By Patrick Haond Last updated: 6th October 2008
Ben Arfa: Still settling in
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.
"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."
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."

Beckham - Henry isn't a cheat
The Sky Bet Show - Sunday
Galaxy gold for Becks
Hull 3-3 West Ham - Zola
Hull 3-3 West Ham - Brown
Hull v West Ham - 2nd Half
Chelsea v Wolves - 1st half
Ipswich 0-0 Sheff Wed - Laws
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Sunday 22nd November | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| 16:00 | Nice vs Toulouse |
| 16:00 | St Etienne vs Lorient |
| 20:00 | Montpellier vs Lille |
| Saturday 28th November | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| 18:00 | Lille vs Valenciennes |
| 18:00 | Lorient vs Grenoble |
| 18:00 | Monaco vs Montpellier |
| 18:00 | PSG vs Auxerre |
| 18:00 | Sochaux vs Nice |
| 18:00 | Toulouse vs Boulogne |
| 20:00 | Lens vs Marseille |
| Sunday 29th November | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| 16:00 | AS Nancy vs Bordeaux |
| 16:00 | Le Mans vs St Etienne |
| 20:00 | Lyon vs Rennes |
| Wednesday 2nd December | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| 18:00 | Boulogne vs PSG |
| 18:00 | Marseille vs Sochaux |
| Saturday 5th December | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| 18:00 | Montpellier vs Le Mans |
| 18:00 | Nice vs Marseille |
| 18:00 | Rennes vs Lorient |
| 18:00 | St Etienne vs Sochaux |
| 18:00 | Valenciennes vs Monaco |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Saturday 21st November | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| Bordeaux 0 - 1 Valenciennes | |
| Grenoble 1 - 1 Lyon | |
| Lens 2 - 1 AS Nancy | |
| Rennes 2 - 1 Le Mans | |
| Auxerre 2 - 0 Monaco | |
| Friday 20th November | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| Marseille 1 - 0 PSG | |
| Sunday 8th November | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| Lille 2 - 0 Bordeaux | |
| Toulouse 3 - 2 Rennes | |
| Lyon 5 - 5 Marseille | |
| Saturday 7th November | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| Le Mans 0 - 1 Auxerre | |
| Lorient 5 - 0 Boulogne | |
| Monaco 0 - 0 Grenoble | |
| Valenciennes 1 - 1 Montpellier | |
| PSG 0 - 1 Nice | |
| AS Nancy 0 - 1 St Etienne | |
| Sochaux 1 - 2 Lens | |
| Sunday 1st November | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| Nice 1 - 0 Le Mans | |
| Rennes 0 - 3 Valenciennes | |
| Sochaux 1 - 4 PSG | |
| Saturday 31st October | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| Auxerre 2 - 1 Montpellier | |
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auxerre | 13 | 26 |
| 2 | Bordeaux | 13 | 25 |
| 3 | Lyon | 13 | 25 |
| 4 | Valenciennes | 13 | 23 |
| 5 | Marseille | 12 | 22 |
| 6 | Monaco | 13 | 22 |
| 7 | Lorient | 12 | 21 |
| 8 | Montpellier | 12 | 21 |
| 9 | Rennes | 13 | 19 |
| 10 | Toulouse | 12 | 18 |
| 11 | Nancy | 13 | 17 |
| 12 | Nice | 12 | 17 |
| 13 | Paris St Germain | 12 | 16 |
| 14 | Lille | 12 | 16 |
| 15 | Sochaux | 12 | 15 |
| 16 | RC Lens | 13 | 15 |
| 17 | St Etienne | 12 | 13 |
| 18 | Boulogne | 12 | 9 |
| 19 | Le Mans | 13 | 8 |
| 20 | Grenoble | 13 | 2 |
Barca and Real both won, Gers closed the gap on Celtic while Lyon and Marseille drew 5-5.
Sunderland fan Lucinda Gittins was strutting her stuff in the Soccer AM studios this week.
Barca were stunned by a late leveller, Gers' match was abandoned while Inter march on in Serie A.
Newcastle have signed Fabrice Pancrate after he impressed on trial at St James' Park.
The Ligue 1 title race was thrown wider open as Bordeaux and Lyon both dropped points.
Lyon defender Jean-Alain Boumsong is nearing a comeback after almost three months on the sidelines.
Gabriel Heinze scored against his former club PSG to give Marseille a 1-0 win at the Stade Velodrome.
Bayern Munich director of sport Christian Nerlinger claims the club have no plans to move for Moussa Sissoko.