The home side will be fresh from their League Cup triumph last weekend whilst United head into the game in good form after a productive January transfer window.
Indeed there is the carrot of a top ten place on offer for Newcastle this afternoon. If results at Sunderland, Stoke and Manchester United go our way and we manage to beat Swansea we could see ourselves sat in the top half of the table overnight. The down side is that such a scenario would require the Mackems to win a game and that is something I never really want, unless it really saves us from something like relegation or other such instances.
The match itself will not be broadcast live here in the UK but it is scheduled for overseas broadcast meaning there should, hopefully anyway, be a stream of the game available somewhere on the internet. As always, if you know of a good stream then please share it with your fellow NUFC fans who are trying to do much the same as you are and watch the game. You can share it be posting the link in the ‘comments’ section below.
The match preview has been up since yesterday and can be viewed by clicking here if you haven’t already had a look or just fancy having a another little run through of stuff you need to know ahead of the match. It features injury news, facts, stats and some random thoughts ahead of the game.
Team news as ever will be added in at the bottom of this article as and when it becomes available. I’ll be updating it today which is good for Big Dave but probably bad for everyone else as it means I’ll be watching the game and we never win when I watch a game. I swear I’m partly responsible for our poor form earlier on in the season!
Howay the lads!
Swansea: Michael Vorm; Angel Rangel, Garry Monk, Ashley Williams, Ben Davies; Leon Britton, Jonathan De Guzman; Nathan Dyer, Wayne Routledge, Pablo Hernandez; Michu
Subs: Gerhard Tremmel, Dwight Tiendalli, Kyle Bartley, Ki Sung-Yueng, Roland Lamah, Itay Shechter, Luke Moore
Newcastle: Rob Elliot; Mathieu Debuchy, Steven Taylor, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Davide Santon; Cheik Tiote, Yohan Cabaye; Jonas Gutierrez, Moussa Sissoko, Yoan Gouffran; Papiss Cisse
Subs: Jak Alnwick, Massadio Haidara, James Perch, Vurnon Anita, Sylvain Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan, Shola Ameobi
them iphones are worse dog you can sit there and argue with them 😆
batty(Quote)
G2 @ 436 – What gets me is that everybody knows Cabaye’s corners are ****. Pards, as you say, was grinding his teeth. But, it’s his job to sort it out and week after week we watch the same thing. I don’t think Pards is big enough to risk huffing his gallic playmaker by instructing someone else to take them. He wants to be friends with his best players, but that doesn’t work. That sort of relationship leaves you hamstrung when you need to make the big calls.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
So where were all the comments knocking Cisse last season when he was scoring the goals? He was a worse overall player last season but got goals – now he offers more for the team but gets less goals. What do people want?
Also – Leon Best scored a lot of goals but was criticised still – so why was he treated differently? Would he have gotten more slack if he cost us £9m?
funkyjesus(Quote)
Ice @ 439 – I’ve the same problem with wor lass on the pc shooting bubbles or something. 🙄 She’s spends hours at it. 😥
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
Funky – Nobody ever knocks a goalscorer who’s scoring goals. 😐
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
FJ@453 ,Exactly mate ,not a word against him last season ,I don’t get all this Cisse hate .He’s got a better goal return then Ba over the last 3 seasons and for me is more a team player too. He is picking up more with each week and makes passes that have led to goals too. He hasn’t turned **** over night , his form will return have faith people.
KIMTOON(Quote)
B&B,
Were you using this and other blogs when Leon Best was scoring regular for us? All I remember is how, despite having a goal ratio of a goal every other game for that half season and setting up the majority of Ba’s goals the next year, he wasn’t “premiership class” whatever the **** that means.
Same as the morons who say Tavernier won’t make a professional footballer. I can understand not thinking he will make it in this division but he has aced League 1 quite easily so morons who say stuff like that do my head in.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Funky – Re: Leon Best – No. 😯
As for Tavs, give the lad a chance, I say.
