Doubled-up Ba handles Newcastle expectations

TWO stories have dominated Newcastle United's season so far, and both have concerned contracts.

The first was put to bed last week when Alan Pardew signed an eight-year deal that silences any questions over his future. The second, however, remains unresolved. Yet the way Demba Ba is playing, you wonder if the Newcastle hierarchy would like to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Smarting over his employers' refusal to double his wages in order to tie him down to a new long-term deal, Ba is single-handedly keeping the Magpies afloat as they continue to search unsuccessfully for the form that propelled them into a top-five position last season.

The Senegalese striker has scored six of his club's eight Premier League goals this season, an even better return that last term when he claimed 13 of the first 22.

Saturday's double at Reading made it five in the last three matches and was a repeat of the brace that also secured Newcastle a 2-2 draw at Everton.

His first was spectacular, a ferocious first-time volley that flew past Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy from the edge of the area, his second was suspect, with Ba converting Shane Ferguson's 83rd-minute cross with his arm after missing his attempted header, but the combined effect of the two strikes was further confirmation of Ba's current importance to his side's efforts. He might be unhappy with the club's refusal to budge on their contract offer, he might still be smarting from last season's reshuffle that forced him to the wing. But he tops the Premier League goalscoring charts and is playing as well as any striker in the league. Long may his unhappiness continue.

“It's really important for the team to have a player like Demba in the form that he is in,” said Jonas Gutierrez, who captained Newcastle at the Madejski Stadium in the absence of the injured Fabricio Coloccini. “You always need players who can score, and Demba is scoring lots of goals at the moment.

“The first goal was unbelievable. It was a great pass from Cheik (Tiote) and an absolutely brilliant finish. If you see that goal, you know the confidence that is running through Demba right now.

“He is working very hard for the team, and that is very important as well. He's working hard all the time, and when you do that, the opportunities will come. I think we are a team that will always create chances, and thankfully he is putting a lot of them away.”

Ba scored with his only two efforts of the game, and his fine form has been particularly important given the ongoing struggles that continue to afflict Papiss Cisse.

It was hoped Wednesday's captivating cameo at Old Trafford would have sparked a resurgence in Cisse, but he returned to a doleful mood at Reading and never looked like making an impact.

The same could be said of Hatem Ben Arfa, who was marked so tightly he failed to fashion an opening, and with Gutierrez, Tiote and the impressive Gael Bigirimana primarily concentrating on their defensive duties, Ba was Newcastle's sole attacking threat. Thankfully, he was more than up to the task.

“As a defender, it's great to look down the other end of the pitch and see Demba doing the kind of things he's been doing recently,” said Mike Williamson. “We know we've got that in the squad and it's a massive boost to all of us.

“We've got six or seven players who can all step up and change the game for us, and at the moment, it's Demba who's stepping to the fore. It's fantastic when we're scrapping and battling at one end of the pitch, and then Demba steps up and takes a lot of the pressure off us.”

Williamson had barely been troubled when he was playing alongside Steven Taylor, but Newcastle's defensive security disappeared when Taylor was forced off with a calf injury shortly after the interval.

James Perch was forced inside to centre-half, but had barely even made it into his new position when Jimmy Kebe twisted inside him to give Reading the lead.

Ba's venomous volley meant Newcastle were behind for less than a minute, but the Royals reclaimed their advantage with the third goal of a hectic four-minute spell when Noel Hunt stole ahead of the Magpies backline to head home Jobi McAnuff's left-wing cross.

Reading looked in control at that stage, but Newcastle claimed a controversial second equaliser when Ba scored with his arm. The offence was difficult to detect on first viewing, but replays clearly showed the striker had committed a foul.

“Fergie (Ferguson) crossed it. I tried to head it and unfortunately my hand was in the way,” said Ba. “It goes in, and the referee said it was a goal. What can I say? It was not on purpose.”

Lazio striker Miroslav Klose made the referee disallow a goal when he scored with his arm against Napoli earlier this month, so should Ba be castigated for not doing similar on Saturday? One imagines there would have been a furious reaction from his team-mates, manager and supporters had he put sportsmanship above success.

The goal ultimately secured Newcastle a point, although they had to survive two late scares with Steve Harper saving superbly from Jason Roberts and McAnuff hitting the post with a 20-yard drive in stoppage time.

“We can't keep relying on our spirit and a bit of quality to get us these points,” said Pardew. “We've got to find a way of getting some rhythm in our play.”