We must say that Demba Ba looked good last night against Monaco in Landsberg am Lech, Germany – and of course he did score the winner with an opportunist goal, when he out-jumped the goalkeeper to a high ball almost on the goal-line, and easily headed the ball home.
A fit looking Demba Ba in action last night
That will remind Newcastle fans that Demba Ba has an eye for a goal, and of course he’s not only a good goalscorer, but he’s also a very good footballer, as he showed last night.
And whatever happens in the new Andy Carroll saga, we hope Newcastle will keep both Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse on Tyneside, and the addition of the Geordie striker to the ranks will only increase Newcastle’s firepower and potential up front.
Alan Pardew is a big admirer of the 27 year-old Senegal striker, and he rightly praised Ba after the game last night:
“That’s Demba for you.” “He’s brave and he wants to score every game. Not many people would have got that goal.” “He can be pleased and it will be good for his confidence.”
“It was a good performance from us. It was a step up from last Friday night.” “I was really pleased because we came out of it with no injuries – and we’ve won the game which is phenomenal.”
“I don’t think anybody was below par either. It was all good.”
We were impressed with a number of the performances last night, especially from Newcastle’s many youngsters.
Romain Amalfitano looks a very good technical player out on the right wing, and the other new boy Gael Bigirimana gave a mature and accomplished performance in central midfield, until he was replaced after 63 minutes by Cheick Tiote.
Gael Bigirimana – training in Germany
Is this lad really only 18? 😀
If Gael keeps putting in performances like last night, he will be challenging for a first team position this coming season, just like manager Pardew has already suggested.
And it’s hardly surprising based on his performance last night, that Coventry fans were disappointed and dismayed they got only £1M for their top youngster – this lad could become a stellar buy for Newcastle United down the road.
Haris Vuckic, Mehdi Abeid and James Tavenier all looked good last night, as did veteran goalkeeper Steve Harper, who has a new number – 37 – his age.
Steve made some fine saves to keep a clean sheet, and surely he is still the the number two goalkeeper, should Tim Krul get injured – heaven forbid.
It’s not surprising Alan Pardew was pleased with the performances last night, with many youngsters catching the eye, in what was a good performance from the lads, especially in the second half.
Comments welcome.
Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook (please):
=============================================
44 comments so far
TorqToon
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:09 AM
Comment #1Hell of a sight that would be Geordielad!!! It’s my brothers company and I wanted to get the word out and show some well deserved recognition to the legend that is Graham Carr! Went for a Ché Guevara style portrait and I have one myself and it looks great. Just walking around the toon it gets plenty of attention! Imagine what a PINK one would look like?! Lol
geordielad95
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Comment #2Can’t wait for the next game now like. If I’m not mistaken, we should have benny and cabs back for the fenerbache game.
Stick a full first team squad out there, with cisse and ba playing, with cisse sitting behind ba, get cabs and benny back in midfield and let’s give out a good thrashing. I’ve just been watching the 7-1 spurs match in espn, and it occurred to me that this team are yet to give anyone an 5 or 6 goal hammering.
toonarmydownsouth
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:11 AM
Comment #3Torq toon wish id known about those t shirts when i had my stag do i got dragged round tyneside in a fcuking wedding dress!!
Really hope we wrap debuchy up this lad would bring so much more to our attack and defence!
In regards to carroll
What makes any1 think andy actually has any say in the matter? We must be the last club in the world the bindippers would want to sell to!
They will sell to whoever offers most in fees or part ex ie fulham with dempsey or west ham who seem determined to spunk money,
Personally not sure id want him back especially not for over £12 mil and think he could really upset the dressing room however if we sign him i’ll support any1 who wears the shirt but really dont see it happening
Sorry for the repost!
ROSHAN MAGPIE
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:11 AM
Comment #4happy with young players still need more players for development squad
TorqToon
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Comment #5Gael was superb last night for someone so young. Looked assured and strong in the tackle. Imagine what he will be like after 12 months learning from Tiote Sr !!! Thought Tav looked great when he came on and the ball up to Obertan was class. A solid performance and the best thing about friendlies in small venues…you can hear Harps running the show from the back! Truely a toon legend that man!
toonarmydownsouth
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:14 AM
Comment #6JDdubai
Completly agree with you about cabs he was deadly in a 433 for us and for france he seemed to get lost abit in a 442
JDdubai
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:17 AM
Comment #7Agree we need more youth bringing in, surely there are some pacy, tricky young attackers out there to steal???
