Will Demba Ba be a good signing for Newcastle? (Poll)

Posted on June 17th, 2011 | 38 Comments |

Demba Ba signs for Newcastle.
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Newcastle United have announced on their official website that a deal has finally been struck for ex West Ham player, Demba Ba, in what is thought to be a three year deal.

This would take the player to 29, which seems to be a new ‘magic number’ when it comes to Newcastle player’s and their contracts.

On his signing, Newcastle United manager, Alan Pardew said:

“Demba made a great impression with West Ham last season and is a great signing for the club. He has pace, excellent technical abilty, is good in the air, and, it goes without saying, has the ability to consistently find the back of the net. Moreover he has a great passion to play for Newcastle United.”

While this may be true, there is also the issue of his medical history with a degenerative knee problem which has seen him failing at least one medical in the past, at Stoke City. It is to be hoped that something has been stipulated in his contract regarding this issue should things go a little ‘pear shaped’ in that department.

Meanwhile, speaking in his own interview on joining the club, Ba himself said:

“Everything has been sorted out and now I’m happy because I can start to focus on playing and scoring goals for Newcastle.

“This is a great club and a very good team, so to sign here was an easy choice to make.

“I have spoken to Hatem (Ben Arfa) about the club and he told me how happy he is here and how big Newcastle are, so I’m really happy and I can’t wait to start playing.

“I know alot of famous strikers have played here before and I will do my best to win games for the club.

“When I step on the pitch, all I want to do is win games, and I think the Premier League is a good league for me.

“I will keep on working hard. I’ve heard that the atmosphere here is great and I can’t wait to score some goals in front of our fans and hear the atmosphere for myself”.

So, with all of the above in mind, do YOU think that Ba will be a good signing for Newcastle United or not? Please leave your comments and/or answer our poll below.

Finally, Welcome aboard Demba!

Poll.

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1092 articles on this blog.

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Posted on by workyticket in category: Alan Pardew and Demba Ba and Interviews and Transfers and Workyticket
Comment on this post

38 Responses

  1. A good buy……but also a FREE buy.

    If this transfer window ends , and NUFC have spent the £35 million Andy Carroll money, I will be amazed.

    I reckon most of the big earners will be shipped out, and replaced with cheap foreign imports on lower wages.
    Hope I’m wrong, but I have a horrible feeling about this.

  3. SimonP says:
    June 17, 2011 at 8:31 pm

    “A good buy……but also a FREE buy.

    If this transfer window ends , and NUFC have spent the £35 million Andy Carroll money, I will be amazed.”

    Simon, There has been talk of a £2 million signing on fee, and as for the £35 million, the club later explained that this will include the money paid out on contract extensions to existing players such as Tiote’s 6 year deal, in which case much of it will have been swallowed up already!

  4. He is big ,strong ,quick and good in the air and has technical ability o yeah nearly forgot he can score too .Its a no brainer we got him on a bosman . AS for his so called knee problem ,well he failed a medical at stoke but past one for West Ham and they paid a fee for him and now he has passed one to join us too . Just how bad can it be?

  5. Revenue from season tickets, tv money, shirt sales, sponsorship etc should ideally be used to pay for player wages/contracts, if the money from transfers isn’t reinvested into the team it will simply repay MA’s loans to the club which I suppose is fair enough providing when we are debt free he plows all spare cash into the team!

  8. Sorry about the stories not showing up on ‘Newsnow’ today. This is a temporary problem which is now being rectified.

    Good to see you on here again Stuart. ;-)

  9. Gotta be a good signing for the goals to games ratio, as long as hes joined by a couple more strikers and a couple of defenders for cover/replacement of enrique.
    We are letting players leave and not replacing, looking like a cost reducing strategy prior to club sale to me………I wait to be proved wrong though!!HWTL

  10. Are there more than 4 players on the NUFC senior squad that have not had major leg, ankle or foot surgery?

  11. I wish the lad the best of luck at the club and hope he goes on to prove his doubters wrong (as I’m sure his doubters do too). I do have concerns regarding Pardew’s earlier statement that there was an “issue with his medical” and that there was still some “Big hurdles to cross”, just before it was announced we had signed Ba. What was that all about and why the alarmist tone? Is it some kind of get out jail card so that if Ba’s knee problems see him out of action Pardew can point to his earlier statement and say I told you there was an issue?

  12. glimps we have so far sold1 midfielder and brought in a midfielder and a striker ,how can you say we are letting players leave without replacing ?

  13. We’ve not spent a penny yet.

    I’m expecting at least another four players through the door. Left back, striker, right winger and attacking midfielder.

  15. well thats weird, cos I never posted that @14. Can anyone just use a name thats already in use?

  17. Free is almost always worth the risk. The problem with Ba is his injury record.

    @scott (15): WordPress only checks emails iirc, you can have as many different “scotts” as desired. I think there’s a module floating about to prevent same nicknames though.

  18. Ok Thump. Just a bit confusing when I’m seeing stuff I’ve never posted with my name on it that I’ve been using for a couple of weeks.

    In that case, could the other scott who has posted @14 and 16 change your name please? Even if its just scott2 or something, just to avoid confusion.