This is the first time I’ve really criticised Cisse because I like players who want goals for breakfast. I’ve only stated that IMO he’s playing poorly. You’d think I’d farted in St Peter’s Square and blamed the pope the way some people react. I’m saying give someone else a chance; I’m not saying peddle him.
I’d have to disagree with Kim that’s he’s picking up. I recall the assist in the Chelsea game, but can’t recall anything else in recent weeks.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
Funky Jesus I thought it was crazy to part with Best with no apparent plan. I’m not a Cisse hater by any means but I want to see more from him each week. He does look confused at times to me and unsure when someone like Sissoko pushes forward. B&B yes I wonder why we are still using Cabaye for corners until I look at what’s on the pitch for us. There are no other natural corner takers out there. Ben Arfa can be good and so can Raylor but neither has been available. Batty @445 that’s unbelievable about Owen still making so much money. He’s not worth half of what he gets. I’m glad it’s them paying it. 😆 I think part of the disappointment about Cisse this season is the fact that he scored so much last season FJ. The disappointment is only natural after such a brilliant start with us. Only time will tell with him. I just don’t know if he’s our true no. 9 for the future.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Funky – Stan Collymore and Steven Ireland were brilliant at one time. At some point it becomes clear to some sooner than others that they are never going to re-discover that form. Those who support them longer than anyone else say, “have you forgotten about ….?” I’m not saying that Cisse is in that bracket, just that a spell on the bench wouldn’t do him any harm and would do the team a bit of good if the right solution could be found.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
B&B,
I am not singling you out, I criticised Cisse last night. I am commenting more on those who are saying loan him to a Championship side and other comments like that. He has improved as a team player this year but the trade off seems to have been his goals.
It’s the reason I was a fan of getting Danny Graham. We need someone who never leaves the penalty box and poaches. Adam Campbell is that player by all accounts but we never play anyone under the age of 23 by the looks of it.
funkyjesus(Quote)
We’ve worked ourselves into a pickle by playing so poorly this season. I think it would be too much pressure on Campbell to take Cisse’s place. They won’t try it I don’t think. It would be more likely they would put Gouffran up front. It might be possible to play Ben Arfa in behind Gouffran with a 4-4-1-1 away formation. That way we could sit Cisse now and then. I would try it before I would put Campbell in the spotlight too early.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
FJ – So we agree! 😆 I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Pardew’s lack of bottle that’s keeping Campbell out, and not his ability, although I honestly don’t know enough about the kid to comment so I’m not going to press it.
I saw that loan Cisse out to a championship side comment, but I took it to be a bit of humour, given it seems to be our answer to everything at the moment.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
G2 – I reckon you’re right. That’s what they think. However, in another life, the kid, or another like him, might turn out to be a living legend. You never know while you’re not prepared to take a chance, and always play it safe. You only get one crack at life and a very short crack at a football career. Campbell’s career in two or three years time might benefit the club immeasurably by a crack now, even if he has to take a rest later, if or when his form dips. If nothing else, get him on as a sub with 30 left. There’s nothing spoiling.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
All I have to say is Everton weren’t exactly flying and they played Wayne Rooney at 16. Liverpool did the same with both Owen and Fowler.
Not saying Campbell is gonna be like those players of course but sometimes youngsters just take to it. We never give them a chance and when they do play, we hammer them and loan them out like failures.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Well I would say just be careful with Campbell. Pardew must have some feel for whether he could handle it yet or not. If we could advance more than 1 round in a domestic cup he could get experience playing in those competitions. I would definitely give him a chance in a game where we are making subs but only 15 minutes or so at first. He could be a gem as both FJ and B&B say.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I reckon, if the truth be known, Cisse himself would welcome the competition. If he’s got anything about him, he’d rise to it. I don’t want someone in the club who wouldn’t.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
I think you’re far safer introducing a new young un at centre forward than at centre back.
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
Good night mates. Let’s hope for a good week with 2 wins (or at least a draw away at Anzi and a win at home against Stoke).