Still think our team lacks genuine pace, there is “no ball over the top” option to turn defenders and release the pressure, and please no-one say obertan 🙁
Bigi looks ridiculously good so far, saw him for coventry a couple of times also and his close control and awareness are similar to Tiote, really think we have his long term replacement now in 3 or 4 years.
Vuckic and Amalfitano need to play more centrally, they both have little pace or ability to beat a man so it slows everything down if they play wide, both technically sound though.
Still think we need more options out wide,only HBA is proven to be good enough at the minute, Marveaux needs fitness, obetan needs putting down, Jonas is CM now.
derekm
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:17 AM
Comment #8worry last night was santon – made many mistakes and just did’nt look on his game at all. bearing in mind he is constantly touted as being equally as good at right back or left he had issues in both positions.
another worry is when will sammy stop growing?
Valci
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:18 AM
Comment #9repost:
Rotonda – im not a brit if thats what you mean. Im also white and live in CE Europe. But no, i dont speak english the way you probably would. Tnx for the racist remark though…shows me the kind of person you are. That is beside the point though. As for my troting, i will respond to such blatant misinformation every time. Carroll is not useless with his feet…not at all…and im not the only one who has told you as much. Not at Ibra level or RVP yet…with yet being the imperative word here. He is 23…i’ll judge how his game has evolved when he is 26-27. Then we can make that comparison. Having said that, i think that he still has a lot to offer any team. I think Pardew knows a little more about football then you ad if he genuinely want Carroll he has his reasons…and i for one have faith in him which you seem to lack. Like i said, its up to the manager what type of football the team plays…if the players play hoofball and disregard his strategies it’s on him. But i doubt that would happen because, like i said, i have faith in AP.
TorqToon
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:19 AM
Comment #10TADS – Same for me I’m afraid mate!! 🙂
Some crazy sh1te written on Tw@tter recently, talk of a Carroll deal been agreed and will be done by the end of the week. Goes as far as saying that Tiote Sr will get guthers old shirt number (8) and AC will get his old 24 back?! Marc Walton posted.
Also talk of Thorgen (sp) Hazard joining Eden at Chelski!?! We should have a word with lens as this lad is quality.
toonarmydownsouth
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Comment #11Hahahahahahaha sheffield wednesday are after joey barton! So much for champions league joey!!!! Poor andy n joey ate finding out the hard way the grass aint greener!!!
Shabilla1984
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Comment #12@ Roshan Magpie – (which Roshan are you? I know 3 in Newcastle- 2 of which are my nephews! and there cant be many more?)
I was well impressed with Gael, hoping for big things – and do have a soft spot for Abeid. I liked Romain, he has a good first touch and plays with a real desire to win the ball (although he’s not a right winger). Gutted Obertan didnt put that one away – he has potenital to be frightening for the opposition.
Would take Carrol back – we know he can score goals, but never for £20m! just cos LFC paid over the odds doesnt mean we should
geordielad95
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Comment #13Cabaye needs to have the team built around him. He needs to be in the playmaker role. He will be out most important player next season, and if we play to his strengths he can only get better.
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:24 AM
Comment #14the point still remains are we signing this Debuchy or not….I mean surelly now that Simmo is off we can pitch in few more for Debuchy he really does look class especially going forward…..
in the end we will sign somebody else entirely not Debuchy not Cissoko 😀
hotdog
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Comment #15100% agree with Ed, I thought Gael looked very good, we may have another Gem on our hands.
Now some praise for a lad I had no time for last year Obertan. For me he showed more in 20mins than he did in all his starts last season. Forget his miss, he showed effort and desire coupled with some nice touches. He has a long way to go but it looks like he wants it this season. Here’s hoping!
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:26 AM
Comment #16geordielad95 /
nail on the head….. He is KEY he needs to be removed from a CDM kind of role he had and more of a CAM role having HBA on RW…
Valci
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:27 AM
Comment #17gorgonzola – and Marv on the LW i would say…if he stays fit.
