“I’ve paid real attention to the history of the club and the great players to have played for it.”
Prior to securing his season-long loan to Newcastle United, Hatem Ben Arfa revealed that he took a good look at the tale of the Toon before deciding to move to the North East.
It’s understandable that the 24-year old, who has yet to find a home for his unquestionable talent and often fiery personality, has given this move some thought. Ben Arfa surely need only look back fifteen years to the summer of 1995 when a long-haired left winger from France arrived on Tyneside where he would swiftly acquire a Geordie God-like status.
When David Ginola swapped Paris Saint Germain for Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle United side in a £2m deal, the club were in the hunt for Premier League glory playing the kind of attacking football to satisfy those wearing (and not wearing) the black and white striped shirts up in the stands. Ben Arfa arrives at a dramatically different-looking Newcastle United football club, but one which is impressing with its defensive organization, astute signings and a striker who currently breathes goals.
Newcastle has had its hothead or two, but young Ben Arfa has been courting the kind of controversy most players experience in an entire career. A graduate from the Clairefontaine football academy where a tussle with young Abou Diaby caught on a camera was possibly a sign of things to come, Ben Arfa began catching the eye of Manchester United and Chelsea scouts amongst others with his energetic and skilful performances as he broke into a Lyon side dominating domestic proceedings at just 17-years old.
But when the form of Benzema, Fred and Keita meant a lack of playing time and reported disagreements with then manager Alain Perrin were being reported, all was not well. Ben Arfa swapped the Stade Gerland for Marseille’s Stade Velodrome. After two seasons in and out of the team and falling out with the playing and non-playing staff, he engineered his latest move publicly after Marseille president Jean-Claude Dassier refused to let the player leave the Ligue 1 champions.
So where will a talented, but frustratingly inconsistent Ben Arfa feature in the plans of Alan Pardew? Adept as a left winger and playing behind the striker, he is likely to be used in the former giving a natural balance down Newcastle’s left hand side. The danger of course, is whether Ben Arfa will show the same kind of protection that Jonas Gutierrez does for his full back. Should Pardew not want to tamper with his well balanced midfield, he could be persuaded to play Ben Arfa behind Demba Ba who has been so impressive this season.
The key to Ben Arfa’s success surely lies with his temperament, not his ability, and if he yearns for fans to sing his name week in and week out he will have to match his flair with consistency and buy in quickly to the teamwork ethic Pardew has instilled. Ben Arfa has the pulling power to win over the Geordie faithful as long as he remembers that Ginola is the model, Laurent Robert is an example of how it can go all wrong.
Sparky in Rotterdam '91 