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I wouldn’t be adverse to restling Cisse if we actually had a striker capable of playing better than him. Because for me, even an out of form Cisse is better than an in form Shola.
So until we get that striker in then we have to support Cisse through this spell.
He is not far off coming right IMO and I still think he’ll end the season in double figures (goal wise).
JJ(Quote)
Blackley & Brownlie says:
“Funky – Nobody ever knocks a goalscorer who’s scoring goals”…….Demba Ba? 😉
richietoon(Quote)
B&B @464 ,Yeah it would be nice to see Campbell get some play and as long as you don’t play too many younguns at once it can pay off . My only concern is Cisse is only just getting used to the middle and not being seen as second fiddle to Ba,I don’t want his confidence rocked again it’s unfair given his exploits for us last season. If he starts really poorly in first say 6 games next season then maybe we should reconsider as he’ll have had a full preseason with our newbies plus this 2nd half season. Until then lets stand by him to rediscover his form fully ,after all even Big Al had a lean spell. 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
I get the impression that Pardew is a very cautious man: perhaps too cautious.
Groucho(Quote)
Richie @ 471 😯 😆 😆 😆
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
@Blackley & Brownlie: Good honest criticism. People here take a critical opinion of the untouchable players as an insult not just of the player but to them too.
I have been an open critic of Pardew, cisse and Cabaye and rather than bring a counter approach they peddle excuses.
What they do not realise is the fact that they are making excuses like his wife is Pregnant or Demba Ba is scoring all the goals and not leaving any for Cisse means they agree with you albeit tacitly.
I have to agree with you. Yesterday was a game that was going to be won by one goal. Cabaye has scored 5 goals this season (not bad considering he had a long spell out) with Sissoko on 3 Very good considering he just arrived. Cisse has 6 and he has not had any prolonged injuries. It is a poor return.
I agree we need to replace Ba’s goals if we are ever to reach the heights of last season. These are the same people who said sell Ba and Cisse will start to bang them in. Not sure how they came to such an irresponsible conclusion. The least they can acknowledge is that they were wrong. But No they will continue to claim it is somehow Ba’s fault even right now while he is at chelsea. We should try Guffran upfront even try to partner him with Shola, Pace and size and see what can come from that option but this persistence with misfiring Cisse stupid.
We need a striker to score at least 15 goals for the season if we have hopes of fighting for the top 6.
michael12(Quote)
Micheal your Cisse vendetta is getting tiresome now mate . Yes lots of us thought Ba and Cisse would be a good combination-why wouldn’t we . Who knew they wouldn’t work together ?, you can’t always predict a great partnership ,what should work often doesn’t. We arn’t makeing excuses for Cisse, just pointing out the fact that a lot of the season he was in a position alien to him ,unlike Ba. Is it really no surprise the lads confidence is shot after being made to play out wide to accomadate a guy who wasn’t hitting a barn door back end of the season last ! . Come on mate how would you feel if you had an outstanding stint in your job only to see you cast aside for someone who was failing in his ?. Strikers thrive on confidence and it takes surprisingly little to rock it ,putting another in his spot will only make matters worse imo .We all need to back him ,he’ll come good again ,it’s not like he’s not scoring at all is it. Also Ba is gone move on ,he has.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Groucho @473 ,I agree he is cautious ,but in a way I can kind of understand it ,he must be scared shitless of relegating us, who wouldn’t be. 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
Right away for an appointment ,back to chat later cya.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Michael @ 475 – I can see you getting shot at again for that one. 😆 😆
I never got into the Ba/Cisse debate other than to say that I thought they could learn to play together and we should persist with both of them, although I didn’t think one or other out wide was the answer.
I’ve always thought Cisse deserved more time, but my patience is now beginning to wear. I’m not talking about chopping off his head, just dropping him to give him some competition and focus. If he’s got what it takes, he really should be confident enough to handle it. The trouble is we may not have a better option.
