I think there is very little debate over West Ham last season, there is no way they should have been relegated with the squad at their disposal, and yet they somehow managed to go down without even a whimper. I have always had a soft spot for the club, I think as a Manchester City fan there has been some sort of understanding between the two clubs over the years, therefore I was particularly gutted to see them relegated.
Another team that I’ve always had a liking for is Newcastle, and that is why I am pleased to see that the Tyneside club are close to picking up a player who I believe was one of West Ham’s best and someone that can almost certainly be a big hit in the North East.
The Hammers had some decent strikers at their disposal last season, and really it wasn’t goal scoring that was their problem, it was their fragile defense. After he signed in January, Demba Ba was their main goal threat, and I felt he looked a far better player than the level he was playing at. I genuinely felt he could do a job for City, coming off the bench I thought he could have been a really good option. Clearly however, the 26 year old striker wouldn’t want to be a bit part player at this stage of his career, and that is a further reason why Newcastle is a great fit for him.
There was never really any doubt that Newcastle would survive this season, even after the sacking of Chris Hughton it looked like they definitely had enough to stay in the Premier League. The problem they have faced has been a lack of firepower up front, and should they manage to complete the signing of Demba Ba, beating off competition from Everton, I think he could be the man to help push Newcastle onto the next level.
The striker came to prominence playing in Germany for Hoffenheim where he had an important role in getting the club promoted to the Bundesliga. He stayed for 4 years and notched up 37 goals in 97 league appearances before moving to West Ham this January. In the struggling Hammers side the striker managed to score 7 goals in 12 Premier League games which really isn’t a bad return.
I suppose there are some cautionary notes around any potential deal, Ba has seen 2 transfers fall through in recent years due to failing medicals, moves to both Stoke and Stuttgart didn’t come off and this could be a cause for concern for the Newcastle faithful with their history of injury prone strikers. On the other hand some media reports have suggested that the Senegalese forward would not cost a penny, a clause in his contract supposedly meaning he can leave for nothing if his club were relegated.
If Newcastle can hold onto Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton I believe there will be a solid supply line for Ba, and if they can get Hatem Ben Arfa fit again, and have him marauding down the wing then there could also be good quality crosses coming into the box for Ba to attack with his aerial prowess. Clearly this isn’t merely a replacement for Andy Carroll, he is a different sort of player, he carries more threat in behind than the now Liverpool striker, that shouldn’t however take anything away from the 26 year olds strength which is still quite impressive.
I really believe that Ba could form a good partnership with other Newcastle strikers, although since he won’t cost them anything other than wages, there should still be money left over from the Carroll deal for the Magpies to secure another striker to play alongside their potential new front man.
This is not a done deal yet, and there has been last minute interest today reported from Everton, but now that they are without a manager it seems likely that he will go onto finalise his switch to the North East. He may not be the most glamorous addition, but I think he is a really under rated forward and someone that can definitely become a hero in the North East if he can avoid injury and knuckle down.
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Everton are now without a manager are they, u sure? Load of shite
Agreed. Ba looked excellent for West Ham, and I felt he was one of the most exciting players of the latter half of last season. If he is put in a better squad, and gets better service, he can really do great things for Newcastle next season.
Denba Ba is at St James today, and being shown round the training facillities.
Everton droped out after Ba rejected their offer of £25 per week and a bag of pork scratchings!
‘This is not a done deal yet, and there has been last minute interest today reported from Everton, but now that they are without a manager it seems likely that he will go onto finalise his switch to the North East.’
A real scoop here – Are we the first to know that Moyes has left everton?