In fact I think it’s even fair to say that what I just wrote is a bit of an understatement.
Don’t get me wrong, I was one of the people who looked at his record and knew he would score goals for us, but even I didn’t expect him to score as many as he has done or become as important to the team as he has been already this season.
Naturally when a player hits the kind of form that Demba Ba was in before his trip to Africa, clubs will start to take notice. I’m on about real big hitters here that play in the Champions League. This appears to be the case with Ba, although old Harry Redknapp had a helping hand in intensifying the speculation with his public revelation of a clause in Ba’s contract.
Whilst a lot of that has died down since Demba revealed that he had no intention of leaving Newcastle in the January transfer window, I’ve started to wonder if his commitment to Newcastle United is as long term as fans would like. I’m getting the feeling that Ba himself is eyeing a summer move but I sincerely hope that I’m wrong on that score.
You see on one hand Ba does seem to enjoy it here. He is scoring goals in a team that is in the higher reaches of the league with the possibility of pushing for Europe over the final 16 games of the season. We’ve also just spent an awful lot of cash bringing his international team-mate and good friend Papiss Demba Cisse to the club, so there are definite reasons for him to stay.
On the other hand there are Ba’s overtures about Paris Saint-Germain and his admission that he would love to play for his boyhood club, who now have the finances to make an offer that Newcastle probably won’t refuse. There is also that talk from Philippe Auclair who claims that he knows Ba’s advisers well and insists there is some kind of “specific plan” in place regarding his future. Then there are Ba’s own words to consider. Quick to quash rumours of a January departure, the same can’t be said for any hint of commitment beyond the summer. Pretty much everything Ba has said has involved not going beyond the summer, which is a concern.
Now I’ve kind of gone past all of this badge kissing, chest beating, tubthumping talk. I don’t buy it anymore and I’d be suspicious if Ba turned round and said all is well and he loves it here etc etc. Basically along the same lines as what Andy Carroll said. Because of him pretty much everything that a footballer says these days is sprinkled with liberal helpings of salt as I listen to it.
Of course we all know what happened with Andy Carroll so perhaps Ba is just trying to avoid backing himself into some kind of corner? Maybe he is boxing clever by being non-committal on his future and is basically neither confirming nor denying any intention? Maybe I’m just being a bit of a fanny and worrying about nothing?
I just can’t help but feel we are a stepping stone for him, unless we can get him to sign a new deal now that he has proved his worth to the team. The problem with that is you then have to consider his knees which by all accounts could go at any moment. Mind you, they’ve been fine so far and a knee or anything could go at any time with any player I guess so…
What do you think?
[poll id=”61″]
Hope not genuinely think he will stay especially as his mate is with us too…..
Just to repeat from other thread;
Balls if cwarr says something it aint happening!
Right troy im up to date.
I think we have all though tiote rumours have been sniffing around for too long.
I believe toonsy has heard the same too. SMoke and fire and all that
Mark you need an avatar! Fenwicks window
Liam Southern Toon(Quote)
I’d guess we’re a stepping stone for most, if not all our players so Ba won’t be any different I’m afraid 😕
richietoon(Quote)
Liam, if you apply the “smoke and fire” thing to football then we’ll be signing 832.6 players befor the window shuts 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Richie trouble is its been smoking for a while 😕
However not aslong as poor barnetta in the Jesmond hotel 😆
Liam Southern Toon(Quote)
Liam…it was also smoking last summer too, quality players will always be linked with the bigger clubs. He may stay or go but owt on here is just rumours that people have heard or read, sometimes they’ll be true, more often than not they won’t. If people had completely reliable sources they’d be right 100% of the time….and would have known about Cisse coming in 😉
richietoon(Quote)
He stays.
Too much being read into player quotes. That’s all this site seems to do recently, link our own players with moves away (not articles as such, but postings yes) with no concrete evidence or decently credible links. We signed him on a decent contract considering his knee issue which I think will get improved upon at the end of the season when we release a load of **** players. We are pushing for top 6, have just signed his mate too and has said nothing other than he is happy.
