Ben Arfa

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

1 hour ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

 

 

Ben Arfa is not exactly renowned for his work rate and defensive discipline.

 

Mahrez is certainly better in comparison, but can leave full backs unprotected at key times as well.

 

If we also add in Gray, which some have, plus Vardy up top - who exactly is going to do the defensive work and you know, win us the ball back so that our creative duo can do their creative stuff? 

 

If you’re still not convinced, i’d be interested to learn of a historic side that consistently played two defensively nieve (or uninterested) attacking creative players and was successful in doing so? 

 

He doesn't necessarily have to play on the wing. Mahrez's defensive contributions seem to be overlooked by everyone on here but he's come on so much in that regard. A three of Mahrez-Ben Arfa - Albrighton (for example) in front of a Wilf / Iborra duo is more than feasable and capable of both defending and attacking.

Edited 28 December 2017 by Miquel The Work Geordie

[Farrington fox]

1 hour ago, sylofox said:

So you draw your conclusion how?

He wasn’t a great sucess at Newcastle, his loan at Hull was pretty disastrous, and he hasn’t featured for PSG since last season. Oh, and he’s 30. Surely we should be looking at younger options. 

[DJ Barry Hammond]

55 minutes ago, MPH said:

 

So If Messi came rocking up to the King Power with his Uber driver, you'd tell him to go home because we havnt signed a full back/ CB yet?

 

No, because that’s not a comparison to the guys point.

 

And he’d arrive by private helicopter - tut, Uber driver indeed!

[sylofox]

10 minutes ago, Farrington fox said:

He wasn’t a great sucess at Newcastle, his loan at Hull was pretty disastrous, and he hasn’t featured for PSG since last season. Oh, and he’s 30. Surely we should be looking at younger options. 

He's no real risk on a free for a couple of years. But still don't see why he deserves the criticism you gave him.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

22 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

 

He doesn't necessarily have to play on the wing. Mahrez's defensive contributions seem to be overlooked by everyone on here but he's come on so much in that regard. A three of Mahrez-Ben Arfa - Albrighton (for example) in front of a Wilf / Iborra duo is more than feasable and capable of both defending and attacking.

 

Doesn’t matter where he plays... if you’re trying to fit him, Mahrez, plus a striker - in any formation - that side will lack an overall presence in that key central midfield area that all teams need to control if they are to have a hope of being successful.

 

It is also difficult to incorporate two space finders in the same formation when attacking, because invariably they get attracted to the centre, taking each other’s space.

 

Ultimately it is about balance and players complimenting each other - if you had both on the pitch at the same time, I feel they’d take away from each other and the wider team. 

 

[Realist Guy In The Room]

                       Kasper

Trippier       Wes      Maguire    Chilwell

 

                Silva        Iborra

 

      Mahrez     Ben Arfa     Gray

 

                         Vardy

 

 

 

[Farrington fox]

15 minutes ago, sylofox said:

He's no real risk on a free for a couple of years. But still don't see why he deserves the criticism you gave him.

Yeah maybe, and if he comes and is a success I’ll be the first to eat humble pie. But I just see him as a kind of Dennis Wise type character. 

[Harry S]

I wouldnt mind him if mahrez stays and hes a free, because if he is still sh*t in the prem then we arent in trouble. 

Edited 28 December 2017 by Harry S

[Lineker's Left Foot]

15 minutes ago, Realist Guy In The Room said:

                       Kasper

Trippier       Wes      Maguire    Chilwell

 

                Silva        Iborra

 

      Mahrez     Ben Arfa     Gray

 

                         Vardy

 

 

 

What credible source is saying we’re linked with Trippier??

[NewEnglandFox]

49 minutes ago, Lineker's Left Foot said:

What credible source is saying we’re linked with Trippier??

Some people wanted him when Burnley went down and he moved to Spurs because he's young and English so that's good enough to be resuscitated that we'd like him every transfer window.

[Gazza M]

 

 

2 hours ago, Realist Guy In The Room said:

                       Kasper

Trippier       Wes      Maguire    Chilwell

 

                Silva        Iborra

 

      Mahrez     Ben Arfa     Gray

 

                         Vardy

 

 

 

Would be nice to have a new CB in there.

Edited 28 December 2017 by Gazza M

[volpeazzurro]

3 hours ago, Farrington fox said:

Yeah maybe, and if he comes and is a success I’ll be the first to eat humble pie. But I just see him as a kind of Dennis Wise type character. 

Don't personally see him coming unless Marhez goes plus his match fitness, adaptation back to premiership football might take some time. Doubt he'd be on a free but even so, he'd command huge wages so wouldn't be that free. In fact with the exception of a right back, unless we sell a couple I doubt they'll be any business until the summer when we'll be having a sale.

[Albert]

4 hours ago, Farrington fox said:

He wasn’t a great sucess at Newcastle, his loan at Hull was pretty disastrous, and he hasn’t featured for PSG since last season. Oh, and he’s 30. Surely we should be looking at younger options. 

All correct but you’ve got to look at the fact that Puel managed him at Nice & got the best out of him when he bagged 17 in 34 & was so impressive that PSG signed him. 

We desperately need a creative no.10 as currently we’ve only got the option of playing wide players (Mahrez, Albrighton, Gray) in their unnatural position, Slim, Ulloa or Inheacho who are no.9’s or Okazaki who offers the work rate but zero creativity.

