Newcastle knew what they were ordering when they picked Hatem Ben Arfa off the menu, following his well-documented strops at both Lyon and Marseille in the past. However, it looked like the mercurial Frenchman had mellowed somewhat following a 2010 move to England, before the demons from the past reared their ugly heads in the past 18 months. There is a reason that he has been frozen out of the Newcastle side, and banished to Hull City on loan. Last season, he reportedly aired his thoughts on the team to manager Alan Pardew in a tantrum, and was then dropped to train with the reserves following a further attack on the manager. He subsequently broke club conduct by holding his own press conference for the national newspapers, and was even going to host an unofficial meet and greet with Newcastle fans having been excluded from an open training session. The soundbites coming from his agent certainly didnt make for light listening for Pardews camp.
''Its unfair and humiliating. Who knows how long Pardew will be at Newcastle. In two months, he may not be here. Hatem loves this club, he is idolised by fans. - Agent of Hatem Ben Arfa, Michel Ouazine, August 2014.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
