What is Ben Arfa’s best goal for Newcastle? Videos & Vote.

Posted on April 12th, 2012 | 57 Comments |

Vote on Hatem Ben Arfa's Newcastle goals.
Toon's Messi?
Hatem Ben Arfa has scored some excellent goals since joining Newcastle United – which is your favorite?

Hatem Ben Arfa has certainly brought some flair to Newcastle United and scored some cracking goals in the process. He also seems to do a job defensively when necessary now too. Earlier in the season Alan Pardew was a little critical of Benny’s defensive work and that might be the reason why a lot of his 25 appearances for The Toon were as a substitute, but he now seems to command a regular staring place so his defensive duties must at least be up to Alan Pardew’s satisfaction.

Ben Arfa started his senior career at Lyon where he’d previously been a youth player. He played for Lyon from 2004-2008 and scored 11 goals in 87 appearances before moving to Marseille for €11m. In his time at Marseille he notched up 15 goals in 91 appearances before first being loaned to Newcastle in 2010 and then being transferred in 2011 for approximately £5m.

He’s played for us 21 times now and scored 7 goals – 6 league and 1 cup – and of course he had to contend with a major leg break injury after a crunching tackle from Manchester City’s Nigel de Jong. Of those 7 goals, I narrowed it down to 4 contenders for ‘Ben Arfa’s Best Goal So Far’, so take a look at these and vote for your favourite.

Goal against Everton, Sep 2010:

Goal against Blackburn, Jan 2012:

Goal against Arsenal, Mar 2012:

Goal against Bolton, April 2012:

Don’t know about you but I can watch these time and again.

Vote

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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57 Responses

  1. Do the Shields Gazette know what they are talking about?
    MILES STARFORTH – Thursday 12 April 2012 10:30 – NEWCASTLE United’s Jonas Gutierrez is backing pal Jose Enrique to edge the club closer to Europe.
    Enrique, Andy Carroll and Craig Bellamy can do their old club a huge favour in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final.
    If Liverpool – who have already qualified for Europe through their Carling Cup win – beat Everton at Wembley, the top flight will be handed an extra Europa League place. – or will they? what a fiasco!

    http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/gutierrez-backs-pal-enrique-to-help-newcastle-into-europe-1-4440055

  2. blackburn… Comolli should go to chelsea or arsenal next year so that it would be easier for us to get into champions league.

  3. Raghav.nufc says:
    April 12, 2012 at 2:25 pm

    “blackburn… Comolli should go to chelsea or arsenal next year so that it would be easier for us to get into champions league.”

    Well I don’t think they’d have him back at Spurs, Raghav. Though interestingly, they did win the League Cup whilst he was there, just like Liverpool have.

  4. The B-burn goal was the most spectacular, but that Bolton goal was a close second and probably the more important of the two.

  5. Hmm! tough one to pick, they are all decent and spectacular in their own way.
    CLINT
    Why was this man sitting on the bench for so long this season ?

  6. Just read a negative review of our (almost signed) Brasil/ Holland, defender “Big 6′-4″ Doug” of course to go for Vertonghen @ around ten mill. as opposed to four mill. for Douglas, is typical.
    Shows what ? lack of ambition ? short arms and deep pockets ? he’s indicated he wants to join a bigger club, Arsenal ? no one else available ? he’s a cheaper edition and will only fill in for an injured CD ?
    It’s about money ?

  7. chuck says:
    April 12, 2012 at 3:38 pm

    “Why was this man sitting on the bench for so long this season ?”

    :D

  8. maze202 says:
    April 12, 2012 at 4:10 pm
    chuck says:
    April 12, 2012 at 3:38 pm

    “Why was this man sitting on the bench for so long this season ?”

    Pardew seems to be a pro at treating his players like a clock. he winds them up, tighter and tighter and then that particular player opens up a whoop ass can of timuri ketsbia on the opposition team.

    he is currently under going the same tactics with Demba Ba. demba has been lacking in form lately. when he has been subbed he hasnt liked it. it would not surprise me if he starts from the bench against stoke. but when he brings him on at 60 minutes he will tear holes in the stoke defense.

  9. Chuck, you ask “why was he sitting on the bench for so long this season?”

    Perhaps I’m wrong but haven’t you asked this question many times before? And it being answered with HBA not being quite fit enough due to getting his leg snapped?

    Why do you think he was on the bench Chuck?

  10. @Chuck I haven’t watched too much of Douglas, but I do know that he allowed Jozy Altidore to completely turn him for a goal yesterday in their game. I love Jozy, and as an American hope it is simply him progressing as a forward..but tbh from what I’ve seen anyone who can get turned by Altidore as such should immediately be questioned about their defending skills. Very questionable

  11. AndyMac says:
    April 12, 2012 at 5:58 pm

    “No prizes for guessing what that might be !!!!”

    Reds preparing daring swoop for Graham Carr?

