Ba was barracked by sections of the crowd for all the time he was on the pitch, and was subjected to ironic cheers when he was withdrawn with padding under his nose after a coming together with Fabricio Coloccini which ultimately resulted in Ba being diagnosed with a broken nose. Mind you, Rafa Benitez is having a laugh claiming it was a red card offence by Colo. It was just one of those things that happen unfortunately…
Obviously I understand that not all fans were party to this tribal behaviour and some will have, quite rightly, applauded him after his efforts for us during his stint at Newcastle. My question is though, what has Ba done to deserve such treatment from fans who used to worship him and begged him to stay?
The facts are that he was always going to leave at some point and I get the feeling that we were just a stepping stone for him. The thing is, it worked for us as we had a striker who scored prolifically for us which gave us the springboard to reach Europe. Put simply it worked for him as much as it worked for us. It was a gamble that paid off for both sides.
Now Ba always remained non-committal when it came to commenting about his future, which tells a story in itself. The presence of that release clause should give you another clue as to what his intentions were from the start. But in fairness there was no badge kissing from Ba, no “boyhood dream” stuff that we heard from another semi-recently departed striker. Basically he didn’t feed us words we wanted to hear and had his own agenda.
People will say that he moved for the money and that’s probably a part of it, but he’s also moved to a club that, despite the fact we beat them yesterday, are always up near the top of the league challenging for honours and are generally good for a cup final appearance at least. Basically he’s got himself a pay rise and will be in with a shout of winning silverware. Can anyone tell me what is wrong with that? Can anyone else say that they wouldn’t do the same if you were playing for a club that you had no real connection with?
I didn’t want to drag the whole Demba Ba thing back up again as it’s history for me, but the stick he got yesterday seems unjust for a player who produced the goods for us time and time again. Yes people can say he was a disruptive influence and caused friction by wanting to be played as a striker, but that’s his position and being truthful it’s a good job he did as we’d have been even shorter on goals if he didn’t.
I just don’t get why he got such a hard time? Andy Carroll did far worse after waffling on about his dreams and moving on shortly after signing a new, long-term contract, yet a lot of fans who dished out stick to Ba would welcome Carroll back with open arms. Baffling.
At the end of the day it’s been and gone now and hopefully people have got that bit of frustration out of their system. Just remember though, Ba was as good for us as we were for him. The marriage between NUFC and Ba wasn’t one of love even though I don’t doubt that he enjoyed his time here, instead it was a one of convenience which both sides ultimately benefited from in one way or another.
It’s just business…
Chelsea fan. Probably Man U before that. You can tell by his email address dablues07.************.com
toonsy(Quote)
lol Jerry you just got owned. Moron or what 😀
Santii(Quote)
TOONSY ban the git don’t need brain dead people mate
icedog(Quote)
Blimey didn’t even notice Tiote scored for the IC…and from a set piece. Good god.
Newkie(Quote)
Toonsy good read but IMO Ba wasn’t coming back here to thank us all for a lovely time and im 100% sure if he could have made us pay he would have, so I don’t get the problem with him getting a rough ride while he is playing against us.
I would look on it a lot different if he was a loyal servant at our club for yrs that wasn’t just using us as a stepping stone to bigger and better things and got moved on, but he came to our club with a clause and had already tried to get a move with his PSG come and get me, he threw his toy’s outta the pram when asked to play on the wing for his team then went demanding that he had to be played in the middle because he was playing for himself and a move not for the team, which then caused us problems in the dressing room. Lots of ex players come back here and get dogs abuse so I really don’t see the problem the fans job is to try to unsettle them when they come back not make them feel at home 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Of course Chelsea fans are fine ones to chat about racism. What with John Terry, and this…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226184/Chelsea-fan-makes-monkey-gesture-rival-black-striker-Club-centre-ref-racism-storm-launches-probe-apparent-abuse.html#axzz2JrZ71uhJ
Oh dear 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Ice – Already done 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Jerry – what you talking about you ****?!. Read the comments and you’ll see that boos Ba got were similar to those Carroll got!!. Last time I looked Carroll was about 6”5ft worth of white player.
