Demba Ba hasn’t scored in 9 games and indeed, he has scored just one goal since he returned from the African Cup of Nations in February.
Demba Ba in action yesterday against Bolton – stroppy again?
And that was in his first game back after just 30 minutes in the 2-1 win over Aston Villa at home, when Papiss Cisse on his debut in the number 9 shirt, got that fantastic left-footed winner after 71 minutes.
Papiss Cisse has gone on to score another 9 goals in the 8 games since Villa, and is taking all the headlines for his goal-scoring exploits at Newcastle this year.
Alan Pardew has admitted what everybody already knew yesterday – that Demba Ba was again annoyed at being subbed in the game:
“Demba was upset when I brought him off, as I’d just had a go at him about something,” “I was trying to get a reaction from him, if I’m honest.”
“I want him to be angry and fight. He’ll come out fighting. I know Demba, and I’ve got no worries about him.” “It wasn’t Demba’s day, but it might be in two weeks’ time.”
“Ba, Shola, Papiss and Hatem have massive roles to play for us between now and the end of the season,” “Cisse’s work-rate was right up there with the rest, and he came up with a goal.”
Shola Ameobi didn’t really receive the credit he deserved yesterday, for brilliantly setting up Papiss Cisse for Newcastle’s second goal, and we think Shola can definitely do a job for Newcastle over the last five games of the season.
So we expect him to come on as a sub in most of those games, and he showed yesterday why he is now a senior figure on Tyneside, and he played very well in those final 25 minutes or so.
But we also hope that Ba doesn’t go into a huff if he is taken off again, because it’s not good for team morale. And it’s much more important what the team achieves than what any one individual achieves.
Alan Pardew has proven time and time again, that he’s an excellent man-manager, and we expect the Londoner to find some way to get Ba back on the scoring track again and keep him happy.
Or at least keep him supporting the team, and keeping Newcastle’s magnificent team spirit intact and alive through the final five games of a magnificent season.
And Ba did send out a tweet after the game on his Twitter account, referring to Ben Arfa’s great strike:
“Have you seen messi at SJP this afternoon??? Haha”
Maybe Demba Ba can get a second hat-trick against Stoke a week on Saturday – that would be good. 😀
Comments welcome.
279 comments so far
CODARM (The poster formely known as Ibizatoon)
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:43 PM
Comment #81Pibid…Anything other than Barry will be fine for me. Everytime he pulls on an England shirt it makes me squirm
beefman13
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:44 PM
Comment #82Cheik, jonas has been a terrific hard working player for us this season, yesterday he was shattered you could tell, nothing came down theleft, he did look lethargic, we have a squad and the youngins are banging on the door, i thought fergie did a great job when he came on and will only get better, i do think jhonas could do with a breather from time to time, young abeid or gosling must be screaming for a bit of playing time, and vucic might just have a say last few games also.
nickfish90
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:44 PM
Comment #83Afternoon guys, here’s two great threads to have a read of on your lunch hour.
This one on RTG messageboards where the SMB are in awe of our squad, manager and success so far this season:
http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=690296
And this one showing the potential earnings of qualifying for the CL, Tottenham made £31,000,000 last season from it:
http://www.uefa.com/uefa/management/finance/news/newsid=1661038.html
Enjoy 🙂
Tsunki
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:44 PM
Comment #84@ 76 I think it’s faster than that mate lol 🙂
Gareth Barry – an inconsequential player, who mysteriously gets selected for England. His dad knows someone else’s dad.
I said ages ago that Adam Johnson would walk into our team, only now he won’t. He may have missed his chance!
PIBID (the poster formerly known as hattambenarfa)
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:45 PM
Comment #85toonandy thats simply too attacking, hazard lw with tiote and martin maybe, but there you are essentially going to be playing a 424
Indian Magpie
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:45 PM
Comment #86I want to go on holiday in IBIZA
tarie4
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:46 PM
Comment #87no chance of getting adam johnson…he just signed a new 5 yr deal this year, worth about 75 to 80. no chance at all.