He’s definitely worth taking a risk on given his previous relationship with the manager and no fee 

 

[Micky]

6 hours ago, Albert said:

All correct but you’ve got to look at the fact that Puel managed him at Nice & got the best out of him when he bagged 17 in 34 & was so impressive that PSG signed him. 

We desperately need a creative no.10 as currently we’ve only got the option of playing wide players (Mahrez, Albrighton, Gray) in their unnatural position, Slim, Ulloa or Inheacho who are no.9’s or Okazaki who offers the work rate but zero creativity.

He’s definitely worth taking a risk on given his previous relationship with the manager and no fee 

 

So are we signing him Albert?

[Realist Guy In The Room]

12 hours ago, Gazza M said:

 

 

Would be nice to have a new CB in there.

                       Kasper

Trippier  Lascelles   Maguire    Chilwell

 

                Silva        Iborra

 

      Mahrez     Ben Arfa     Gray

 

                         Vardy

[MPH]

14 hours ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

 

No, because that’s not a comparison to the guys point.

 

And he’d arrive by private helicopter - tut, Uber driver indeed!

Well his point was attacking midfielder  instead of fullback...  he didn’t specify skills involved at all

[Lambert09]

2 hours ago, Realist Guy In The Room said:

                       Kasper

Trippier  Lascelles   Maguire    Chilwell

 

                Silva        Iborra

 

      Mahrez     Ben Arfa     Gray

 

                         Vardy

Lascelles is a huge downgrade on Morgan, age isn’t everything. 

[Guest]

26 minutes ago, Lambert09 said:

Lascelles is a huge downgrade on Morgan, age isn’t everything. 

Ben Gibson is the CB we should go after.

[MPH]

Just now, FIF said:

Ben Gibson is the CB we should go after.

I think we are going to wait until the end of the season before replacing Morgan. As long as he inst puffing away like Ivor the Engine after ten minutes each game I don't imagine they would 'insult'  our great captain and servant of the club by replacing him mid-season..

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, MPH said:

I think we are going to wait until the end of the season before replacing Morgan. As long as he inst puffing away like Ivor the Engine after ten minutes each game I don't imagine they would 'insult'  our great captain and servant of the club by replacing him mid-season..

And if he picks up an injury on Feb 1st?

 

I think we're in a good position for people like Gibson. He's not sure of Prem football next season (he maybe in the summer) and we're a top 8 prem team with no chance of relegation.

[MPH]

Just now, FIF said:

And if he picks up an injury on Feb 1st?

 

I think we're in a good position for people like Gibson. He's not sure of Prem football next season (he maybe in the summer) and we're a top 8 prem team with no chance of relegation.

 

Hoping Huth or even Dragovic in his natural position could be more than suffice.... I dont think Gibson would want to sign if he thought hed just be cover for half a season... He'd probably want to wait

[Guest]

Just now, MPH said:

 

Hoping Huth or even Dragovic in his natural position could be more than suffice.... I dont think Gibson would want to sign if he thought hed just be cover for half a season... He'd probably want to wait

TBH Huth is the best CB we have but he obviously hasn't recovered properly from his innocuous injury so I'm worried that his time is over as first choice. Morgan has played well but if Gibson is better I'd drop him whether he's captain and a nice guy or not. He can stay as club captain and keep the respect but best player should be in. Gibson and Maguire is a nice looking partnership for the next decade.

[MPH]

5 minutes ago, FIF said:

TBH Huth is the best CB we have but he obviously hasn't recovered properly from his innocuous injury so I'm worried that his time is over as first choice. Morgan has played well but if Gibson is better I'd drop him whether he's captain and a nice guy or not. He can stay as club captain and keep the respect but best player should be in. Gibson and Maguire is a nice looking partnership for the next decade.

Definitely agree with that part...

[Scotch]

21 hours ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

 

Doesn’t matter where he plays... if you’re trying to fit him, Mahrez, plus a striker - in any formation - that side will lack an overall presence in that key central midfield area that all teams need to control if they are to have a hope of being successful.

 

It is also difficult to incorporate two space finders in the same formation when attacking, because invariably they get attracted to the centre, taking each other’s space.

 

Ultimately it is about balance and players complimenting each other - if you had both on the pitch at the same time, I feel they’d take away from each other and the wider team. 

 

I agree. There has to be a balance between the attack the midfield and the defence. That' why I can really see us go to a 4 3 3 in jan. I don' see Iborra or wilf being dropped and Silva WILL be added to that so with those 3 in CM, it allows for a 3 man attack like Vardy/Gray/Mahrez.

With Iborra playing the deeper of the 3 in CM, allowing him to drop into defence when Chillwell and (hopefully) an attacking minded RB go forward, leaving a back 3. Balance.

[MrsJohnMurphy]

5 hours ago, FIF said:

TBH Huth is the best CB we have but he obviously hasn't recovered properly from his innocuous injury so I'm worried that his time is over as first choice. Morgan has played well but if Gibson is better I'd drop him whether he's captain and a nice guy or not. He can stay as club captain and keep the respect but best player should be in. Gibson and Maguire is a nice looking partnership for the next decade.

Won't be here next season let alone the next ten, will be at a top 6 club