Ba will be quality, he's perfect for us or the Toon. Reckon he'd rahter partner Gyan than Lovenkrands/Ameobi/Best/Kuqi like, that may swing it. He was determined to sign for West Ham mind, pointing to a London preference, so we may both miss out to Fulham.
You may be right, although Pardew has said that he is looking to play Ben Arfa just off the main striker, which could work well with someone like Ba.
How is Ben Arfa doing on his return to fitness? Hopefully it was just a clean break, or was there any ligament damage?
Thing is with that, Ben Arfa is at his best beating his man down the wing and putting crosses in, or out on the right and cutting him inside to shoot. He's a top drawer player, but i personally think if you moved him inside, you'd be wasting his ability to create, as through balls are not his strength. He may score a few 'in the hole' but he'd create stacks from the wings. Just my opinion like, i'll never know why we didn't try and get Ben Arfa, such a talent. Hopefully the injury doesn't knock his pace and confidence, and Liverpool nick him in Jan
Yeah i really wanted us to try and get him when the mag's were sniffing. I loved him and Sess in the french league, never thought we would have a chance with either of them though. Sess and Ben Arfa, big players next season.
You may be right, but I seem to recall HBA playing in that No. 10 role a few times in France. Your Choice................It was a double break and he has taken longer than expected to recover, but from what I have heard he is pretty much OK now but Pardew will not risk him as we are safe. It will be interesting to see if he has lost any pace but hopefully he will return as good as new.
Absolutely mate, the 2 of them in the same tieam and there'd be oppo defenders falling over dizzy! simonbh7, Guess it fits that you are keen on N'Zog if that's how he's looking to use HBA, but that's 2 very similar players in the same side, and potentially your 3 best players (if Enrique stays), being left footed. Might be hard to balance.
If it's just a break then i can't see why he won't still be top class. Cisse has broken his leg twice, and is still like **** off a stick.
Very true, we really need someone to play wide on the right to cover Barton and to give us some pace down that side.
Wish Sunderland fans would stop talking about N'zogbia because he will be off to Liverpool or abroad to Juventus, unfortunately we missed the boat on him after this quality season he has just had. Demba Ba would be a good signing but after our injury woes you would think the last thing Bruce would do is sign someone with a dodgey knee
I would have Demba Ba like, although if he has injury issue they ain't gonna get any better at out place! There's another bing strong lad playing in the Bundesliga called Pappis Demba Cisse, he plays for an unfashionable club but it 2nd highest goal scorer in the league. I would have a look at him too.
Dont want anyone, who is not prepared to humour a fan, who probs pays the wages, But if he has learned from the bad publicity, now thats a different story.
I remember when he was signing he said he basically said it would be on the condition he gets a central role, he sees himself as a playmaker and I think he'd be perfect at linking midfield with attack a la Suarez. OT: I want us to sign Ba, but only on the condition that he passes a medical 100%, chances are if his knee looks like it might give way sooner rather than later - it will. I also want us to sign Shane Long..
I dont agree with a lot of what you say but Shane Long looked a class act last night, sadly I can see bigger fish than us after him.
Don't know that we'd have any chance of signing a player from Reading. Wasn't there bad blood between the clubs in Keane's day? What is the position with players having a medical problem? Does it mean that if a club signs them knowing there is a problem they can't get insurance for them? A few years back it was reported that we were going to sign Robinson (then at WBA) and the deal fell through because of a medical problem and of course he's still playing today.