PIBID (the poster formerly known as hattambenarfa)
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:50 PM
Comment #88i think we should carry on looking in the french league, where our name is good, whilst also trying to build up our name in holland, krul ben arfa cabaye tiote have not said anything but great things about us in the press. who knows, tiote is ex teammates with douglas (i think), pieters is best mates with krul and if you really wanted to push it, hazard and debuchy are ex team mates , and friends of cabaye,
indulge me! First team next season…
————Krul————-
Debuchy Douglas Colo Pieters
Martin Tiote Cabaye
HBA Cisse Hazard
Phwoarrrrrr would only cost around 50m too 😉
CODARM (The poster formely known as Ibizatoon)
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:51 PM
Comment #89Indian…It’s a great place to holiday 🙂
Beattie25
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:52 PM
Comment #90The 2 payers I would really love to see above all others next year (in terms of being realistic targets) are Jr. Hoilett and Mo Diame.
Both are on a free this summer and I know Hoilett is a rough diamond but on his day he is immense and in our team he would be unplayable. Him at LW and Benny at RW with Ba/Cisse down the centre leaves me drooling. Hoilett wouldnt go over the wage cap neither and apart from his diving escpadess against us he could really add to the team.
For me Diame is the best box to box midfielder outside of Yaya Toure. Again he is a bit of a rough diamond but he 24 and would compliment Tiote and Cabaye better than any other player in the premiershp. He would defend like a warrior alongside Tiote and bombe forward to assist Cabaye at every opportunity. He is from Senegal as well so hopefully he has got a Demba in his name somewhere.
I really think these 2 could help us improve immensley. Add a pacey striker, a first team LB/RB and a CB’s and we are top 4 material without question.
I would like to see:
Hoilett – Free
Diame – Free
Douglas – Free
Pieters – £5 million
Kembo-Okoko (Check him on youtube he is like a skillfull Bellamy) – £5 million
Amalfitano – Free
Football Manager 2012 it is then!
tarie4
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:52 PM
Comment #91i say lets keep finding these 5-10 mill gems. we dont need big names. i think what ash is trying to achieve is to make us better than the other 12 teams outside the top 8.and essentially thats all we need to be..thats 24 games in a season. take 4 to 6 points from those games and u get about 48 to 50 points…then take 1 to 3 from the other teams and u have europe every year. thats how sir alex does it. and it has worked for him. that is what we shud be aiming for imo.
Indian Magpie
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:53 PM
Comment #92Thats why
nickfish90
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:53 PM
Comment #93All these teams people are coming up with for next season are missing out Demba Ba! Remember guys, this is a guy who single handedly got us the goals for half of the season and some spectacular ones at that. We should be doing everything we can to keep hold of him – a great friend of Cisse’s I might add too!
Ba will shine again! 😀
MacToon
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:54 PM
Comment #94martoon if you’re still about RE Sopcast.
You have 4 buttons (I think) above the small viewing window.
1st button on left gets rid of the box to the left of the viewing screen.
2nd button increases screen size by X2
Double click viewing screen for full screen.
Press ESC for small screen or right click screen and chose minimize screen size option. 😉
PIBID (the poster formerly known as hattambenarfa)
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:55 PM
Comment #95nickfish, ba doesnt fit in a 433! i can only see him being used instead of cisse, not alongside, unless we are playing against a stoke/bolton/wolves
tarie4
Apr 10, 2012 at 12:58 PM
Comment #96Beattie25 at 89
here here…those would be great additions…we would also be flexable and able to fight on all fronts…and it would cost much too… hope u have alans no. 😉
martoon
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:00 PM
Comment #97PIBID – I think the stumbling block with Adam Johnson would be his wages rather than transfer fee as he’s probably on some stupid thousand pounds a week at the moment.
I’m sure even Ashley would admit that his model is working better than anybody could ever imagine. Would have expected at least another round of selling and buying younger and more able replacements.
Nice to hear the crowd singing ‘Pardew wonderland’ on Monday.
tarie4
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:00 PM
Comment #98nickfish
Ba still has a role in this club. all top teams have options upfront, cisse wont play all the game next season…esp if we make europe. so he will defo get loads of game time….
nickfish90
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:01 PM
Comment #99@95 Yes okay it might not be his natural position but we’ve won 5 of the last 5 with him up front in a 4-3-3 interchanging with Cisse.
Apart from the last game he has had 1 or 2 good quality chances which before the ACoN he would have put away and so it can work. Although yes it’s going to be a tough decision for Pards next season but I think we can switch between two widemen with Marveaux and Benny on the wings, Demba’s up top, to 4-3-3.
Let’s see what happens anyway, we should try and keep the guy though. We shouldn’t even be thinking about letting him go for as little as 7m.