I appear to be turning into Pardew’s biggest critic on here. I’m not going out of my way to do it, but he just gives me so much ammunition, I can’t help but fire it off in rage and disappointment.
As for Cabaye, I think he’s getting better and better. Many people used to rave about him, but I used to worry about his mobility, especially when we haven’t got the ball. He looks like one of our top men at the moment, and those that were raving about him from the start have been proved right IMO.
Shola should never see the first team again. I perplexed that you think he would be the answer. 😕
Blackley & Brownlie(Quote)
“What they do not realise is the fact that they are making excuses like his wife is Pregnant or Demba Ba is scoring all the goals and not leaving any for Cisse means they agree with you albeit tacitly”
Michael, I don’t think anyone has ever denied Cisse isn’t scoring enough goals, the only defence made for him is that he was screwed around to please Ba at the start of the season. I don’t think there is any doubt what so ever that this had a negative effect on his confidence.
He has been back in the middle now and is clearly not in his best form and deserves a certain amount of criticism. However, he is our only option up front, unless you are a big fan of Shola yourself in which case I’m wasting my time.
He is going through a lean spell but all strikers do.
You’re hero Demba Ba didn’t score a goal in 16 games in the second half of last season. He was pushed wide to accomodate for Cisse and the decision had the same effect on him.
Cabaye may not be world class, but he has made a huge impact since returning. He is a first choice French international and he is apparently being touted by Arsenal and Man United. To say he is average at best is being massively overally critical.
I wouldn’t even say Sissoko is world class yet. Nor Benny. In fact I don’t think you can label any of our players world class yet. But that doesn’t mean they are “average at best” because they aren’t Messi or Ronaldo.
I think what people are getting at is that if you are going to complain and criticize then at least come up with an answer to what you would suggest.
Who should start up front? Who should the manager be?
JJ(Quote)
Also Michael,
I personally don’t think it was Ba’s fault Cisse lost confidence. I blame Pardew. He should have had the balls to drop Ba and sell him in the summer realising that he was only going to cause disruption and play for himself looking for a move.
Its not often I’m critical of a player who scores as many goals as Ba did, but I honestly thought he played selfishly and it was destructive to the team.
He was top scorer in the league and we were floating near the relegation zone.
People (who are clueless about football as a team dynamic) will say “imagine how low down we’d be without Ba’s goals”… Those that realise the importance of team structure and playing for each other will say “How much further up the table would be have been if we hadn’t focused on keeping Ba happy when he had no intention of ever staying with us.”
JJ(Quote)
@Kimtoon if his confidence is shot then you agree with me that his performance as a striker is poor this season. I do not have a vendetta with Cisse. Can we not criticise someone in NUFC without being accused of having vendettas or being a mackam.
It is honest criticism.
michael12(Quote)
Kim you cant have ago at micheal12 like that didnt you know he is the fountain of all knowledge 😆
batty(Quote)
http://www.newcastleunited-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/laudrup__you_dont_need_a_big_squad_for_europa_league_786125/index.shtml
I completely agree with Laudrup here. I love his style of football, his manner of leadership and motivation and his attitude.
Swansea pulled off two massive coups with Michu and Laudrup. I actually think as a team they are far better than us. Even though we have more talented players.
Kind of pushes my Ba arguement and how important a team dynamic is to success. Confidence. Pardew is far too full of excuses for me.
He can milk it when things are going well but when things don’t its everyone’s fault but his own. Like the world conspires against him. Its that attitude which makes me feel he will always be a block to our progress.
JJ(Quote)
I guess Pardew deserves next season to prove he can learn from mistakes. He will no doubt get it…
I just hope he doesn’t lose the ambition of some big names along the way as their patience with us “going somewhere” isn’t going to last if we keep finishing in nowhere land and win nothing.
JJ(Quote)
@JJ: Why should Pardew have dropped Ba? Because Cisse was not scoring. Why drop a goal scoring striker for a struggling striker? Demba ba was with Van Persie up there in the first half of this season the only player scoring goals for us.