  12. Why do i think he was on the bench ?
    It’s naturally assumed that any player on the bench is fit and ready to play, if that were not the case what is he doing there to begin with ?
    We are also aware that to be at their best, players need match practice, no ?
    What i dont understand is how people like Raylor and Obertan got playing time ahead of HBA and can only assume he was’nt playing the defensive role Pardew required of his wingers.
    When due to injuries he was forced to play HBA, he found out what a talent he had and can no longer afford to bench him.
    Of course Obertan was given all kinds of opportunities, but has yet to prove he was a good buy (a Pardew choice by the way)
    And though Pardew admitted he did’nt know what kind of instructions to give HBA and let him just roam, IMO thats the best managerial decision he has made all season.
    But then what do i know ?

  13. Why was HBA sitting on the bench for so long this season?
    There are any number of people who come up with some of the most bizarre reasons for his benching.
    His head was’nt right.
    He was’nt really fit (how can a player be match fit if he never gets a game ?)
    All kinds of other Machiavellian theories that if true would make Pardew a genius, which from my observation i seriously doubt.
    As for the above theory concerning Demba Ba, more of the same nonsense, just pure speculation, on the part of the writer.

  14. Question is Dalglish has come out and said he approved of the decisions made by Comoli, which i thought rather stupid, as he himself must be on very thin ice and statements like that dont help his cause.
    IMO he will be replaced, there’s an American tradition, that screwups allways require blood sacrifices and to just let Comoli bear the brunt is not enough, guess they will let him manage the rest of the season as what more damage can he cause.
    But i certainly expect to see a brand new manager at Pool next season.
    Ah well !

  15. I’m pretty sure that Henry, having interviewed Brad Pitt for the job and got turned down, instigated his own version of “Moneyball” at the Red Sox two years before they finally won the Worlds.

    So having seen what the Toon are doing with low budget buys it doesnt take rocket science to see which way the RBD’s will be going before too long.

    I dont think Carr would go WT cos he’s a Toon Army member just like the rest of us but then again…………….

  16. Anyroadup……

    Whatever Alan Pardew has done this season, whether we think it was right or wrong, United are sitting 5th with 5 games to go.

    2 points ahead of moneybags Chelski – and level on points with Tottenheim – and with everything to play for.

    Enjoy!!! :)

  17. Media Luvvy “Arry” has come out today, twitched, and said “I could have signed Ben Arfa, but I’ve got better players here at my little club” – or words to that effect.

    Keep taking the tablets ‘Arry, they won’t make the twitch go away, but they might improve your judgement or even stop the shyte coming out of your gob, mate

  18. I don’t see how Moneyball methods can possibly translate to football, and yes I have read the book mainly because I think Michael Lewis is a good writer.

    I think we all know that Camolli leaving is the first step to Kenny being kicked upstairs and then leaving quietly in a year.

    Our biggest game of the season is probably this weekend -Liverpool against Everton.

  19. GS says:
    April 12, 2012 at 7:18 pm
    I think ‘Arry is a windbag but some on here appear to like him.
    ________________________________________

    He’s a total windbag GS – I’m with you.

    Luckily the English FA are a load of stuffed shirts, far too thick to spot it – so hopefully they’ll do the usual thing and appoint the manager that the London media are clamouring for.

    Then gradually, the London media will crucify him for every team, selection, “lucky win”, draw and defeat.

    It always works that way. They’ll never change.

  20. They did it to Bobby Robson and now pretend they were behind him all the way and revere him as the best England manager apart from Alf Ramsey.

  21. Chuck says:
    April 12, 2012 at 6:42 pm

    “Question is Dalglish has come out and said he approved of the decisions made by Comoli, which i thought rather stupid, as he himself must be on very thin ice and statements like that dont help his cause.
    IMO he will be replaced, there’s an American tradition, that screwups allways require blood sacrifices and to just let Comoli bear the brunt is not enough, guess they will let him manage the rest of the season as what more damage can he cause.”

    In words a scouser might use, dey do dough, don’t dey? All back each other up in front of the media, that is. It’s just standard practice, like when Chairmen say they back their managers to the hilt, then sack them the following day.

    On the subject of American blood sacrifices, is it true that Whitney Houston was actually a blood sacrifice by the Illuminati for Barack Obama’s re-election / Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee / Some other reason? Apparently, I’m just one of the “blind sheeple” because I have my doubts about the story.

  22. Moneyball for the most part, cocerns itself with stats.,
    which is fine in games such as basketball and baseball, but does’nt translate very well when applied to football.
    Sure we and every body who watches the EPL is aware of the fact Cisse is scoring for fun, but goalscoring is but one statistic and does’nt apply much when evaluating CD’s.
    So if the moneyball approach is going to be a key when selecting or buying players, will in fact each position have it’s own particular set of stats ?
    And what about, players with special skills, dead ball kickers, or say Andy Carrolls ability in the air.
    It’s as i said difficult to set out standards, but more and more it seems stats are being forced on the public, many of which are actually meaningless.
    As those who watched the Swansea game where Swansea had close to eighty percent possession, will tell you, that we in fact let them hold onto the ball.
    Yeah right !