It’s actually getting depressing coming on here recently, pretty much all of January has been constant talk about player loss, even when we signed Cisse! That excitement lasted what about 2 days? Then straight back to who we would lose to pay for him, it couldn’t possibly be just a good addition to the squad in preparation for a European push could it? 🙄
EvilFranky(Quote)
@EvilFranky
well said dude
mark(Quote)
I get the point about the careful wording around “this window”, but that’s about all. Other evidence points the other way.
So much comes down to our final league position this term. If we’re in Europe, that’s one less reason to jump ship. We’re a step ahead of where we thought we’d be, which means there are fewer and fewer clubs to step on to.
Also, Ba has shown what a very decent bloke he is, so hopefully that will come into play too. He should recognise the importance of having himself and his family settled into a stable, positive environment. Moving to London or Manchester is always going to compromise that hugely and raise a big risk of “doing a Carroll”.
I think he’ll stay.
Whumpie(Quote)
Summer?
He’s back tonight and may be gone tomorrow!!
Who ******* knows?
Paul(Quote)
If Ba continues to keep up his scoring record then we’ll have real trouble hanging onto him, new contract or not. He’s been amazing and the difference between us in top six and us much lower down.
georgio(Quote)
It’s life, get on with it.
Premandup(Quote)
I’d go further – he’d improve any team in the epl.
georgio(Quote)
Amen to that, EvilFranky.
Look at Newsnow right now – and see how much worse the headline on this page makes things look. I know we have to discuss these things now and then, but with 30-odd hours left in the window, it’s hardly productive, is it?
We should focus on potential comings-in and upcoming matches, not help those toe-rags of the press to sell more horse-****.
Whumpie(Quote)
To be honest i dont think he will leave,why would 1 of his mates sign up for us if he was going to go in the summer,just think its his agent angling for a better pay deal
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
Can’t believe you’s are discussing Ba to possibly leave in the Summer.
We’ve got 2 days of the January window to go. Surely this window is more relevant and discussing potential incomings and outgoings is more interesting. 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
the AfCON’s done one good thing for us: Sounds like Ba and Cisse were both well off their best, so hopefully it’ll calm the interest a bit.
Every cloud and all that.
Whumpie(Quote)
But if liverpool came in with a swap deal for carrol and some dosh for him i would defo think about it
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
I’ll say no so that I can be pleasantly surprised if he does stay….if he leaves i’ll take 25 mil plus gamiero swap, fine with me like 😉
Newkie(Quote)
Troy: stop making so much sense, man. I’ll start to think yer account’s been hacked! 😆
Whumpie(Quote)
Toonarmyelite – never mate carroll dont want him back 👿
Liam Southern Toon(Quote)
Not much we can do if we have a clause in his contract.
Adios, Demba.
Stuart79(Quote)
If he does go then you can’t blame the board, he insisted on any clause, who knew he would turn out so good. And as long as he is replaced and cisse is firing then we still are in a good position. He may go, he may sign a new contract or his knee could explode during preseason… But right now we have two Dembas and that’s all that matters.
One Foot Wonder(Quote)
If we are lucky he wont leave tomoz ,but defo gone in summer cisse and i think 1 none african will be brought in 😉
batty(Quote)
Think its great we have games on the tues night scuppers any moves hopefully 😀
Liam Southern Toon(Quote)
****** Ba. Where’s this fking defender?! 👿
Rodzilla(Quote)
Rod rent spent 😆
batty(Quote)
Rod – That’s a more relevant topic for an article than Ba leaving in the summer, and should be of greater concern also. The board have about 30 hours or so to get a desperately needed CB in place otherwise kiss goodbye to aspirations of top 6 and Europa League.