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:28 AM
Comment #18HotDog…
i did not watch the match, from your words I hope to Gods ears…I really do hope Obertan can pull it off….and starts being productive on pitch and not lost….
I feel he has so much pace to burn he could easily outrun opponents, he tries to much ….he needs to keep it simple….the CF role I am starting to like…
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:29 AM
Comment #19Valci
indeed if we can get him fit very soon….I want to see that lad play ….I hope no more injuries…..He looked sublime the little I saw from him….
magpiebop
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:30 AM
Comment #20People on here saying 4-3-3 is our best formation and picking starting elevens should just remember it’s a squad game. Form, fitness and the opposition come into it when picking the team. The funniest lineups as always, are the ones wii other teams players in!
ilovetoon8788
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Comment #21Sky Sports understands Nathaniel Clyne will seal his move to Southampton in the next 48 hours after deciding that St Mary’s is where he wants to be.
by Tweet me @skygraemebailey 4:55 PM
——–
no Clyne then.
Rotonda heights
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Comment #22Valci
What’s racist? I would expect a black American person to use the word dude. I would not expect a white Eeuropean to. The type of person I am ??? I used to be a member of the anti nazi league, so get your facts right before you call someone a racist.
The point is not whether carroll is good on the ground. I have often said he is not used the right way because he does have skill, but players will not play the ball to him on the ground. Pardew found success with 433, why not stick with that. there a rebetter plan B’s.
hoppernufc
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Comment #23Apparently Swansea have has a 1.75 mill bid accepted for the Spanish lad michu he would be a ideal signing for us, sure we were linked with him a month or so ago
NUFCWill1986
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Comment #24Agree with this article. Watched it on ESPN and thought Amalfitano, Tavernier and Marveaux looked very good!
Did anyone else this notice captain Colo talking to and thanking the players as they came on? seems pretty content and relishing the role as club captain imo.
Will
lewytoon
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:37 AM
Comment #25obertan could be a bit like henry, winger cum striker, rapid and can improve his finishing, there also both baldy and french 😛 i like him as a striker
ROSHAN MAGPIE
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Comment #26shabila I am from India
lewytoon
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Comment #27shame we missed out on clyne, hes goingto be class
MagpiesFlyHigh
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:41 AM
Comment #28Carroll will be signing for a new team, a new club IF he comes to SJP. The place has been turned around in the last two years.
We have a superb management team.
We have a different style of playing.
We are not limited tactically but have a manager who analyses and adapts to the circumstances.
(I would say he did not succeed on a number of occasions last season, but that might have been more down to the quality of squad and form of 1st eleven players than the tactics.)
valci
Nobody wants us to return to a direct 442 style and your 4231 is far too close to that. JDDubai is spot on Cabaye works best in a 433 higher up the pitch in a playmaker role and also with Benny drifting back to pick up on quick counterattacks.
Carroll would be entering a new coaching scene, not one he left. He would need to adapt his style of play completely. He is a gifted left sided player with a superb long shot and good in the air.
If you are a dick manager or KK you’ll use him as a target man in the Stoke style. IF you are a good manager with sophisticated tactical nous you’ll use him differently. He’ll need to play on the deck and he can do that…
We may use 442 away from home against certain sides who will pack the midfield and play 451 themselves. In this situation Carroll is a gift then. He offers a way round (from wing back play) and over the packed midfield 9 as target man with gold up skills). And he is quicker than he looks…
However think on this lads ….would £15m buy the best CB in the league ?
Andy Carroll might just be the best CB in waiting the EPL has ever seen. Could he convert to the Kompany role ?
I think he would be rock solid in defence, excellent in defensive and attacking set pieces, be great moving up the pitch and have very good distribution. as his lay offs should show already. AC would definitely bring the 8 goals a season we need from a CB – probably a good few more. Pards loves adaptable players. I wonder if he might have such a cunning plan that none of us have even thought of AC as the best future CB in the league.
Valci
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:43 AM
Comment #29Rotonda – fair enough. Maybe my backlash was harsh…although i think youre more likely to hear a white surfer-boy use the word dude then a black american hehe.
