Will Demba Ba be the biggest wonder of this transfer window?

Lets face it, we play at our full potential in a 4-3-3 formation.

We all know, and Pardew knows, that this formation works far better with two WINGERS and a central striker.

Ba has done a great job out of position on the LW, but we need a proper LW to make this formation work properly.

Ba is IMO a better all round player than Cisse, but Cisse is definitely the best player up front, the better finisher, the better poacher and the player I'd keep over any other forward player.

Ba is a great bloke, but we can tell he yearns for the role of a goalscorer, and I think he'd get quite a lot of action due to the amount of games we'd play, due to the Europa League campaign and the PL campaign being so close together.

But lets face it, if we had to play 1 striker in to get goals and play in that ST position, we'd everyday pick Cisse.

Ba will be the 2nd choice striker. He'd get games, as we'd not be able to play the same formation and players every game due to the higher amount of games we'll have to endure next season.

I think he loves the city, loves the fans, and loves our club. But I also think he loves being the big striker that gets the goals, and with Cisse here, and our new system, he wont be that here.

Do you think we can convince him to be a part of the team?

He wont be the biggest goal getter, but he could be vital to our campaign next season.

Will the love of our fans, the friends he has here, and the experiences he's had so far, convince him against the potential lure of a big contract elsewhere and the promise of first team football week in, week out?

It's hard to decide. We're in a weird position. I don't think many clubs higher than us would promise him definite first team football in the ST position, but there are clubs lower than us that would and offer him higher wages, and the promise of regular games in that ST position, but would he leave us for a lower club just because they offer more money and more game time in his preferred position?

It's a hard one to judge.

He's one of our best players, but it's hard to judge if he'd fit in to our future plans and style.

 

With all the extra games coming up, we need all the players we can get which includes keeping what we have. Ba will play his part. I fully expect us to sign a striker in the window as well so we should have decent competition up front next season. When we go a goal down, we haven't got much in the way of movement in tactics when we start in a 433. I'm sure pardew knows this as we never once came from a goal down in the league last season to win. Our signings will probably reflect this in that we will be able to change our game plan when we need too.

 

Worth holding on to him as when a big club come in to buy Cisse you will want to be left with something.

 

The thing is, will the amount it would take to get Cisse be offered by the bigger clubs?

******ed clubs like Liverpool wont come around that often to buy our players for ridiculous prices.

To get Cisse it would take around the amount to get Andy Carroll or more, and with that amount of cash, they'd probably be able to get someone better or more useful to their style.

 

Having Sylvain Marveaux back will be like a new signing and he's got it in him to be able to change a game.

 

Absolutely. Hoping his fitness holds up. Looking forward to seeing him play.

 

The ACON element still bugs me

 

Staying in the Premier League he would get more game time in his preferred position at a lower club I agree. The continent offers clubs of similar and higher standings though. Depends what his motivations are.

 

Like to keep him but I understand that he will want to be the main striker. It would be nice to think we can retain both and find systems and games to keep them all happy, but we're not Man U. We and Ba have found ourselves in a tricky unexpected scenario. Cisse has pushed his way to the front with some startling form.

 

Can't see a 'big club', as you put it, acquiring him until at least summer 2013. Would cost over 30m and no1 would pay that when there is ACON again this Jan.

 

I'd suggest Ba will leave, Marveaux will slot in on the left, and you will bring in another striker as back up for Cisse, a younger lad who will be patient for games.

Knowing your scouting set up, you have probably got your eye on some kid in the French 11th division, aged 16, for 12p, who is better than Jean-Pierre Papin in his prime already.

****ers...

 

Just hope we get a good run of games around that time, though that said there will be no games in Europe.

 

Not many big clubs on the continent pay the sort of fees you'd need to for Cisse. So you're just left with those in this country. Would he really fancy City or Man U, bench warming? Maybe in time but he looks like a lad who enjoys playing to me. Chelsea maybe. Arsenal wouldn't pay the cash. After that I'm not sure Spurs could afford that kind of fee. After those 5 clubs I don't really see him jumping ship sideways or downover.

I'm not sure any of the big 5 would commit 30m when he has only completed half a season. A very good half a season but he needs to back it up.

 

The mackems?

 

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Just think, it might have been............................