Ben Arfa pleads for patience

Youngster yet to show what he is capable of

By Patrick Haond   Last updated: 6th October 2008

Ben Arfa pleads for patience

Ben Arfa: Still settling in

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Hatem Ben Arfa has pleaded with the Marseille faithful to back him in his pursuit of top form.

The French starlet made a high-profile summer switch to Stade Velodrome from Lyon, bringing with him a reputation as one of the country's most promising youngsters.

He has failed to match the lofty expectations placed upon him, lacking the consistency which made him a fans' favourite at his previous club.

Ben Arfa shone on Saturday as Marseille secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over Caen, but the 21-year-old insists he needs more time to settle into his new surroundings before he can become the creative influence craved by the supporters.

"I was in and out of the game," he admitted after the weekend success.

Responsibility

"But did you see how many they were playing in defence? It's not easy to find gaps. I can't just take the ball and start dribbling every time.

"I'm not an extra-terrestrial. I'm not just in the team to go on solo raids, but to play for the team. Obviously the playmaker must be at the heart of the team, but he should not be alone.

"You can't put the hopes of the entire team on my shoulders in every game, because it's not good for me or the team.

"Perhaps by the end of the season, with more games and responsibility, I will become more consistent over 90 minutes."

Not enough

While Ben Arfa has called for patience, Marseille boss Eric Gerets admits he had hoped for more from his summer acquisition.

"There are ups and downs in his game, but there are more downs than ups at the moment," he said.

"We are talking about one of the greatest hopes of French football and he does not show enough.

"He is not moving enough because when he has the ball no-one can stop him, but I am not seeing that enough."