So then…it begs the question…why do players not play the ball to him on the ground?…whos job is it to teach them to do so? … To answer both these questions we have to look to Pardew. As for the 4-3-3 formation… i dont think we really have the players to do that at top level. I admit im biased towards 4-2-3-1 but i think it would be good in our case with HBA-Cabs-Marv playing behind a lone striker which can be Carroll as he would be excellent in this system but so would Cisse or Ba for that matter.
lewytoon
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:43 AM
Comment #30i see the lillemanager said debuchy wont leave untill they have a replacement, surely he will still sell him though
Markaccus
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:43 AM
Comment #31WARNING, COURT CASE IMINENT! The race card has been played, and has been inevitably countered by the anti-raceism card. Come on, lads, let’s stick to the footy and play nice?
Markaccus
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:45 AM
Comment #32Ah, I’m too slow. Good on ya, valci lol. Just need rotonda to follow suit and all is tranquil again!
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:46 AM
Comment #33MagpiesFlyHigh
Pardew: Andy I want you to play for us again…
Andy: I am up for it boss
Pardew: in a CB role in the near future..
Andy:
Pardew: Andy?!
Valci
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Comment #34MagpiesFlyHigh – thats where we disagree. 4-2-3-1 is not close to 4-4-2 at all. In fact what JDDubai mentioned is more like 4-2-3-1 then 4-3-3. If you push Cabs forward you’re not gonna want him to step on the central striker’s toes will you??? So that striker automatically advances. Of course the system has to be fluid enough to interchange between attack and defense and such.
voodoo85
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:50 AM
Comment #35not sure if anyone has noted this but regarding carroll having a say on where he goes – of course he does
if west ham bid highest and liverpool accept – great, but carroll still has to agree to contract terms
he could just refuse every team and stay at liverpool, he is entitled to what his liverpool contract states etc so if liverpool were desperate for him to leave rather than continuing to pay his wages, wouldnt they rather sell him for say 2million less to a team he will sign for such as newcastle
also, if he stays past 31st august, by January they will have paid him nearly 2 million in wages so it would make sense to sell him slightly cheaper than keep him IMO
jayphoto
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:50 AM
Comment #36@MFH
Carroll started in the development squad as a left back but had no passion for defense! Pretty sure carver came in and made him a striker which is where he excelled! He’s potentially the leagues next Didier drogba, be crazy to make him a centre half!
Rotonda heights
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:52 AM
Comment #37markaccus
peace out bro!!!
jayphoto
Jul 17, 2012 at 10:57 AM
Comment #38just wanna say on Carroll also, Liverpool rarely played it long to him last year and he actually played well in their allround play, the problem for him wasn’t performance, it was goals! He missed a lot of chances but got himself into great positions! Watched him boss Kompany, vidic and terry in the last year and they’re meant to be the top of the tree in defenders! Just wonder if the pressure of the 35m played a part in him struggling for goals? One thing im sure of is that Carroll will always be 20% more of a player in a toon shirt than for any other club! Always gave 100% fr us and maybe this last year will have seen him grow up??
arroeben
Jul 17, 2012 at 11:02 AM
Comment #39Ramadhan starts this saturday 21 july and lasts for a month. Meaning the muslims in nufc will only be fasting on one PL match on the 18th aug.
MagpiesFlyHigh
Jul 17, 2012 at 11:03 AM
Comment #40Valci
Where does Cabaye play best….in a 433.
Where did he play his entire career before he came to us … as ACM in a 433.
What goal did he score on the Euros…from the ACM position.
The playmaker has freedom to roam. He needs two DM players behind him to liberate him. Cabaye can be a bit clumsy in the tackle imo if he plays too deep. If you peg him back you’ll not get the best out of him. I think he’s good enough to avoid stepping on anyone’s toes BTW.
We might be disagreeing about nothing much and view the formations pretty much the same but I see the 4231 as an away game defensive formation like the 451. I do not want a lone target man. It is just so boring. I want to see a three man midfield with two good FBs who can push up the pitch and with DMs bright enough to play deeper to cover counter attacks when Santon and Debuchy are on the rampage. Then a front three who can overlap between flanks and direct attack. The centre guy needs adaptable… Torres has played at his best this season when he has moved out wide and acted as supplier – he might not have had the goals but he has dragged defenders and left space for AMs and got a goodly few assists. Cisse does the same…when he’s not banging them in.