Sharpy17(Quote)
off topic for a moment,I see our nearly BA replacement (Remy),has TORN his groin,poor harry lol
icedog(Quote)
icedog
February 3, 2013 at 18:41
TOONSY ban the git don’t need brain dead people mate
————————
True Ice. We’ve exceeded our quota some time ago 😉
MDS(Quote)
So Ivory coast is out I agree with Toonsy that after the way Tiote has been playing I would rather play Anita, but I think Pards will play him
Big Dave(Quote)
MDS so true mate but I will let you name them lol
icedog(Quote)
CLNDR JERRY @66
No shame in losing to a better team on the day, and no call whatsoever to bring stuff like that into it. Has anybody else read some of the Chelsea fans on their blogs? It’s like since they won the champs league they think they are gods gift to football and should win every game or the FSW (fat spanish waiter) should get sack. God, I hope our heads never get that big. Talk aboot big money at a small club, do one you muppet. 🙂
DJG(Quote)
Ice- think I’ll pass 😉
MDS(Quote)
I know i said i hate violence but i want to **** CLNDR JERRY ,yes i know i shouldt get annoyed by such braindead feckers but that sort of **** goes against everything we all on here stand for
Axel(Quote)
MDS hears me thinking how brave your going to be,are well there’s always next season lol
icedog(Quote)
BIG DAVE @80
Not often I agree with you 🙂 but I do here 100%. It’s part and parcel of football and some players get a different reception – eg. Danny Guthrie. Depends on the circumstances doesn’t it. I have no doubt that Ba would have f### us over good and proper and I don’t think he is the type to have a muted celebration either, like Nolan did. 😉
DJG(Quote)
bet Nigeria are happy shola stayed at the toon
icedog(Quote)
Ice no need to spoil the happy mood today… 😉
By the way, I’ll give ya props for calling for sissoko a long time ago even if no one else will 😉
MDS(Quote)
What a legend SISSOKO turning out to be! I was worried at 2-1 down and fearing relegation but excellent comeback. SPURS next week and i’m feeling slightly more confidant. Pardrew needs to win the europa league, i’ll be so proud if we win that. our first silverware since 1969 not including inter toto cup or championship or texico cup! JUST TO WIN A TROPHY WOULD MEAN SO MUCH!
TERRY(Quote)
DJG 😉
Ice yeah i’m sure they’re well pleased 😆 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
MDS true trooper you are,I will say something that Dave touched on at close of window,give that new c/f we signed,give him half a dozen games and he will
shock a few,got the makings imo
icedog(Quote)
Terry well we should be able to field a strong team now, IMO once we get a few more wins and are basically guaranteed safety then we shold then focus mainly on the Europa 😉 providing we are still in it then, which I think we will be
Big Dave(Quote)
Ice @ 97 the strange thing was I had never seen or heard of Gouffran but something told me that he would end up being the surprise package out of the players we brought in, and up to now he has showed a lot of potential with his passing and how comfortable he is on the ball and is never rushed or tries too much
Big Dave(Quote)
I saw him a few times ontTV like and thought with better players around him he will make it in PL
icedog(Quote)
I boo’d him and I make no apology. I also told him to get the f k off the pitch the greedy cnt!
Also delighted Tiote is back and Nigeria won. I’m over there in a few days so hopefully it will be a celebration…
Stuart79(Quote)
Ice never seen him play but he sounds a cracking player….
Terry- even with the goals for me Sissoko’s showed himself best when he blew by/though Cole on that long ball. That’s one of the best LBs in the world (still) and he put him in his pocket. What a player
MDS(Quote)
BIG DAVE- i totally agree with you about safety in the premiership! spurs then europa then southampton, not easy but fingers crossed!
TERRY(Quote)
MDS Cole the 2nd fastest l/b in PL, plus he gave Cole 3yds start,wow
icedog(Quote)
DAVE that’s because you know your footy mate
icedog(Quote)
Stu – fair play for your honesty. I hope you booed and offered similar advice to Colo then
Sharpy17(Quote)
Demba Ba decided to leave for a better opportunity while we were fighting relegation. He could and should have waited till the end of the season and i’m sure the same opportunities would have been available to him then.
Not really got any sympathy for the above reasons. I think the booing was a bit more tongue in cheek than hateful anyway.
I also think we are a better team without him as his link up play was almost none existent. It was all about Demba when he played.. at least that’s how it seemed to me.
Paulos(Quote)
Oops I though you said CB and meant Mbiwa.
Gouffron was excellent yesterday- he provides an outlet like Obertan does yet he knows what to do with the ball in the final third. Plus there was one play where he raced all the way down into our own end and stole the ball from behind. That showed me he has the desire
MDS(Quote)
Stu well done Lads 😉
Ice you stick with me kid 😆 😆 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
MDS new worry,on Mbiwa he’s a top player,when I have watched him he reminds me of Dave Watson who was a footballing c/h if he works out in the PL we have a cracker too
icedog(Quote)
#13 Toonarmybill – spot on.
Fans shouldn’t kid themselves – most players don’t have any special connection to the clubs they play for, although I think many have some lingering affection for former clubs. M**ha*l Ow*n got roundly slated for stating the truth – that players play for money and all the badge-kissing is a load of baloney. Occasionally you get a player who genuinely wants to play for their boyhood team, but it’s rare.
