Ba: "The future looks very good here"

Hat-trick hero Demba Ba had added more fuel to the feel good camp fire that seem to be roaring away at St James' Park these days by insisting that the future is looking good for NUFC for once.

Newcastle United and it's fans are used to fire fighting, but it's usually a reaction to some form of scandal or travesty that has taken place at the club.

Not so at the moment. Instead we are sailing in infinitely calmer waters as we head into October. Results are good, performances are improving, and we sit in 4th place in the table still. All this without playing brilliantly at all times and without playing to our full potential.

I don't think many would have thought that we'd be in 4th after six games. From the more negative person to the more positive one I hand on heart believe that nobody would have predicted a start like this. Even with me not being one that subscribed to the panic button pushing, I'm still surprised that we've started off so well.

One person that isn't surprised however is Demba Ba. He claims that the calibre of players at the club always ensured that there is a chance that we could have started off so well.

“I am not surprised that we have made such a good start," Ba told The Chronicle. "When I look at the players that we do have I can’t be surprised. We all get on very well together and it is important for not just me, the other guys as well.”

The Senegal striker added: “The future looks very good here, not just for the French guys, but for everybody. I am happy about that because the French guys get on very well with the other lads too.”

It's been a slow start to life at Newcastle for Demba Ba, but his hat-trick at the weekend was a fine way to get off the mark for his new club and fans will now be eager to see what else the 26-year-old has in store.

The issue of fasting and Ramadan has been quite hotly debated by NUFC fans due to the start that Demba Ba made at Newcastle. In my opinion it's probably the least likely subject that I'd expect football fans to talk about but still. Whatever the cause of Ba's slow start, the most important thing is that he recognises that he wasn't fit and admits that he feels much better now.

“I am very thankful to the fans because they have been fantastic," said Ba. "I haven’t played well since I have been here, until the last two weeks where I’ve got my sharpness back. Once you get that back it’s good, the football side is there all along but you have to be sharp.”

Ba then reminisced on the last time that he scored a three goals in a game before moving to allay fears that this side doesn't have enough goals in it.

“I last scored three goals in a game in Germany against Stuttgart playing for Hoffenheim,” he revealed. “Scoring three is a great feeling, a lot of people can score two goals in a game, but three is different as it is special. Everybody is happy, you can only feel like that."

“We are scoring. Against Blackburn it was me but last week it was Besty and in midweek against Forest it was Peter Lovenkrands. Next week it could be anybody.”

Next week it could be anybody, but it's likely to be either Leon Best or Demba Ba. The pair of them seem to work well together and both of them know where the back of the back of the net is. Perhaps the most pleasing thing was seeing Leon Best play well despite not scoring.

Granted his shooting may have been off against Blackburn but all strikers have off days and I think Best deserves a bit of slack. Like I said, he still played well and caused problems for the Blackburn defence. If that had been, say, Peter Lovenkrands, then I very much doubt I'd be saying the same thing simply because the Danishman either scores or does nothing. How many times can you say Lovenkrands played well without finding the back of the net?

Before I go, a little fact for you all. Demba Ba has managed 10 goals in 14 Premier League starts whilst Best has bagged himself 9 goals in 13 starts.

Long may that kind of form continue!