EvilFranky(Quote)
Just to remind everyone how good our scouting system is…mariappa…no one heard of the fella and then goes and plays a blinder against spuds….Good ole carr and co 😀
Liam Southern Toon(Quote)
The whole defender thing has been done a lot though. Look at it from a publishing perspective. We’ve had three “must buy a defender” articles in three days 😕
toonsy(Quote)
We want 4, we want 4
richietoon(Quote)
Why is he going in the summer? The PSG thing was a question of which french club he would want to play for if he had to choose, nowhere did he say was going or has intentions of going. On contrary I think he is looking forward to linking up with Cisse on club level and I for one is excited and not one bit worried. Dont read too much into press-**** and agents and what not saying they know this and that – cuss 98% of the time it is bull or quotes being used in the wrong context to make a story.
AlanPardewProject(Quote)
Bats and Frank, we can only hope the board are working overtime on sealing an incoming deal of some sort. It’s been common knowledge for all since well before 2012, that we were on the hunt for a versatile defender. Chubby’s “when are we bringing in a centre-half” quote that came from Pardew has been ringing in my ears ever since.
It has been very quiet for us on the speculation front lately. I hope we’ve got someone lined up, even if it’s just temporary cover until we can land our big target in the summer.
I don’t think we’ll have any last minute departures. Hope I’m right there.
Rodzilla(Quote)
Fair point Toonsy.
EvilFranky(Quote)
I, like most on here, want only the best for Newcastle United. Unfortunately this is not only football it is a business. And just like in any other business there is one over riding factor – MONEY. When Carroll left I was disappointed. That’s all. Only a year before I had watched a struggling Carroll appear for us away against Doncaster in the Championship. He had allegedly just broken Steven Taylor’s jaw and played with his hands bandaged. He had a court case hanging over his head for ‘glassing’ someone in a pub and I was all for getting rid of this idiot. What made my decision easier was that he wasn’t even that good. It wasn’t a Rooney or Tevez (or Suarez) type decision, where fans notorious will forgive almost anything because the player is too good to lose. At that point in time he wasn’t even a regular in our Championship side. I would have taken £1m for him and we would have been lucky to get it. Move ahead an incredible 12 months for both him and to a lesser extent NUFC. We sat in the final few days of the transfer window and me and my brother were contemplating a testing offer of £10m+ for our local hero. For the club to be offered £35m and the player himself to double or treble his wages was staggering. Talk about an offer too good to turn down!!! – for all concerned. What we need to remember is that many parties benefit from such an opportunity. Namely the club who may invest (or pocket) a massive transfer fee, the player who lands himself a wage he could have only dreamed about 12 months earlier and of course agents, who grease both ends of the deal for their own ends. Remember Carrolls agent was in dispute with him and Carroll was trying to replace him with another agent (coincidently the same agency as that of a Mr. Kevin Nolan who also whispered in Big Andy’s ear that he would be joining a fantastic club. Wasn’t he already at one who you captained???). The only people to lose on such a deal are of course the team and the long suffering fans. All I wanted at the time was honesty (and a replacement or 2 with the money). For me the disgrace of it all was Carroll’s insistence that he was forced out. If he had just said that the wages on offer, for a young man with a dodgy police record and only 12 months (6 Premier and 6 Championship) of anything like quality form, were too good to turn down. Many of us would have made the same financial decision. In a career, where you are always potentially one bad injury away from your final contract, it makes good commercial sense to make sure you are sat on the biggest and longest one possible if and when the worst happens. How much is the current Andy Carroll worth? were the previous 12 months a blip and is he now back to normal? For the naive, poorly educated young football star, he has the ‘advice’ of the self serving agent and sometimes (if you ask an impressionable Peter Crouch) the current manager, who unbelivably seek to gain financially from the sale of one of his best players. Players will always make good or bad choices based on greed. We benefit from those types of deal when we purchase from abroad or from ‘smaller’ clubs. Ba and Cabaye had clauses (and probably still do) in their contracts allowing them to move for less than market value. We can’t be surprised when players leave. If I was playing with a knee which may implode at any minute, I too may make sure I am sitting on the biggest, longest contract I can get for when it happens. My agent definetly will. Only a club such as PSG or Man City, The Russians, The Chinese or maybe Chelsea can afford to put Demba on a huge wage for 5 or 6 years. It is a massive risk for any ‘normal’ club to make. Maybe Newcastle will be the club to take such a risk and we’ll increase his wage and length or contract to deter the circling vultures. Or maybe not. I hope Harry takes him and he breaks down in pre season training, never to play again and poor Harry will be sitting crying in his prison cell, comforted by his 22 stone, gay, Arsenal supporting cellmate!!! Who’s the Daddy now!!!
