Guest BooBoo Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 If we're getting him then I won't be complaining unless he's our marquee striker signing. He'll do as a second striker but I'd want someone better for the number 9 role/ shirt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 If we're getting him then I won't be complaining unless he's our marquee striker signing. He'll do as a second striker but I'd want someone better for the number 9 role/ shirt. That's one of the reasons I'm pretty happy with this signing. Top quality strikers are hard to find, and the Gameiro failure shows just how difficult it is to beat the rest of the pack to close a deal. How many alternatives have been proposed since that deal fell through? Ba is a good insurance policy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 People are hard to please. Between them Best and Ba scored 13 goals in 21 starts (2 sub appearances each) last season. One in his first few months in England, playing in a stinking team and one in a pretty average team with Shola/Lovenkrands for a partner, usually. Both have done enough to prove themselves worthy of more chances to impress, and I'd be interested to see how they would do in a creative line-up. You could argue that getting Ba just puts us back to where we were when Carroll was here: i.e. still in need of another quality striker (preferably with pace) to take the burden off him a little bit, but in fairness that was before Best had shown he was capable of scoring goals - and doing well in general play - at this level. Ideal world we do still bring in someone smaller whose game is about getting in behind to replace Lovenkrands as our option for that, but this could be somebody who primarily plays wider and moves into the middle when necessary (Gervinho-esque). As such, Ba could actually be the number 9 signing, and if we are mainly going to be playing with one central striker I'm not sure we can turn our noses up at that being the case, provided he is surrounded by real quality (N'Zogbia/Gervinho type players to add to Ben Arfa, Tiote, Cabaye, etc.) As I said earlier, it's all well and good if our "marquee" striker doesn't cost anything - as long as he's good enough to fill those boots and as long as the funds are put into other areas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Jury's still very much out on Best in the top flight imo, I wouldn't feel happy with him any higher than "third choice". Don't think the question is Ba's quality Rich, but his knees. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Aye, I see where people are coming from with that, but it amuses me that people think Ba will be coming here to be second choice. I just don't see it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theregulars Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Gosling, HBA & now Ba, club doesn't really care about injuries when signing players. Ireland too. Was HBA injury prone? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geordie jamie Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I would be happy Ba being 2nd choice and a new first choice signing, best can be 3rd choice Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 I would be happy Ba being 2nd choice and a new first choice signing, best can be 3rd choice Case in point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sicko2ndbest Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 A strike force of ?? Ba Best Shola Loven Would do me this season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ishmael Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 £35m for Carroll plus a proven EPL goalscorer as replacement. Outstanding. If it wasn't for the injury issue I'd be dancing on the moon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnes23 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 If we stick to 4-4-2 next season we could potentially have a new 'number 9' striker with Ba/Best competing for the other spot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Logic Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 There's certainly something of the gambler in a lot of Ashley's decisions, I'm assuming he rubber-stamps pretty much everything that happens. Ba will be an improvement over anything we've currently got, and by a considerable margin imo. But without another striker coming in we are throwing the dice every time he plays. A bad injury (any injury to his knee) and his career is over probably, leaving us in a similar position to post-Carroll. Gamble all you like but have options to fall back on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sifu Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 A strike force of ?? Ba Best Shola Loven Would do me this season That'll do for me too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theregulars Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 A strike force of ?? Ba Best Shola Loven Would do me this season Still a bit light in my opinion - although this could change on evidence of HBA playing up front/scoring regularly. I like the nippy frontman, especially if Cabaye lives up to his reputation of threading delicious through balls. I like Lovenkrands but just don't think he's quite good enough, although with better service he may improve, think he's got the much-touted "football brain" for his position. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Aye, I see where people are coming from with that, but it amuses me that people think Ba will be coming here to be second choice. I just don't see it. Well if we play with two strikers, he won't be. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sicko2ndbest Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 A strike force of ?? Ba Best Shola Loven Would do me this season Still a bit light in my opinion - although this could change on evidence of HBA playing up front/scoring regularly. I like the nippy frontman, especially if Cabaye lives up to his reputation of threading delicious through balls. I like Lovenkrands but just don't think he's quite good enough, although with better service he may improve, think he's got the much-touted "football brain" for his position. 2 strikers in that are better than last seasons is a good summers work Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theregulars Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 A strike force of ?? Ba Best Shola Loven Sorry man I missed your ?? meaning another new striker. I completely agree. I was too distracted by your magnificent profile picture. Your post was spot on. Would do me this season Still a bit light in my opinion - although this could change on evidence of HBA playing up front/scoring regularly. I like the nippy frontman, especially if Cabaye lives up to his reputation of threading delicious through balls. I like Lovenkrands but just don't think he's quite good enough, although with better service he may improve, think he's got the much-touted "football brain" for his position. 2 strikers in that are better than last seasons is a good summers work Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theregulars Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Re above: I can't work computers. My response is in the middle of your original point. I shall now go back to the corner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Ben Arfa will be back and according to Pardew will be playing in "a number 10 role" so if Ba does sign we will technically have two forwards we didn't have last season. I still think we definitely need Ba +1 up front signed though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Aye, I see where people are coming from with that, but it amuses me that people think Ba will be coming here to be second choice. I just don't see it. Well if we play with two strikers, he won't be. Aye, I know, I know, but people are actually stating "I'd be happy with him as second choice". My point about a 4-4-2 (which I can't see us playing much if our big players somehow stay fit/the mooted transfers come off) was that Ba could still be the "number nine" signing, with any other potential striker we sign being the foil for him (small, quick, etc.) Or that the second striker is a Gervinho type, who is capable of playing that role but tends to play wider as a first choice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hobshobs Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 If this is true not exactly delighted but if it means I never have to see Lovenkrands and Ameobi 'perform' again it will make my whole match day experience far more pleasant. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ishmael Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Brownie9NUFC Not sure bout Demba Ba like, looks a bit Ameobi-ish to me lol nothing we haven't already get we need an out n out goalscorer #NUFC Casual ignorant twitter racism. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Brownie9NUFC Not sure bout Demba Ba like, looks a bit Ameobi-ish to me lol nothing we haven't already get we need an out n out goalscorer #NUFC Casual ignorant twitter racism. Especially when his goal ration is one every 1.91 games. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 The fact that this has come direct from Llambias to a journalist makes me wonder if he's on the wind-up, given Dekka's opinion on journalists generally. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Brownie9NUFC Not sure bout Demba Ba like, looks a bit Ameobi-ish to me lol nothing we haven't already get we need an out n out goalscorer #NUFC Casual ignorant twitter racism. Languid black striker = Shola 2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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