Tsunki
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:01 PM
Comment #100So all we need now are the flower bowls freshening up and some scented candles….
tarie4
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:01 PM
Comment #101martoon
signed a 5 yr deal late last year on early this year..rumouredto be on 75 to 90 a week..
no chance..
Tsunki
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:03 PM
Comment #102Yeah I see Ba long-term as a swap-out with Cisse. Will that happen? can we really form a team with those two leading the attack together.
tarie4
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:04 PM
Comment #103martoon
besides if he was given a new improved contract…. i think they believe he still has a future at the club.. and dont kidd urself..city will want atleast 20 to 30 mills for him…noway they wud sell him under 10 mill…no way!!!
Tsunki
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:04 PM
Comment #104@96 – looked forward to that happening and it was nice to hear that. 🙂 Also Demba’s song, really got behind the lad and he heard it all right.
martoon
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:06 PM
Comment #105Mactoon @93 – Still here – I worked out the buttons you mentioned but never thought of double clicking the viewing screen – thanks a lot I’ll try that tonight cheers 😉
Toon_Tom
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:06 PM
Comment #106so now everyone wants to get rid of Ba?????????
Shame on you!!!
Tsunki
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:07 PM
Comment #107just on the topic of the scum’s fansites, check out
http://salutsunderland.com/2012/04/martins-musings-from-evertonnot-good-enough-at-goodison/#comments
whose poster number two, then? 😉
tarie4
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:07 PM
Comment #108Tsunki
they are the same type of players and make the same type of runs…they cat realling play together..unless we improve the quality of crosses and ball into the box from wide areas.. other than that i say no. if we make europe, its gonna be a long season..they will both have planty of games…plenty..evn the mackem slayer and best will have plenty of games too..through injuries and loss of form..
Tsunki
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:09 PM
Comment #109On the subject of Shola – Eh? Eh? EH? ha ha 🙂
MacToon
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:11 PM
Comment #110Nee bother Martoon, glad to be of help, it’s always easier when you know how lol Sopcast seems to be the best viewing tool by far.
CODARM (The poster formely known as Ibizatoon)
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:12 PM
Comment #111Tsunki..So that’s where he’s been hiding 🙂
Tsunki
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:12 PM
Comment #112Oh and did I mention that the unbathed are matheMAGICally unable to catch up with us? I am just loving all of this.
Beattie25
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:12 PM
Comment #113I think that with having Ba and Cisse it offers so much versaitillity its untrue. Our players are able to play in numerous positions and that is something we deffinatley need.
We cannot and should not play 4-3-3 in every game and I expect to see Ba and Cisse line up together in all sorts of formations, especially if we get into Europe.
Thats why I would take Hoilett and Diame, both are equally good in numerous positions and would bring that versaitillity to the team.
If, like Stoke, we have to play 50+ games next season Ba and Cisse will line up together one week, then one will be on the bench and it adds competition.
Ba is great at LF/LW and depending on the game if (for exapmle) we got Hoilett then those 2 would rotate to give the oppostition headaches.
It is all about tactics and competition and team work.
tarie4
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:14 PM
Comment #114beattie
some player that lad… Kembo-Okoko am sure carr as seen him.. france has alot of talented att midfielders
Tsunki
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:14 PM
Comment #115Beattie – if we are in loads of comps then they will be glad of a rest from time to time – 30 goals each per season is enough to ask of any man.
Tsunki
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:16 PM
Comment #116@111 – as if we didn’t already know…..
Tsunki
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:17 PM
Comment #117Should be an interesting pre-season tour this summer don’t you think? Hopefullly everyone will be available for foreign travel this time?
YOY_Yorkshire
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:22 PM
Comment #118who said Dempsey ? snap him up now…. quality player and would provide additional height in the box. but his stock has gone up so will his fee. 🙁
Wor Shearer
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:24 PM
Comment #119What do you lot think of playing Ben Arfa in the middle of a front three with the Dembas on each flank? (which will put our Messi in the middle)
PIBID (the poster formerly known as hattambenarfa)
Apr 10, 2012 at 1:27 PM
Comment #120i said dempsey, and i said so last season too 🙁 now hes a be 12-15m and hes getting on a bit, on the subject of kembo akoko did anyone see the video someone posted of rafael moura for some team in brazil..sau paulo?? hes supposed to be the unsung neymar