knocky(Quote)
I may squeeze another one in though 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Richie 😆
…dunno if I’m looking forward to tomorrow night or not. 😕
Rodzilla(Quote)
Rodz…why, are you going to that “****** bar” you mentioned@25? 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Rod – Yep as much as I was over the moon with Cisse and couldn’t have enough praise for the parties involved in bringing that to fruition…if they don’t get a decent CB in on at least a loan until the summer, then signing Cisse will have been a waste of time and money because we will leak goals for the remainder of the season, probably loose Colo for the odd game as he picks up knocks and be reliant on Perch and Willo. It will be next to impossible to get top 6 if this is the scenario we end up facing.
Samba is 28 and has a good 4 years in him, we could have him for 3 of those and sell him at 31 for someone younger, while adding strength and experience NOW.
EvilFranky(Quote)
One thing none of us know is, who is signing and who is leaving until the last minute.
We can hang onto speculation, twitter, tabloids, so called club insider knowledge or simply made up stories to whet the appetite or destroy the mind.
One thing we do know, even without having to speculate fully is, we will always lose players and good players as well as average ones at that but we will always buy players and quality ones plus some that turn into average.
Now this is the way football is and always has been and it’s who replaces what they lose better than the rest is the key to how we progress as a club.
What we do know is, we have fared exceptionally well when you pit incomings against outgoings.
So, the question is, will Ba leave in the summer?
My answer is simply this…I don’t know for certain but if he does, he does and I’m not going to worry myself about it as a lot can happen between now and the summer.
To move forward and challenge, you keep your better players and add to them with similar quality, we all know that but as Man Utd know, if you are clever enough scouting wise and observation wise, you can still lose a Ronaldo and soldier on fighting the same cause you were with him in the side.
That’s football folks. 😀
wolfie(Quote)
Richie, it was meant to say ‘Burger Bar’, it’s dinner time and I’m hungry. 😉
Yeah Frankie, Cisse came in as a very nice unexpected bonus for me, but a little puzzling given the location of the gaping holes in our squad.
Having said that, it’d probably taken a year to sort that deal out; although we’ve needed a defender since well before we’ve needed a striker. I’ve been banging on about it for that long now I’m starting to **** myself off.
Rodzilla(Quote)
We could have deals waiting right now for players but won;t show our hand until we know it’s impossible for a club to come in and scupper the deal.
It’s simply a wait and see scenario but stay positive as it’s good for the mind and good for the digestion. 😀
wolfie(Quote)
Have you and Stuart kissed and made up yet Wolfie?
Rodzilla(Quote)
@wolfie
I think it’s fair to say we all know, bar you, that we spend £25m. 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
ROD, I never fell out with STUART mate, I still **** over him and daydream about him. Don’t tell no one like. 😆
Seriously though, I don’t have a problem with him or anyone, I just state my case and he states his and we both just don’t agree lol
wolfie(Quote)
TROY, the window isn’t closed yet mate. 😀
wolfie(Quote)
He’ll go but hopefully for more than the supposed 7moll release clause.
Rorycn(Quote)
They said they wanted a striker. They said they didn’t.
They said they want a centre back. They sign a striker.
They don’t look like they will get a centre back but they have the striker.
The regime at work is a hoot to watch. 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Is this release clause genuine or speculation?
wolfie(Quote)
TROY I’d rather us wash our linen in a concealed wash room than watch it swirl about in a public laundrette for all to see the ginger stains on the wifes knickers , if you get my meaning. 😀
wolfie(Quote)
@whumpie
You are going to look a right chump. 😳 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
haha, I thought you’d keep it clean 😉
It tickled me when you both started calling each other ‘thicko’ and ‘stupid’.