Pardew was smart not to drop him even if he was ‘allegedly’ a disruption although I do not know where anyone gets that idea that Ba was a disruption.
michael12(Quote)
Michael,
Pardew dropped Cisse out wide at the very start of the season. Either that or he tried to play the two together which was an even bigger disaster because Ba never passed the ball.
That in itself is enough to detroy confidence.
Ba was preferred in the central role because he’d made it known to Pardew that he wasn’t happy out wide.
He may have been scoring goals but the team was performing terribly as a result of having to accomodate Ba…
It had a bad effect on the team and Pardew himself admitted to this not so long ago. He admitted he was wrong…
JJ(Quote)
If Pardew had any balls as a manager he would have done what was best for the team. Not what was best for the individual.
He changes a system which had taken us to fifth place and tried to play the strangest system in the world simply to make Ba happy.
If Ba was the form striker, he should have then had the balls to drop Cisse completely and rotate the two players so that they both play in the centre.
JJ(Quote)
I think Cisse leads the line better than Ba and he is working hard I have read that Ba was better at holding the ball up. No he wasn’t. It used to bounce off him most of the time. I think that Cisse is an ideal player to link with Gouffran and Sissoko. Anyway, what’s the alternative – Shola? Now there is a player whose goal scoring record is terrible not to mention his overall contribution to the team.
Groucho(Quote)
Didn’t see the match but spoke to someone at work who was, he reckons Elliot looked well dodgy and kicked 4/5 back passes straight out? Anyone else see that?
Newkie(Quote)
Groucho-I would say Ba was better with the ball at his feet, he was better running with it and his passing with back to goal was probably better as well, IMO.
Newkie(Quote)
Groucho,
If only my summarising skills were as good as yours. You gave the legal version of my polical opinion. 😉
Newkie,
Ba was better running with the ball (but he wasn’t good at it), he was definately not better at link up play (his link up play hardly exsisted, it was always turn and shoot). I think Cisse is better at holding it up too, although its hard to call as neither of them are great at it.
I think Cisse works far harder and plays more for the team.
As goal scorers, well, Cisse is out of form, but in general the are equal here too.
The major difference is that Ba never wanted to be here and Cisse does.
JJ(Quote)
Oh, aerially Ba was better than Cisse, but why on Earth we attempt so many long balls to Cisse when its clearly not his strength I’ll never know.
For me, its just the automatic “plan B” for Pard’s because he isn’t good enough to come up with anything else.
JJ(Quote)
JJ-I agree there’s not much between them in those areas and both are average-but I remember having this discussion in November/early Dec and Ba had more passes, more assists, more key passes and a higher passing accuracy than Cisse, I don’t see how that can all be down to form but maybe it was.
Working harder was hard to tell, Ba was obviously told to score goals and did for the most part, whilst Cisse had to work hard because he was providing little else. Role reverse from last year perhaps?
To say Ba didn’t want to be here is a bit suspect-he obviously did when he joined us. The club allowed themselves to be completely outwitted by his agents and he did what any of our current crop of players would do-move to a bigger club, for more money.
Newkie(Quote)
Newkie,
Cisse had never before played out wide on the right. Now imagine showing Cabaye into the left back position.
Do you think his passing and form will be good?
Like I said. I just think it was an insane decision from Pardew.
I have a feeling that if everyone is fit, Cisse will score two against Stoke and we will win comfortably. 😆
JJ(Quote)
JJ-But the stats were consistent even while he was playing up top and while Ba was out on the left, or while both were up top together. I appreciate it was tough for Cisse but at the end of the day, a professional footballer should be able to find a team mate with a pass, regardless of where he is told to play on the pitch.
It was Pards attempt to get the team playing the wondrous 4-3-3 that so many insisted would result in immediate victory for the toon over all opponents, when the truth was our players were playing like **** all over the park, in some instances to do with form and some because they were just simply ****.
He needed Ba up front because he could actually score, but agree that Cisse on the wing was a joke of a decision really.