    Thanks.

    Thump, we’ve heard about this knee thing now, but is Bas ininjury record really that bad? He managed over 100 games in his 3 years at Hoffenheim. That’s not bad going surely? Doesn’t look like his knee has played him up too much so far *fingers crossed*

  19. i for one am very happy to have him sign, although i think he was a bit fortunate with some of his finishing for the hammers and he does have a rather high shot to convert ratio, he doesnt half excite me :D can wait to see him in action and with a little luck he will do really well

    TTBaWA

  20. Since Hoffenheim it’s hardly been great. His legs will go on him young and he’ll end up like Geremi I reckon. Pardew already stated there was problems with his medical so that doesn’t bode well imo

  22. Anyone see Jose’s comment on twitter last night?? It was along the lines of “wherever my career takes me Newcastle will always be in my heart, thanks.” it was posted in Spanish but translated it, doesn’t sound good does it lads???

  23. @ John, yes. There was also a comment about Nolan leaving. Translated it comes out as -“Losing Kevin is a tremendous loss to this club, I now ask is finding what direction will this club”. I’m guessing he’s asking what direction the club is going in. Sounds to me as if that’s the straw that broke the camels back and has pushed Bull into leaving us.

  24. Jose doesn’t need to make ANY decisions…the ball’s in his court…the clubs will be queueing up for him in the summer toget him on the cheap, they may be not the clubs he’d hope for though…

  25. That’s a fake jose account danny simpson already said. And he deleted his accoount ages because he said on twitter and pardew told got annoyed and told him to get rid

  28. it’s hard for it to be bad business considering it is a free and you’d think MA of all owners would insist an injury clause where the contract is terminated or significantly reduced if an impartial doctor concluded his dodgy knee had gone. and as long as he’s playing, he’s probably on around £50/wk which is perfectly worth it even if he doesn’t keep up his WH rate and ‘only’ bangs in 12-13 goals a season. there are quite a number of premier attacking players making £70-120+/wk who are hardly doing the same.

  29. I would doubt if ManU, Arsenal, Liverpool, ManC or any of the ambitious teams would buy a player with a known progressive injury. Perhaps he will turn out to be a good gamble, but it is still just that.
    Also does the 25 man squad limit still apply, that could be a factor that should be considered.
    This signing does not fill me with confidence for the coming season, we have had more than our fair share of sick-notes on the books.

    I was just off to bed but felt the need to add a bit of negativity to the excitement of this signing before doing so. :)

  30. I think he is a decent buy and on three years we have nothing to lose. No doubt he will have a bonus or two related to appearances, goals scored etc.

    I wish I wish I wish we could spend the 7 mill? needed to get Niko Krancjar in. He is a great right winger and is only 26. a 4 year contract and the chance to fill that slot once and for all. Figueroa and Zogbia for 15 mill combined from Wigan would give us a solid left hand side. We might be able to do a swap with them for Lovenkrands, Ranger, Ameobi, Smith or Best to reduce the price.

  31. We could even play the Zog on the right cutting in on his left foot. Wigan did that a lot with him this season and it looked like it really suited him! Alos we’ve been linked with Barnetta who can play either wing.

    Even the big boys sign sick notes as well Grumpy @29, they just gave Michael Owen a new deal! :S Madness I tells ya!

  32. I think he will be a terriffic buy and score a lot of goals who doesnt get injured in football everybody does thats why they call it a contact sport. He looked pretty fit to me at whu so think hell be great addition,and we have gained in loosing nolan so not that bothered.

    got to good midfielders and a striker with good scoring record in the toughest league so bring on you arsenal.

  34. Ba will bring the goals! All these players who don’t want to play for this great club need to stopmaking excuses. The facts are we are no longer able to pay them £50k a week when they are passed it at 29 and 30. We need to balance the books, we can’t keep spending money we don’t have. Mike Ashley is a good business man and without him there would be no Newcastle United there might have been a Newcastle 2010 ltd. The facts are if they no longer want to play for this club stop looking for excuses and just leave!!!

  35. I am a West Ham fan and I can tell you that you have got yourself a Gem in Ba. He scored one in two playing out of position in a struggling Hammers team under the worse Manager we have ever had. If Pards plays him in position, basically in the middle as the main striker, he will bang in plenty of goals for you I can guarantee that!

    Oh yeah one other thing… thanks for Nolan!! ;o)

    COYI

  36. Pete hammers – sounds like a fair swap – Nolan should be exactly what you need and I hope he does well for you. Mixed feelings about him going – a great leader and canny finisher – but not worth more than a 2-year contract at the moment for us. Would rather have seen Wolves or Wigan go down than you lot! Hope Ba provides the strength and finishing we’ve been lacking.

  37. Most of the media have been saying the 3 year contract is worth 4 million so by calculations that about 25-30 grand a week. Thats not bad. Apparently he wanted a signing on fee.

    TBH he’s looks better that all the other strikers we have.
    Good look to him

  38. How grumpy,
    manusa took on owen & hargreaves to name 2 mate, hardly shining eg’s of fitness, hey?

    :)