This is not a long article, but an invitation to my fellow bloggers and esteemed readers to debate the pro’s and con’s of letting the big man go. Maybe even an opportunity for a poll! No I don’t mean signing Kamil Grosicki in Demba’s place, but a type of vote on the subject…
Anyhow. Earlier this season Demba was sensational and was banging them in. Sublime free kicks, powerful finishes around the box, great technique closer to goal. As a main striker – the focal point of our team during forward play – the man was unplayable at times. He relished it and the team relished supplying him with the bullets. During this time he became one of the top-three strikers in the Premier League. The thing is though, that was in a standard 4-4-2 with Leon Best doing the hard graft to leave the space for Ba to exploit.
Whilst this was happening, Hatem Ben Arfa struggled to fit the routine, almost archaic 4-4-2 system and many including myself questioned the Frenchman’s future at the club. It was not a problem though, we were winning games and looking pretty solid. Then the Christmas period arrived followed by January.
Leon Best was almost flogged to the farce that is Scottish football, Stevie Taylor was struck down with another long term injury and out of nowhere we signed a striker even better than Demba Ba himself! As these changes swept in, the tides shifted our side’s set up and style of play. The 4-3-2-1 resulted in new #9 and Godlike footballer of the Tyne being Pardew’s new, improved focal point of all things Black and White.
This saw Demba shifted out wide and whilst his Senegalese compatriot banged them in, Ba’s goals disappeared from the radar. Meanwhile Benny boy was a man reborn. He built up an almost telepathic understanding with the Toon Army’s new cult hero and scored arguably the Premier League’s goal of the season. He started to chase back effectively and now looks like one of the best players in the league. Unfortunately Cisse and Ben Arfa’s prominence has come at Demba’s cost.
Don’t get me wrong. He is a grafter and more than does his fair share for the team. He does not go running to the press to complain about playing out of position and is an obvious benefit to Cisse whilst he settles in. But in the long run? When these two play in a 4-4-2 together Benny looks uncomfortable and the team creates a lot less chances with Cabaye sat further back – who is our poor man’s version of Paul Scholes – albeit our version actually knows how to tackle – and pick on kids it would seem.
The long run could see Ba happy to hand over the plaudits – comfortable to see out his footballing days as a workhorse with no star player adorned limelight whilst his international team-mate takes all the glory, waiting patiently for those times when Cisse is injured or unavailable to take his chance as the main man once more – but with a supposed reasonably cheap get out clause in his contract is this really going to happen?
There are plenty of top sides across Europe just begging for a player like Demba to be their main man – especially at a cut price. Once Cisse has settled in will Pardew be asking himself if it would benefit the team to let the for former Hammer go? Benny would benefit from the 4-3-2-1 system and I think the partnership we should concentrate on improving is Cisse-Benny, not Cisse-Ba. Especially with players like Pienaar and Junior Hoilett soon to become available for next to nothing. They would add pace and guile to our advanced wing positions and are both examples of fast, tricky players with an end product that Gutierrez and Obertan lack far too often for my liking.
Another thing to consider is the fact that Pardew seems happy to let Leon Best go. Messi he is not, agreed, but he was great fodder for Demba. If he goes, who can be that distraction fot Ba when Cisse is not about? Shola Ameobi is a great bit part player these days, but a regular starter? No thanks… Nile Ranger? Give it a rest. On top of that – what happens during the African Cup of Nations during 2013? OK this season we fared reasonably soundly – but you can’t tell me we wont suffer next season without our best two strikers. We got off lightly this season due to Senegal’s abysmal display. That probably wont happen again next season…
If Demba moved on to pastures new this summer it would give us the opportunity to replace him with another quality player but from somewhere a little closer to home – who will still be available to us during January/February time…. It may even do our team some good as the last couple of games in particular he has looked a little out of sorts. A bit like a square peg in a round hole… As I said a minute ago, he’s one of our best two strikers in years. But our best formation only has room for one striker. That will always be Cisse, who is just exceptional.
Don’t get me wrong. The man will always have a place in my heart for what he has done for us this season – but I just cannot see him being happy going from the main man to being a workhorse who supplies the bullets to his mate for the rest of his days. That’s a hard pill to swallow when you know how good you can be as the focal point yourself.
