Given Arfa chance...
The last couple of days have seen us linked with Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa, thanks largely to comments made by his agent (the club has maintained its now-familiar stony silence).
The French youngster looked a great prospect when he broke into the Lyon first team but, like fellow graduate of the Stade de Gerland Karim Benzema, he appears to have lost his way a little since leaving. Still, at only 23 it would be rather premature to write him off as a golden boy who's lost his Midas touch.
Of course, whether we should be devoting our attentions to signing a winger when we're in the depths of our customary pre-season defensive crisis is another matter. On the one hand it's right that we should be sniffing out any opportunities to sign decent players who become available on the cheap - but on the other we're most desperately in need of defensive reinforcements and should probably just back off and let AC Milan, Werder Bremen, Wolfsburg, Paris St Germain, Everton et al squabble amongst themselves.
The French youngster looked a great prospect when he broke into the Lyon first team but, like fellow graduate of the Stade de Gerland Karim Benzema, he appears to have lost his way a little since leaving. Still, at only 23 it would be rather premature to write him off as a golden boy who's lost his Midas touch.
Of course, whether we should be devoting our attentions to signing a winger when we're in the depths of our customary pre-season defensive crisis is another matter. On the one hand it's right that we should be sniffing out any opportunities to sign decent players who become available on the cheap - but on the other we're most desperately in need of defensive reinforcements and should probably just back off and let AC Milan, Werder Bremen, Wolfsburg, Paris St Germain, Everton et al squabble amongst themselves.
posted by Ben at 10:14 pm
8 Comments:
hughton denied any contact over him
Why exactly? Is there some reason why the Toon scouting team cannot multi-task like?
No - but are you saying you'd rather see us sign another midfielder rather than a right- or centre-back? We've got a history of being short in certain areas (particularly defence) and yet buying in others. The January transfer window was the first time for years that I can recall us actually identifying where we had holes and then successfully managing to plug them.
Even now HBA is, more often than one would like, a bit of a petulant little shit, but man is he talented -- one of those kids who's dying for someone to sort him out and harness his ability. Is Hughton up to the task?
I agree that we should go for good players that become available as long as there is still money left over to strengthen the back four. Maybe that's covered with Sol and Jloyd
And you're suggesting we don't need a left winger or a quick striker? On the left we have Jonas and... Jonas. He's not even left footed. If anything happens to him we'll be back to playing Barton/Guthrie there, God help us.
Up front we have Lanky I, II and III, and a fairly average Danish Scot. Ben Arfa would be the perfect signing, he could play up front (just off Carroll) when Jonas was fit, and drop to the wing if he got injured.
Quick striker to compete with Lovenkrands - yes, absolutely, but Ben Arfa's not the man. We need an out-and-out goalscorer. Gary Hooper would have been an interesting punt but has now joined Celtic.
As for back-up for Gutierrez on the left, Gosling can play there and so can Routledge (whose place on the right could be taken by Guthrie). We certainly have more options in midfield than in defence.
Lovenkrands could also play on the left if necessary.
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