Stuart’s always been one for having a pop at the shall we say, ‘overly-optimistic’ blog types.
Gona be an interesting evening tomorrow anyway. I’m sure the last story will hit 1000.
Rodzilla(Quote)
I think it all depends on the clause which nobody really knows the details of.
If it is only in place if we don’t make top ten, then sure he will be off, if it isn’t triggered and someone offers silly money, then sure he will be off.
But I don’t think its possible to even speculate. None of us have any idea.
Personally, I think if we manage 7th, and that is good enough for a Europa place, he will have no reason to go anywhere. There are excellent players out there in Europe that are affordable to Champions League Clubs that are far less risky for them.
JJ(Quote)
ROD, if we don’t spend at least 20 million I will let STUART ravish my bottom with his pork sword and various implements of his choice and he can cuff me to a bed whilst doing it, whislt shouting, “WHAT’S MY NAME *****, SAY IT *****, WHAT’S MY NAME” 😆
wolfie(Quote)
The thing is, I can’t see Newcastle accepting a clause in his contract knowing that he was worth about 7 million anyway, even though he was on a free.
I can however, see the club accepting a get out clause in the event of being relegated.
wolfie(Quote)
Wolfie we don’t have much time left to spend that £15-17 mill and bring in the other 3 players 😉
On topic I don’t think we are in Ba’s longterm plans, I think he has made it clear that he won’t leave this window and he will try to help us achieve what we want this season.
After that I think the plans are to move.
As for the rest of this window I cant wait till some ***** closes it as I hate all the ***** that floats about linking us to every player in the world
Big Dave(Quote)
Off topic but are those mental mackems really going to give Kevin Davies his final big pay day? 34 year old
EvilFranky(Quote)
BIGDAVE, have faith, the window isn’t shut and deals could be in the making.
My Grandad was trapped behind enemy lines during the war as he was an elite parachuterer thingy majig.
He jumped at night and landed right in the middle of a field surrounded by Germans.
He carefully reeled in his chute and laid on it in the dense undergrowth but no German saw him.
All of a sudden he heard German voices getting closer until they were right upon him but they still couldn’t see him due to the great camouflage he was wearing and the fact that he tucked his chute under his body.
Mt Grandad had faith that he would go undetected but he made a mistake…
He farted and a soldier heard it and so he was captured and thrown into a German prison camp, where he became known as Farty M’cnabbed.
He still kept that faith that he would escape and get out alive and it kept him going .He and his fellow POW’S dug 3 tunnels named, PAP, FART and POO.
The PAP tunnel collapsed and the FART tunnel was found by a German Shepherd sniffer dog but my Grandad escaped with many others by going through POO.
He went it alone after the escape, figuring that he wouldn;t have hangers on to thwart him but was caught a few days later when he stole a Vespa from a german soldier and tried to jump a barbed wire fence.
He said, although he was caught, he always had faith and it kept him going.
To this day he hasn’t a clue how the hell he got a Vespa seeing as they weren’t made then.
The moral of the story is…..the window isn’t closed, so have faith 😆
wolfie(Quote)
Davies suits O’Neil’s playing style though. In fairness he is better than Heskey but that is like saying one ******** is better than the other.
A real wow signing if it happens 😆
As in wow, thats funny
toonsy(Quote)
😆 😆 😆
EvilFranky(Quote)
Wolfie I don’t have much faith for Liars and untrustworthy people, they tend to treat you like **** and make a fuking mug outta ye.
Big Dave(Quote)
Sorry, my chump post was meant for Wolfie not whumpie . 😳 what a chump. 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
BIGDAVE, my Grandad wasn’t a liar mate, ok he obviously made the vespa bit up as he probably felt shan about saying he stole a VW putt putt with a sidecar. 😆
Seriously though, Which lies stick in your throat about this regime?
wolfie(Quote)
@wolfie
To be fair . You’ve redeemed yourself with your grandads story! 😆
Is it a true story. 😛
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Toonsy meant to ask if you’s found out the sex of the cub ?