[poll id=”67″]
AMF richie not keen on the hot weather,he cannot wear his white-mac 😉
icedog(Quote)
Ice…Howay man, it’s Monday 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Ice 🙂 🙂
Looks like a nice spot Rich… see what you are saying about the southern location.. the distances are not much compared to the distances we have to travel here tho..
aussie magpie fan(Quote)
RICHIE whoops sorry mate its that bloody amf he goads honest folk into it,i withdraw all remarks 😀 the heat got to his heed
icedog(Quote)
Absolute lazy twats… look at all the comments on here for a monday in the early afternoon… get some work done!!!
I hope shane fergurson gets a **** load of game time next season. i think he should be a starter for all cup games also. At no point in time has he looked out-of-place whilst playing top quality sides.
He’s definately one for the future if we keep hold of him. 🙂
Nobby(Quote)
Richie @152
We’re working on the Jewish calendar, so the day ends at sunset 😉
JJ(Quote)
Ba won’t be sold… pardew managed to work hba into the team so why not demba?
Nobby(Quote)
Aye, Oz is a wee bit bigger. Madrid is more or less in the centre and that’s about a 4 hour drive.
It would be good to draw Atletico Madrid too as wor lass’s parents live there. Plus I’m going to go to a match at their stadium regardless, before they flatten it and move to a new one(2015), so 2 birds with one stone.
richietoon(Quote)
Nobby- agree on Fergie. I also expect a contribution from Tavernier next year. He got a lot of valuable experience on loan this year and has never looked out of place for me either.
MDS(Quote)
I think it would be wrong to sell him. 4-4-2 can still work once we get more creativity from the left, and once Ben Arfa keeps up his defense on the right. Pardew likes that formation too as it protects his full backs, and only Simpson looked life a full back who could defend. Santon doesnt , yet.
Munster Mag(Quote)
Ice 😉
JJ…oh **** 😕
richietoon(Quote)
Sorry to be ignorant but is ramadan in the summer again?
i just can’t get enough.
Nobby(Quote)
I think Marveux needs to get a shout out for yesterday mind… i think he was our best player when he came on! His passing accuracy is sublime!
Nobby(Quote)
Good honest folks 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 that’s the funiest thing I’ve read in a while Ice 🙂
A europa league game in your back yard would indeed be nice Rich..
aussie magpie fan(Quote)
Nobby 20th July-18th August.
richietoon(Quote)
i only ask about ramadan as cisse, ba and hba are muslim sos they’ll be fasting.. didn’t ba take a couple of games to get in his stride?
Nobby(Quote)
Aussie, it may be the best thing you’ve read, but you’ve read it wrong…..try again 😉 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Aussie… are you a proper austrailian?
I only ask as I was wondering how you ended up supporting the toon?
There’s no sheep in newcastle. 😆
Nobby(Quote)
I thought fasting was a good thing.. we need quick players..
aussie magpie fan(Quote)
You got a Yes majority only because you assume that the team will be positively evolved.
Ba should stay put and build on what we got adding and strengthening the team by replacing players that will be going for vareous reasons.
with Ba in the team the system can be slightly modified with an injury to Ben or Cisse
Vassilis(Quote)
Nobby…I don’t think that really had owt to do with it, it was just a convenient excuse, more like adjusting to a new team I reckon. Also I believe those that do physical work don’t have to fast.
richietoon(Quote)
Define proper Nobby 🙂
aussie magpie fan(Quote)
“There’s no sheep in newcastle.”….but there used to be a fat Shepherd 😉
richietoon(Quote)
NOBBY ime sick of bleeting on that marv is a class act imo
icedog(Quote)
Aussie…as in drinks a lot of Fosters, so yes you are 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Ice…I agree, “if” he can stay fit that is 😀
richietoon(Quote)
i’ve got an austrailian mate who reckons fosters is hard-as-fook to get hold of down under… it’s all about the xxxx.
Nobby(Quote)
Nobby…It’s more for export, Aussies don’t drink it due to it tasting like gnats **** 😕
richietoon(Quote)
aussie
proper – as in do you say stuff like
– Fairdincum! (apologies if i spelled that wrong)
-Criiiiiiiiiikkkeeeyyy!
– F*ck orf you bladdy pommy baaaastard!
Your also proper If you murder backpackers, if you think people that are scared of trap door spiders are puffs and if your kids are called sheila and bruce.