Aidan Dunphy(Quote)
Chaps, I think Cole is not as quick as he was in his prime. But still it was a good run and he showed how much pace Cole has lost. Baines no.1 all day for England IMO. He offers so much more quality from set pieces and going forward, Cole is declining. 🙂
DJG(Quote)
don’t know if it’s been metioned but glad to see Santon has been called up to the national team
Big Dave(Quote)
@111. I pretty much agree with that. We were in even a deeper relegation fight at the time, hadn’t signed anyone yet, and the Euro champs come along and offer to double your wages and give you a spot on the first team. Not a lot of players would turn that down to be honest.
I have much more dislike towards players who leave for clubs that are no better than us (Carroll, Enrique) or far below us (like captain fantastic) just for the money….
MDS(Quote)
Who cares?
Brendan(Quote)
Welcome Brendan. Thanks for the contribution
MDS(Quote)
MDS lol
icedog(Quote)
Big Dave
Mbiwa also got called up.
So with Colo, Mbiwa, Santon, Debuchy. That’s four ully fledged internationals playing for top top nations.
Anita, Cabaye, Tiote, Sissoko… Same thing.
JJ(Quote)
JJ you would think we had some good players lol
icedog(Quote)
I was a t the game and the booing that Ba received was not malicious. I booed him, not as a hate figure but simply to put him off his game.
I don’t blame him for leaving us at that particular time to join Chelsea but he must expect some stick from the fans as its part and parcel of the game.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
JJ it’s started to look good for our wee club
Big Dave(Quote)
Wow Burkina Faso v Togo is such a boring game.
Andymag(Quote)
Ice,
Best team we’ve had in a long time. And best of all they compliment each other
That was my gripe with Ba. Great player but stopped playing for the team.
As for the booing… I agree with Troy. It’s part of having fun in the crowd. Not malicious. Just getting behind the team.
JJ(Quote)
I know this will likely to get laughed at because Williamson is Satan to most on here but – how many teams have a fourth choice centre back as solid and decent as Mike Williamson?
We’ve gone from no depth at all to having more than enough depth, not even counting playing Perch and Tavernier there, etc.
Surely we can let the likes of Bigirimana get loans for the rest of the season now? Gosling too since he should be back by now and he can do with match fitness.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Yeah don’t take my earlier comment the wrong way- you pay your hard earned money to go to a match you can boo whomever you want. I just don’t put his leaving in the same class as some of the others who left
MDS(Quote)
Looks like Adebayor back as well
Knocky(Quote)
JJ@118 you missed out TIM Krul
Axel(Quote)
Is anyone else really excited for Saturdays game v Spurs now? Apparently it’s on at 12.45 so it’s probably on SKY. Sucks that Adebeyor is back but I still fancy our chances.
Andymag(Quote)
ANDYMAG i watched the spuds game today and too be honest they only won because WBA played just about the whole second half with 10 men . They are their for the taking , Sissko , Cabs ,Goofy and Cisse will give them problems . They have pace in their side but so do we now.
Axel(Quote)
Big Dave @ 80 has hit the nail on the head.
Bit sick now of hearing blind sighted NUFC fans never being able to see past Ba’s goals the first half of this season. His petulance and selfishness in trying to get a move has been one of the reasons that we’re down the bottom!
And make no mistake, we would never have won yesterday if it wasn’t for Cisse’s excellent TEAM performance. His link up play was top notch and worked his bollocks off all game. Much better for our TEAM than Ba ever would be.
EvilFranky(Quote)
Axel
You didn’t answer my question though. Are you excited about the game? 😉
Other than Santon do we know who else is going off with their countries for the friendliest this week.
Andymag(Quote)
EvilFranky
Totally agree, heard people complain about Cissé’s finishing yesterday but his overall play made up for it. Holding on to the ball, jinking over challenges and setting Gouffran off with a superb turn and pass to lead to Sissoko’s 1st goal.
Andymag(Quote)
Sharply – Why would I give Colo similar advice? He’s wearing a black and white shirt and hasn’t been hangling for a move since he signed.
Stuart79(Quote)
Don’t know if you guys have seen this, but it’s a compilation of all Sissoko’s contributions in the Chelsea game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msj_1YFWK_o&feature=youtu.be
… 😯 he really did have a 9 or 10/10 game
The Kid(Quote)
owen, luque and boomsong what alful signings! good work ashley
SOUNESS DAYS(Quote)
Stu – it’s circumstance that has that black and white shirt on Colos back, not loyalty mate.
If he could have, he would have jumped with Ba in Jan, make no mistake about that mind.
Ba left coz we allowed him to leave. We allowed that stupid buy out clause to be in his contract.
Ba did nothing wrong mate, we knew the Craic and Pardew said it himself in an interview “if we do keep Ba in Jan it will be sorted in the summer. He either signs the contract offered or we move him on”. Where’s the incentive to stay and rescue the team that plan to get rid of you in the summer anyway?!
