Interesting article on Ba

...well I thought it was. Here's what he said in The Mirror today (the newspaper. Not what he said to himself whilst shaving)


Demba Ba had a smile on his face despite completing a day of physical challenges and blood tests yesterday at Newcastle’s revamped training ground.

He had met his new team-mates – “Some cool dudes” - for the first time and in front of him lay the challenge of coming back from relegation with West Ham, the need to score goals for 52,000 demanding Geordies at a club constantly under scrutiny, and the chore of still having to field questions about his knee trouble.

A bit of apprehension? Not from Ba, who was about give an explanation of the trials (literally) he’s gone through, which mean fretting about football - especially now he’s at one of the best supported teams in the Premier League - is not part of his psyche.

In his late teens, Ba traipsed around club after club - from Watford, to Barnsley, Swansea, Lyon and Auxerre - and was rejected by them all.


French fourth division side FC Rouen finally took a gamble on him and he repaid them with 22 goals in 26 games.

Then it was off to Belgian side Mouscron before his big break came when German club Hoffenheim forked out £1.5million for him.

The Paris-born 6ft 3in striker said: “My best quality is that, mentally, I am very strong. If you are a good, strong player, you can thrive on pressure and expectation and rise to the challenge.

"Football is all about having fun. I will always be happy on a football pitch.

“When I was young and looking for a club, I went to Watford for a couple of months and I learned a hell of a lot. I hoped to get a contract, but it didn’t work out. I was upset but I didn’t want to give up. I had always wanted to play in English football.

“I went to Swansea and Barnsley looking again. I did my best. I tried to make those clubs take me but it didn’t work out, and after a few months I had to go back to France.

"I never gave up.

“It helps that I have had to work hard to get where I am now, at this great club. I have had setbacks. Everything happens in life for a reason, good and bad.

“It has worked out well for me to think I was turned down by Swansea and Barnsley and now I am playing for a club as big as Newcastle!”

Then came the most recent problem, a failed medical at Stoke in January, before he moved to West Ham from Hoffenheim.

Senegalese star Ba has a simple message to Newcastle fans worried about his fitness.

“Stoke was not a good club for me! I do not have any regrets about that," he said. "A week later, I had signed for West Ham.

“People will talk about my knee all my life. I will prove there is no problem by playing well and scoring goals. Let them talk.

"I am fit and healthy. They will only stop asking about it if they see me playing and scoring goals.

"Look at the stats from West Ham last season. I will let my football do the talking.”

Ba has apologised to West Ham fans for being part of their relegation from January last season, although he did bis bit with seven goals in 10 League starts.

He said of his Hammers woes: “What went wrong at West Ham? Good question. I am still puzzled by it.

"It was a good club, a good team but it went down. It is still difficult to accept, because we had some good players.

“Mystifying.

"For example, I scored two goals first half in a game against Wigan and I remember thinking we had made a massive leap towards safety. We seemed to be in a good way. We came back in at full-time and we had lost the game.

“It is a big regret for me. I still feel sorry for the fans and the club, and the players.”

Boss Alan Pardew was impressed and amused by the passion Ba showed for wanting to come to Newcastle.

The striker told his new boss, using industrial language, how hard he was ready to work for success during a recent phone call.

He is clearly a character, and one who will help spark a dressing room that has lost Kevin Nolan, and seen several French-speaking players added.

“I will help the new French players, but I will not be a translator for them," said Ba. "They have to learn English for themselves! They already speak basic English and will learn fast.

“Since I was young, I was only excited watching English football. It has always been better for me to watch two mid-table English teams playing, than the best sides in Italy of Spain. It was always exciting.

"Germany helped me a lot as well. At Hoffenheim, we played a quick tempo where we pressed hard.

“I knew Newcastle were interested towards the end of last season but I didn’t pay attention because I was in trouble with West Ham.

"When I came back from holiday I asked my brother what is the best offer. He said, 'Newcastle United' and that was it, I had made up my mind.

“I don’t set targets, but top 10 would be good. We would like us to do better what we did last season.”

 

Sounds like a top lad. I hope he gets a goal against the Mackems to take away some of the early pressure.

 

Come's across really well and wants to let his football do the talking. Im anticipating a great season from Ba, could become a hero and at the right age that none of the "bigger" clubs would want to snatch him away!!!

 

Wise choice of words there.

 

I'd love to see one even earlier on the 13th

 

Seems pretty down to earth.

 

He's came across very well in the few interviews ive seen and read. From all the talking (backed up by his goals per game ratio throughout hiscareer to be fair) he seems like a hard worker, hopefully he can continue his form for us.

Sounds the type of player we need up front, if we're gonna have a lot of pacey, creative, attacking midfielders then someone who works their bollocks off up front and knows where the net is will be fantastic.

 

This article has got me far more excited about him playing for us. I'd never read any interviews with him before this, and I have to say he sounds like exactly the sort of striker we need. Passionate, hungry for goals, and genuinely seems to want to do his best for the club. All of that is good, and I also think he has the quality to back those words up.
I'd far rather see someone like him upfront than somone (if the rumours are true about him wanting to stay at PSG) like Erdinc, who has undoubtedly has talent, but probably doesn't have the passion or desire to work week in week out for the club. I know that's purely speculative, but I'd hate to see us sign another striker who thinks the club is beneath him.
Here's hoping he doesn't go the same way as so many other exciting players we've signed and put himself out for the season within playing about 5 games for the club.