  23. Chuck:

    We’ll see if Theo Epstein can solve the conundrum that is The Chicago Cubs. It has been my luck to live in Newcastle for 20 years and Chicago for 20 years and be loyal to my local teams.

    Swansea have been found out and the great Pardew’s blueprint was used by QPR last night. Rodgers manager of the season! Ha.

  24. Worky: you took the ads down for the Barton and Nolan shirts that appeared today at the bottom of the blog.

  25. GS they have been there all season.

    if you miss them that much i have two signed and framed Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan Toon shirts if you want to purchase them.

  26. AndyMac says:
    April 12, 2012 at 6:52 pm

    “I dont think Carr would go WT cos he’s a Toon Army member just like the rest of us but then again……………. ”

    They may offer more than Ashley’s £6.08 per hour, Andy.

  27. Please somebody look at my previous link. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen.

    “that’s a man, baby”

  28. GS says:
    April 13, 2012 at 12:04 am

    “Please somebody look at my previous link. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen.”

    I did, GS. Writing as someone who used to have a keen interest in Lucien Freud’s work, he was actually quite perceptive. He’s a fairly clever chap is wor Joey, especially so in comparison with the average footballer!

  29. Emperor’s new clothes Worky. Joey seems to have about as much insight as saying Michaelangelo sculped men from the quaries and added tits.

    As I said, the great man Austin Powers was about as perceptive as Joey – that’s a man, baby – they both said it, and they both know about the same about art.

    Why would you have a keen interest in Lucien Freud? Emma Freud maybe, just like I might have a keen interest in Nigella Lawson and not Nigel Lawson

  30. well it could be worse it could be the wierdo sigmund freud.

    wasnt he that wierdo who use to bang on about his mother a lot?

    and which one was the magician?

  31. And Lucien Freud always painted the lumpen proletariat because they were always big lumpens. But that’s art though.

  32. GS says:
    April 13, 2012 at 12:49 am

    “As I said, the great man Austin Powers was about as perceptive as Joey – that’s a man, baby – they both said it, and they both know about the same about art.

    Why would you have a keen interest in Lucien Freud?”

    I didn’t hear him say “man baby” at all, GS. I did hear him saying that the model in Freud’s “figure with bare arms” looked like a man. It was quite perceptive where he pondered on whether the subject of the group painting were all painted together, or separately at different times.

    I studied at Art College when I left school and I used to be a very figurative painter who painted nudes mostly, like Freud himself.

  33. Worky knows a lot about Sigmund Freud, and is quite interesting on the subject. He knows a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff, and I am not taking the piss at all here Worky.

  34. GS says:
    April 13, 2012 at 1:13 am

    “Didn’t joey say something about stuffing paper down her chest?”

    Aye, tissue, GS.

    I don’t really know a great deal about Sigmund Freud really. I don’t remember mentioning much about him on here. I know far more about Carl Jung, as I used to have a great interest in his work.

  35. I do know that what Joey really wanted to say is that he wouldn’t want to put pictures of fat, ugly chicks on his wall no matter how good the art world says it is.

    A tin of soup is good enough for our Joey, and our Andy W, even if they are produced in the factory.

    Since you have some knowledge of this, why are Andy’s Roy’s and Lucien’s pictures so expensive?

  36. WORKY: Joey was set up by the art elite.

    No question, and he is so up his own arse that he bought it.

  37. GS says:
    April 13, 2012 at 1:44 am

    “WORKY: Joey was set up by the art elite.”

    I rather think that some Newcastle United fans have been “set up” by an NUFC elite, GS.

  38. I saw a painting of Parker Bowles and thought that was a man as well, but it didn’t go for 20 million, squillion quid.

    I was never set up by the NUFC elite, I was pirated by Lord Westwood, he had the patch and the boat and everything.

    Hey, Ho and a bottle of rum.

  39. carl jung isnt that the bloke who linard skinard sand about in sweet home Alabama?

  40. Stephen C says:
    April 13, 2012 at 2:14 am

    “carl jung isnt that the bloke who linard skinard sand about in sweet home Alabama?”

    Haven’t got a clue, Stephen.

  41. Hey Worky:

    Keep up your blog, always good stuff and quality not quantity rules (sorry Ed).

  42. GS says:
    April 13, 2012 at 2:40 am

    “Hey Worky:

    Keep up your blog, always good stuff and quality not quantity rules (sorry Ed).”

    Thanks, GS. Quantity certainly doesn’t rule here ATM! I’ve got too much on, and I’m concentrating on blog “housework” which has been catching up for years, and zizzing up the design a bit too in my blog time. The design was always a bit crap because I did it in a rush when the site started and I’ve always been a bit ashamed of it.