Newkie(Quote)
Here we go again – a defeat and it’s all doom and gloom, slating of players and pards, we shoulda done this, we shoulda done that… what we should have done was score, our final decision is **** and you can only blame the players for that, Cisse, Sissoko and Gouffran were shooting anywhere but the goal, Cabaye had possibly his worst game and we still completely outplayed what is a very good passing team.
People seem to think we have a god given right to win every game against what we like to think are inferior teams – guess what – they see us as equal or even below them and think they can get 3 points off us as well and therefore are prone to attack us and even score a goal or two
Think we’ll do well next season when we buy a striker to assist Cisse but we need our wingers to be ready to cover for our attacking defenders
I honestly don’t think Pards is the tactical or coaching answer (I include his whole staff in that) but we obviously aren’t going to sack him but he needs to be judged on the last 10 games of the season when we have a squad available – only then can we see what he’s made of
Taylor had a great game yesterday in stark comparison to the game against Southampton when I thought he was our worst player
stevep(Quote)
Newkie,
Stats are misleading. I don’t judge a game on percentages. I judge a game on what I see.
Ba’s stats were outstanding. But game after game I watched him with frustration and anger. Taking pot shots from the half way line.
Debuchy for example has been superb at right back for me since he came in back if you look at his passing stats you’d think he’s had a shocker of a start.
Sometimes stats are useful, but normally they don’t tell the full story.
Again, I put it down to Pardew’s incompetence…
Cisse wasn’t playing well on the right, so why push him to continue there and destroy his confidence. Rather put him on the bench and slowly restore his confidence in his best position.
Also, I agree players were performing badly all over the pitch. Tiote, Cabaye, Colo, Krul, Cisse, Jonas.
We were relying on indivual skills from Ben Arfa and Ba. The problem was that instead of restoring the other players morale and confidence and setting us up as a team with structure. Pardew simply tried to play to those two player’s strengths to the detriment of the rest of the team.
Basically saying, “well the others are out of form” because I can’t find a system that hasn’t been worked out, so screw it, I’ll use the two players who are doing well and try hope for some individual brilliance to pull us through.
He scraps some results/draws and then he loses those two players and we’re screwed.
Basically Pardew didn’t have the skill or motivation to get them to play as a team, so he went setting up the team on the hope of a miracle. One player is injury prone, the other was leaving.
The rest of the team must of felt like they were working towards nothing. Knowing the main man wanted out. The captain wanted out and the manager was clueless.
I’m not surprised the rest of the team didn’t want to play for Pardew. What encouragement did they get, what belief, what ambition?
You don’t get that many players out of form unless the manager/owners are doing something wrong.
You combine those mistakes with **** poor press comments, poor set pieces in attack and defense and complete inactivity in the transfer market.
Cisse was one of a number of players suffering from lack of confidence and motivation. (Ba’s motivation was that he was playing for a sale to a big club). The others players were made non priorities.
Also, those now saying that Cisse is in the middle now and he hasn’t really come right. Well, once the confidence in you has been taken away, it doesn’t just reappear. It takes time and patience.
I think his main problem at the moment is that he is trying too hard to prove himself.
I defend Cisse a lot. But I defend Cabaye too, and TIote, and Santon and Saylor. I just feel certain players get turned on too quickly.
The only players I’m openly critical of are those who have disappointed for long spells (Shola and Jonas)
JJ(Quote)
@JJ: you sound as if you were is the evidence? Where did you here Ba refused to play where Pardew wanted him to play. I hear this being peddled all the time here but yet no one has produced evidence.