Big Dave(Quote)
TROY, that’s what my Grandad told me one night when I was sat on his knee with a cup of Ovaltine and a Worthers original.
He was part of a selection of commando’s that were first onto the beach in Normandy and their job was to deflect the attentions of the Germans onto them to allow the other landing craft to come in and get all the soldiers onto the beaches undetected.
He was picked as part of a troop known as the well hung marauders and their job was to run off the landing craft with their nobs and balls hanging out all wearing Ann Summers of their time **** rings.
His reasoning behind it was that the Germans upon seeing these well hung Commando’s would immediately look down at their own dicks and GO COMPARE which naturally made them look down and not see the other soldiers amassing up the beach.
Clever tactics when you think about it. 😆
wolfie(Quote)
@Wolfie cracking story m8 about you grandad, those Germans were trained for years to hear a fart from 2 mile away, he didnt stand a chance.
mark(Quote)
Wolfie, fair play to you for following the tradition, your countless courageous poo-tunnel explorations would do your grandad proud. 😆
Rodzilla(Quote)
the 3rd battalion on the other hand spent two years perfecting their farts, but first they had to shave their hoops so when they guffed it sounded like a mating call from a Frosch, a german field frog. this totally bamboozled the Germans, apparently won the war for us.
mark(Quote)
Aye MARK, my Grandad mentioned about that. He said they had special squads of FARTERLAND troops that could sniff an eggy fart from distance, even between shell bursts and gunpowder smoke.
He said the lads at Bletchley park tried to decipher the codes on how they were managing to sniff us out but couldn’t decode it in time.
This is where the invention of charcoal underpants came from and eventually charcoal soles.
I remember me Grandad saying to me ( before both his hips shattered) that he was the guinea pig that had to walk into a French restaurant full of German officers and he was dressed as a French waiter, wearing these new special charcoal pants and it was a do or die job.
H e was told to eat 6 eggs and a tin of mushy peas, plus an onion and build up a stinking fart, then as soon as he was ready to release the fart, he would go over to a table full of German officers with a tray of drinks and let out a slow , keep it silent fart.
It worked for a few minutes as they didn’t suspect anything but Grandad made a fatal error and let out a bubble fart which opened up a little gap in his undies and traveled down his leg and bounced off his Dr Marten long boots with red laces in and he was caught.
To this day he can’t remember how he came to be wearing Dr Marten long boots with red laces in, all he knows was that he could stand in a puddle of leaking German tank diesel without harming the soles. 😯
wolfie(Quote)
Wolfie all their lies stick in my throat, I just have no time for liars or people with no moral values.
Big Dave(Quote)
ROD and MARK. 😆 😆 😆 😆
wolfie(Quote)
@wolfie lol he should of wore riders m8, the ones with the elastic, a bit more leeway m8, ah well lesson learned 🙂
mark(Quote)
@Big Dave
will you still be an angry, unforgiving, miserable sod if the window closes and nobody has left? 😆
mark(Quote)
BIGDAVE, well if you are stringent in your views, then I respect that, I just think all business people tell lies and all will lie to gain the upper hand.
Actually, the world would cease to exist if it existed solely on truth. Or sould I say, the world would cease to exist normally if it relied on truth because then all of us would tell everyone who pissed us off just what we thought of them lol
Santa wouldn’t exist, bedtime fairy stories would be a thing of the past and kids with eyes like this 😯 would roam the planet.
No wives would ever go out shopping because we would have to be truthful and tell them that yes they do actually have a big fat **** and saggy tits.
You would have to tell granny and grandad that although you genuinely do love them, it has to be said that they actually do reek of frigging **** and bad as well.
It doesn;t bear thinking about does it. I think a few lies are better to be honest. 😆
wolfie(Quote)
MARK I’ll tell him that but he;s liable to just stare at me as if I’m not there.
Mind that could be due to the fact that he’s lost his mind like. 😆
wolfie(Quote)