Alan Pardew has (once again) told Ben Arfa he has to give more to the team, after the player was dropped for the 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
Instead, Pardew went with James Perch in midfield as he tries to hammer home the point of a hard-working ethic to the French ace.
The player went public on his frustrations in January during an in-depth interview with the Chronicle, saying he expected to be in the first team.
But Pardew has drilled home the fact the player cannot drift in and out of games the way he does, and the Toon boss (and the fans) expect the players to give 100% at all times.
Alan Pardew: “Hatem still hasn’t quite grasped, in my opinion, this Premier League. He’s got unbelievable talent, but he’s not used to it.
“He’s got to fight now to get in this team.
“He could still have a massive impact on this season, but we need to see him at his best.
“He isn’t out of the picture yet.”
Ben Arfa has made just five Premier League starts and made eight sub appearances.