Colo wasn’t haggling for a move in Jan?! 😯
Aye ok then.
Sharpy17(Quote)
@Evil Franky
I agree about Cisse. He worked his socks off and for me had a good game.
He got in some great positions only to miss but one of them was a good save by the keeper.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Look, its best if you are going to post things that you can actually string a sentence together and spell!!!! embarrassing!! Ba was class, rarely let us down, however he never loved us as we loved him. His knee is risky and perhaps that may catch up with him, there is no getting away from the fact that without his goals this season we would be knackered!! We have to appreciate where we are on the grand scale of things. We would all give our right arm to play for the toon as they are part of us, ideally we want them to come and love it like we do……….impossible most of the time. Ginola….went, Robert…..went……….like most others I only hope Cabaye becomes our French Rob Lee…………different class.
Blackie(Quote)
“I have much more dislike towards players who leave for clubs that are no better than us (Carroll, Enrique) or far below us (like captain fantastic)………..
Which “captain fantastic” are we talking about? The one that went to West Ham, or the one that says he wants to go and play for an “inferior” team in Argentina?
For what it’s worth, I don’t buy into that bullshit about San Lorenzo being his boyhood/hometown club. Colo was born in, and spent his boyhood/teenage years in Cordoba. The San Lorenzo club is based in Buenos Aires, which is several hundred miles away. He was already a grown man, and had already played for several other clubs when he played for SL for the first time while on loan from Milan.
There was a decent article in the Journal a year or so ago which describes, among other things, Colo’s early years:
http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2011/12/24/fabricio-coloccini-exclusive-interview-61634-30005719/
Chris G(Quote)
Blackie
February 4, 2013 at 02:24
“Look, its best if you are going to post things that you can actually string a sentence together and spell!!!! embarrassing!!”
Oh are there spelling errors in the article? Oh dear…. 🙄
toonsy(Quote)
go easy on ba he was a fantastic player for us! you guys booing should be ashamed. it is a game at the end of the day, ungrateful pr1cks
SOUNESS DAYS(Quote)
Even keegan got cheered when he managed city. He walked out on us like Ba did!
TERRY(Quote)
Danny Simpson KO’d in Spain…
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4777584/danny-simpson-knocked-out-in-4am-brawl.html
DJG(Quote)
Blackie @ 138: 🙄 When you use exclamation marks you should only use one. And an ellipse has 3 dots, not 300. 🙄
brisvegas(Quote)
It was Manchester not Spain. Looks like Simmos been a silly boy.
DJG(Quote)
@Blackie
I hate it when people like you go on a rant at someone’s spelling mistakes or grammar.
You absolute ******! 😈
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy @137 & 146
I’m agreeing with you so often lately I don’t need to post 😉
Wouldn’t be surprised if the bouncer who knocked Simmo out was a Saffa. Most of the doormen in England are. Probably had it coming too.
He seems a decent enough, but after a couple toots I imagine his cocky mouth could get him into trouble. Mouth cashing cheques his **** can’t cash.
JJ(Quote)
SHARPY17
February 3, 2013 at 23:59
Stu – it’s circumstance that has that black and white shirt on Colos back, not loyalty mate.
If he could have, he would have jumped with Ba in Jan, make no mistake about that mind.
Ba left coz we allowed him to leave. We allowed that stupid buy out clause to be in his contract.
Ba did nothing wrong mate, we knew the Craic and Pardew said it himself in an interview “if we do keep Ba in Jan it will be sorted in the summer. He either signs the contract offered or we move him on”. Where’s the incentive to stay and rescue the team that plan to get rid of you in the summer anyway?!
Colo wasn’t haggling for a move in Jan?!
Aye ok then.
I didn’t say Colo wasn’t wanting a move in January. But Ba was hankering for a move just 6 months after he had arrives at Newcastle as he realised he could get more money. Colo has been here 5 years and wants to go back home for family reasons. Huge difference.
Stuart79(Quote)
I have no problem with Ba leaving, I think we are a better TEAM without him.
He’s a great individual goal scorer though.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the jeering. I’m quite sure if Ba had come back to watch a Toon game in a few years and it was announced at the stadium, he would get a few cheers. But on the the, he was an opposition player and it is the responsibility of the fans to unsettle him.
All part of the fun of the game. You surely don’t expect supporters to all sit in their seats and “golf clap” for every players decent move. Come on!
JJ(Quote)
I see Steven Taylor was named in the team of the week. This after two great displays in a week.
For me, no coincidence that our win record is far far better with Saylor in defence this season.
For me, Mbiwa must earn his place in the team. He is probably a much better defender but that doesn’t mean he is going to be an instant hit in the PL.
Most people were calling Colo a **** defender in his first season.
JJ(Quote)