Having allowed skipper Kevin Nolan to nestle back under the wing of Sam Allardyce at Upton Park, Newcastle had to act quickly to stem the tide of negativity that had swept through the St James’ faithful. The signing of striker Demba Ba for an undisclosed fee on Friday will surely have helped matters.
Captured on a three-year deal, Ba arrives on Tyneside having made a significant impression in West Ham’s colours. With 7 goals in 12 appearances, Ba proved one to be an inspired signing for Avram Grant, but even his displays could not save the Hammers from the drop, or indeed Grant from dismissal.
The Senegalese striker will take on no less responsibility at Newcastle. While the likes of Leon Best and Shola Ameobi attempted to fill the void left by Andy Carroll’s departure to Liverpool, Alan Pardew quickly identified that he required further acquisitions up front.
Ba may well be one of several strikers to arrive at the club, but he has already demonstrated that he has the ability establish himself at the top level in England and make a Magpies starting role his own. Indeed, Ba wasted no time in expressing his intentions on his arrival at St James’ Park…
“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 here that atmosphere for myself.”
The Statistics
Ba was not a newcomer to English football when he arrived at West Ham. Having been on Watford’s books, he was allowed to leave in 2005, at which point he returned to France to play his trade. He forged a short career in French football with both Rouen and Mouscron between 2005-07 – spells that were to produce a staggering goalscoring record of 30 goals in 38 appearances. Had it not been for an eight-month absence through injury in 2006, after fracturing both his tibia and fibula, his early career would have surely flourished further.
Ba had done enough to attract further interest however. A move to Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga followed in 2007 for a fee of 3 million euros. A tally of 37 goals in 97 appearances in Germany continued to demonstrate Ba’s credentials and with the Premier League stage beckoning, Ba turned his attentions back to England.
A move to West Ham was originally muted before the striker travelled to have talks with Stoke City in January this year. Ba failed a medical at the Britannia, scuppering the move and providing further evidence that Ba’s injury record was a factor. West Ham decided to take the gamble however; later that month Ba signed a three-year deal.
While Ba’s spell in London was successful in terms of goals, doubts over his fitness were clearly a concern. Grant continually rotated his strikers, keeping Ba out of the firing line in Cup matches, preserving him for the quest for precious league points. He started 10 matches in the Premier League – a fact that makes his goal haul of 7 that more impressive.
Further analysis of Ba’s Opta data tells us more of his potential. Our members can delve into last season’s performance data in full but the key stat is perhaps Ba’s average goal attempts per game which, at 2.9, is up their with some of the very best strikers in the league. Indeed, with 1.6 efforts per game on target, only Robin Van Persie and Luis Suarez can better Ba’s figures. Significantly, Ba surpasses Andy Carroll in these areas then – the Geordie recording 2.8 shots per game, with 1.3 on target.
The Prospects
Newcastle fans will surely be optimistic that Ba can step in a do a job. There’s little doubt that, when he’s out on the pitch, Ba provides ample threat to opponents and, as Alan Pardew stressed in Friday’s press statement, he has all the ability to establish himself in English football…
“Demba made a great impression with West Ham last season and is a great signing for this club. He has pace, excellent technical ability, 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 there will be bigger signings this summer in the striker positions, Ba already looks a strong option as a low-to-mid price consideration. His valuation of 5.0 in the Fantasy Premier League Game may not be carried through into next term, but we should expect Ba to be available around 6.0 mark. That could represent good value if he can stay clear of injury and Newcastle can quickly gel their new acquisitions to produce a side capable of improving on last season’s finish.
Further Reference
Demba Ba Wikipedia
Hoffenheim goal compilation
West Ham goal compilation