michael12(Quote)
on BA he played for BA not the team imo,great when hes banging in a couple,but otherwise 😕
icedog(Quote)
Micheal @482 ,No , I’m not agreeing with you . His confidence is shot because of poor man management in the first instance. Does that make him a poor striker – not in my eyes . He just needs support and backing ,it’s not like he’s not scoring at all . He’s below par goals wise compared to last season but he’s had a crappy start position wise . Also I have never called you a Mackem ,I’d never be that cruel 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
Micheal ,Pards gave a radio interview pre season where when asked where Ba would play he said he’d been in to see him and wanted to be central and scoring goals and that’s where he’ll be 90% of the time. I’m sure someone could find it for you , I can’t be arsed mate tbh ,sorry. It was a radio interview though so straight from the horses mouth no press made up **** like. Recently Pards has said it was a mistake playing Ba up front from the start as it disrupted the team .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Also we did not get to 5th place only from the 2nd half of the season. The whole effort last season. Mind you we achieved 36 points of 65 prior to Cisse arriving. So this idea it was Cisse alone who took us to 5th place is misplaced. Cisse helped achieve 29 while Ba helped achieve 36.
michael12(Quote)
Dead right Kim. He said exactly that.
Had a terrible time with streams on Sat and ended up on the radio. Bit like the result.
georgio(Quote)
@Kimtoon you are agreeing with me that he is poor right now. It does not matter what the mitigating factor is the point you agree with me is that he is poor right now.
michael12(Quote)
Pardew recently admitted that it was a mistake not to offload Ba in the Summer as his presence disrupted the squad.
He played Ba in the centre to try get him to stay but he was never going to…
You don’t get more concrete evidence than straight from the horses mouth mate.
JJ(Quote)
@Kimtoon while you fail to produce evidence. I will provide evidence refuting Ba did not want to play wide.
He is a verbatim quote from the horse’s mouth:
“As a striker, you like to be in the striking position but now the coach has made the decision – he has decided Papiss will be there.
“I do what I have to do to balance the formation for the good of the team. If I can be in the finishing area, I do everything to be there. If I cannot be there, we do the work for Papiss.”
From the following article:
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/314968/Demba-Ba-refuses-to-bleat
michael12(Quote)
We’ll see if Laudrup is still so highly rated this time next year. We’ve seen Mcleish, Miserable Kenny, Juande Ramos, Schteve McClaren and Souness win the league cup in the last decade and i doubt any of them would be considered for a premier league job anymore.
Owen Coyle was the best thing since sliced bread a couple of years back now hes not even good enough for a championship club…
CC(Quote)
Micheal ,I don’t know how many ways I can say It but no I don’t agree with you ,at no point have I said he is poor as he is not imo. Also no one is saying it’s down to Cisse we got 5th place 😯 Where have you dragged that up from? .Our 5th place finish was a result of Ba /Cisse and others goals plus a healthy dose of luck thrown in and other teams being **** and us playing well at times. Tut tut Micheal stop deviating from you’re original point. 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
Micheal ,I GIVE UP MATE YOU DO MY HEAD IN . I know for a fact he (Pards ) gave that interview pre season saying Ba wanted the central slot back ,the fact I can’t be bothered to get a link to it does not mean I have no evidence to back it up .
KIMTOON(Quote)
@JJ: Where is the quote?
Also JJ Pardew is the same man who blamed:
1. intensity
2. Pitch (Rugby is played on it)
3. Europe
4. The youth
5. Injuries.
6. The fans
If he did say Ba then it would not surprise as he clutch to blame everything but just not himself. Are you really surprised he resorted to BA. No its not my fault its Demba Ba who is making the team bollocks and is scoring 13 goals for us in the process.
michael12(Quote)
JJ-I judge games on what I see as well mate, but stats are always handy as evidence. I for one don’t remember seeing Ba shoot from the halfway line, maybe he did once as a lob attempt? You’re implying he did it consistently. He didn’t. He took shots when team mates were better placed in some instances, but again just like all our others players. Pointless going over it as the venom for some fans has just clouded their opinion of him, like how Santon immediately became one of the best full backs in the league and Enrique one of the worst, cause he went to pool.