😆
Nobby(Quote)
2 hour 19 minutes to go now Rich…. 🙂
Nobby -As Rich aluded to I am a ‘proper’ Australian. Been supporting the Toon for over 20 years. Played the game from the age or 8 and have loved the game ever since then.. can’t exactly remember why I started supporting Newcastle.. just did 🙂
aussie magpie fan(Quote)
Nobby, you know me to well 🙂 🙂
aussie magpie fan(Quote)
NOBBY jokeing apart haveing been in aussie a couple or so years i found they had a real dis-like for poms,nearly as bad as there dis-like for kiwi
icedog(Quote)
A couple of my good mates are poms (true) 🙂 as long as they actually have a bath and don’t whinge too much, they are top lads 🙂 🙂
aussie magpie fan(Quote)
Ice
That would be odd considering Australians really are the original Pome (Prisoner of Mother England).
Why would they dislike them? 😆
I find South African’s and Australians have big sporting rivalries and constantly bash each other, yet get on like a house of fire when touring other countries.
JJ(Quote)
Lads;
debucy, de jong, pieters etc etc ciuld all be **** in the premier league
demba is a proven scorer at this level? worth far more than £7m
Liam Southern Toon(Quote)
Ice, I went over to sydney and newcastle (austrailia) with the navy and all the blokes over there hated us.
“f*ck or howme ya bladdy pommy baaaastard”
that was just the barmaid. 😆
😆 @aussie… i’m off home c yas later xxx
Nobby(Quote)
Agree JJ.. been on the **** with a heap of South Africans and always had a great time..
aussie magpie fan(Quote)
Troy guvvus a clue 😆
Liam Southern Toon(Quote)
AMF you got friends theres a shock 😯 your lucky theres a couple of poms to keep you company 😆
icedog(Quote)
Yes the poll could have been worded better but I think most people casting votes are intelligent enough to understand the line of thinking in the article and subsequent pole. If his contract can get sorted out quickly then by all means we should keep him, but we would still need another quality striker for when the ACON is on a d as hard working as Ba is out on the left, I don’t think he is as effective as a Hoilett, Dempsey or Pienaar would be. If his contract is. If sorted fast then we are sitting ducks..
Shamrock(Quote)
The crux of it is ,what does Ba want ! . It all depends on him ,not us. If he won’t sign an extended better contract then he is stateing his intent to leave us and we have no option but to sell. I love Ba and all he has done for us 16 goals ,that’s priceless, but we need clarity on the contract/clause issue well befor the window shuts. Go or stay we still need another good forward to cover Acon and offer a different aspect in our attacking play/formation over what will be a long season.
kimtoon(Quote)
Great article this, and I’ve been out for a few hours, which has given me time to think about it.
Demba Ba is a lovely, humble man and a true character in the dressing room/training ground.
He did a great job for us when he came, and almost singlehandedly kept us in the top 6 right up to the ACoN.
Unfortunately, it seems to me he just cant play alongside his compatriot Papiss Cisse in a 4-4-2 formation, which AP seems to keep reverting to.
So it has to be one or the other. The big question is, will they both be prepared to rotate matches in all competitions for the benefit of the team.
Clearly Shola is staying, and we should look to bring in another (non african) striker too, if Besty wants away.
If he is not prepared to be sat on the bench sometimes, then I dont see how he has a future with NUFC, and we should look to sell.
This would actually disappoint me greatly.
Another factor of course, is his current contract, which is a pay as you play thing, which is why he doesn’t want to be stuck on the bench.
Hopefully he gets a decent contract sorted ASAP and stays.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
@Aussie
I thought Fosters was the chosen drink? 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Can’t believe anyone is suggesting this or that I read it right the way through 😯
Never mind, the answer is simple:
“Divvent be so daft man!!”
UTD111(Quote)
if we don’t need to sell him, then don’t. He’s better with us than some other European giant 😉 we’re short on forwards and have a long season ahead of us..
Troy.. you admitted that Supermac was your source the last time when you met him at the metro centre, did he give you his phone number like? 😆
mark(Quote)
I do. Like how you think, you should have a word with alan-
billw(Quote)
I do. Like how you think, you should have a word with alan. I dont’t like the idea of key team members absent for over a month at that part of the season.
billw(Quote)
I voted no but only because I don’t agree with the article rather than the poll-obviously if we actively got better from a player sale then we’d sell everyone? I don’t think it would happen in this case…….
Yes he’s not been sublime out wide, but all strikers hit poor form at some point. Also, it wouldn’t be impossible to play him behind cisse (which seems to be the role he likes due to how far back he drops…) and still get the best out of Cabaye and Benny….formation can be adjusted once we know what players we’ve got
Newkie(Quote)
Case in point…rooney plays behind the striker and still gets all the goals. Its not like Demba is going to go whole seasons without scoring just because Cisse is currently…
Newkie(Quote)