Gouff or Benny?

Cheers AB

 

Ahem, not sure I like these men hugs.

No offence meant.

 

Its all getting a bit French around here.

 

It's all right for the French but I'm English.

 

Bonjour, Bonjour.

 

You sound just like Del Boy.

 

Got in touch with that number about away game coaches and got a form to fill in, hopefully I'll hear today whether I've got a seat or not.

 

Nice one, good luck with that.

 

No, I wasn't saying goodbye to anyone, was thinking more Allo Allo.

 

Shortly after I got the form, I got a Text message from a guy that runs coaches. Spoilt for choice.

 

Both with Remy through the middle

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIWS53Q4zVE

 

It's about a squad. At the moment, Gouff needs to keep going. He's one of our most in form, gives 100% and you are fairly sure what you'll get. Extra credit to him as well, he missed a sitter vs Chelsea but bounced back to score. So he stays. However, LW isn't Benny's position. We'd be proper fcked if it was Santon and Ben Arfa on the wing. Santon's always been better with a worker ahead of him - Jonas, now Gouff.

No, the question is on the right - Sissoko or Ben Arfa. Whilst Sissoko appears to be a central midfielder, he's a bit floaty in the Prem there. International, sure, more time/space. But he's better suited to a wide position coming inside to support a sole striker. So he gets the nod.

 

Our current full backs are way too adventurous to play HBA on either wing. They are both upfield at the same time at times. Even with Tiote bang in form there are only so many holes the guy can fill. You'd have to play two holders. The simpler and apparantly more effective solution appears to be to drop Benni.

 

Personally I think he goes against the ethic of the squad. It's not as easy as saying "but NUFC have always loved their flair players, look at Ginola and Robert" - ok, fine, but which teams were genuinely stronger than us at those times (1995/2002)? Man U. It was far easier to carry the odd player for parts of a game, particularly when the team was so strong elsewhere and was forever on the front foot. You could stick David Silva in the current Newcastle side and he'd blow hot and cold, because of the nature of the league and strength of the opposition. So it's not just as simple as trying to stick with flair.

That said, if Ben Arfa worked hard to get it back, made the simple pass as well as the difficult, put in a cross as well as hitting it, he'd be 10 times the player he is now. He mentions Messi and Ronaldo, but would do well to watch them throughout a game - they run to get the ball, lay it off, come back - their decision making sets them well apart. I don't think he'll ever do it, though, he's too old to change now. The current Ben Arfa wouldn't be missed by Newcastle. I'd rather we had a Shinji Kagawa than Ben Arfa (not that we could).

 

Not only that but I don't think it is fair on Robert or Ginola to use them as a comparison. These guys produced either goals, assists or chances on a regular basis. Ben Arfa just doesn't do this and it is nothing to do with who we have up front or where or how he is used. We constantly battle to fit the side around him. I think somewhere within Ben Arfa is a talented playmaker who could become the fulcrum of the side. Like you I have now resigned myself to the notion that potential playmaker will never actually step forward.

 

I could never believe we ever signed him at the time, he was one of the heralded generation of superstars from France. Since then have slowly but surely come to understand why. He was maverick, at best, in the French League. Before the money arrived in France, mark you, something tells me he wouldn't stand out so far in a league with Zlatan, Falcao, et al.

He's like that girlfriend you think you're still in love with, but in truth she's just a good fck once a week and the rest of the time she's just a crazy, perma-PMT bitch.

 

I'd go for Hatem Ben Gouffra. Great skill and brilliant work rate!

 

I'll be wearing my new away top with BEN ARFA 10 on for the 1st time at the game on Sunday.

Just hope it's going to be a lucky one.

 

The new yellow third kit?