Newkie(Quote)
Micheal @507 .That interview was before the end of the season april according to your link. It was during preseason that Ba went to see Pards so he obviously changed his tune after that interview. 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
@Kimtoon:
Kimtoom: ” Also no one is saying it’s down to Cisse we got 5th place”
JJ: “He changes a system which had taken us to fifth place and tried to play the strangest system in the world simply to make Ba happy.”
the system we played prior to cisse arriving got us 36 points of the 65.
29 following the new system with Cisse.
michael12(Quote)
@Kimtoon:
Micheal @507 .That interview was before the end of the season april according to your link.
Ba said he was content doing it for the good of the team. Also when a striker is scoring even if it were true which you are yet to bring proof, Ba raked in 13 goals why would even the stupidest manager in the world remove him from that spot especially since Ba was the only thing keeping us afloat and Pardew in a job.
Even after he went we were worse. Conceding goals for fun and failing to score. Only since the new players arrived have performances markedly improved. Prior to the new players arriving and after Ba left can you honestly say we were a better team? I don’t think you can.
michael12(Quote)
Newkie I seen Ba taking pot shots from far out, as that was one of the reasons I said he was greedy, and it was regular.
Big Dave(Quote)
Michael@514-It’s actually a great point you make there, which many people forget.
Newkie(Quote)
Let’s not forget we played chelski in that unimaginative 4-4-2 and wipped them 2-0 with cisse having a blinder and Ba playing gash. Could it be sometimes players just play better or worse on a game to game basis, regardless of formation? Surely not! Tactics tactics tactics! Rabble rabble rabble!
Dave-from the halfway line though? Really? I dont remember it once. Again I already had this convo with you, Santon, Tiote, Cabs, Benny, Cisse all gone for wonder goals-sissoko is seemingly trying it now, is it any wonder the frequency is different for the player expected to score goals? And lets not forget he was full of confidence because-that’s right-he actually scored goals!
Newkie(Quote)
Cisse’s a great striker who’s totally out of form. Have a look at his highlights from Freiburg and last season. Amazing!
Big but – he’s costing us games and points this season. I would have suggested playing Gouffran through the middle when Benny’s back but that miss on Saturday was dreadful.
Still I believe the goals will come and we’ll finish well above 40pts. Somehow.
georgio(Quote)
@ Newkie: People judge not by stats but by what ‘they perceive’ which as we all know is very subjective form one person to another. Stats transcend opinion and favorites.
michael12(Quote)
http://www.barriesview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/goals.png
http://www.barriesview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/shots-per-90-mins.png
Might make for some interesting reading for some.Ba had one of the lowest shots per game ratio, one of the highest goals per game ratio, higher accuracy tha Van Persie and a higher chance conversion than suarez, defoe and rooney…make of it what you will.
Newkie(Quote)
Micheal the Evening Chronicle picked up on the Pards interview but I’m hopeless at posting links try
www,chroniclelive.co.uk/…/pardew-relaxed-over-demba-ba-s-magpie-future.
If as I suspect the link fails just Google Pardew says Ba will be up front 90% and you’ll find plenty of sites showing the quotes from Pards. Anyway hope it’s evidence enough for you . 😉
Micheal ,this season we have witnessed a dissenchanted team and an horrendous injury list to key personel and our no.9 out of posistion all reasons to account for **** performances .Also Dave I must agree ,Ihave seen Ba shoot from a long ways out rather than pass to a player in a better position.
KIMTOON(Quote)
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/…/pardew-relaxed-over-demba-ba-s-magpie-future.
This may work micheal
KIMTOON(Quote)
We had gone right off the boil in the couple of months before Cisse arrived. Our play had become dreadful to watch and most sensible folk were calling out for a change from the 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 we had been playing because we stopped providing goals. We couldn’t cross because we had no one on the wing able to do it. We had been found out by other rams who exploited our weaknesses better.
After Cisse arrived we switched to the 4-3-3 and suddenly started playing much better as a result.
The points tally before or after Cisse arrived doesn’t tell the whole story. But surely you would know that?
Pootle(Quote)
Nope it’s hopeless ,can’t do links 😆
KIMTOON(Quote)