a manager is Pardew not to simply say to HBA, look when we dont have the ball track back as much as you can to help out Simmo. Job done.

Then if he doesn't do it and starts to cost us. Then we can all talk about it til the cows come home. But until then, how the f*ck can Pardew even comment about him not tracking back when he hasn't had the balls to play him on the wing to find out?!

Ive heard Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Silva dont track back. Does anyone give a flying f*ck?

 

On Lee Ryder's webchat he answered a question about Ben Arfa's preferred position, and said that HBA had told him that his preferred position was as a striker.

 

So. Joey Barton's preferred position was CM but he played RM all season.

 

Ben Arfa wasn't any worse than Obertan at tracking back when he was moved out wide so I don't see the problem with it. He was also twice as effective than Obertan going forward. It was definitely his best performance so far and Pardew should play him there on the back of it. It it doesn't work out then look at other options.

 

Exactly.

Its like Obertan has been the supreme covering winger this season. No he hasnt. Seeing HBA will be no worse at tracking, but 10 times better attcking, the term no-brainer springs to mind.

Plug your brain in Pard's.

You could argue the worse thing to come out of all this is the fans have turned on Obertan. Its not his fault he's not good enough. Boo Pard's not the player. He tries his best, he's just not been good enough.

So Ober is being overly criticised and HBA is p*ssed off at not playing - Nice move Alan.

 

This. People say Ben Arfa doesn't track back but its not as if Obertan offers us anything defensively. Obertan shys away from every single tackle. Ben Arfa can't be any worse.