I Wish I Was A Geordie - The Blog of Newcastle United in the US

Yet Another Ba Alarm, Likely Premature

NUFC fans on Twitter are going off the reins at this morning's fresh round of rumors that Demba Ba is about to be packaged off from Newcastle, this time to Chelsea. Anything is possible, given a suitor desperate enough to meet Ba's reported wage and agent-bonus demands atop the infamous £7.5 million release. But as former "sports journalists" we offer the following as today's chill pill: 

- The rumors have no independent sources, which means they're likely originating with Ba himself and/or his legions of agents.

- The Chronicle says "Ba has now told some of his teammates he wants to make the move to London." In the realm of shocks, this is barely static electricity.

- Sky lists no particular source at all, either named or characterized, using the dreaded passive-tense "Chelsea are understood" that's a specialty of the rumor-churning English press.

- The Telegraph's story appears to be based on conjecture about the ease and logic of the deal, while giving money figures of £70K in weekly wage and £2 million in agent fees that are low-ball compared to what's been reported elsewhere.

- None of the stories say negotiations have begun. Much less a medical.

- And these are the more reliable media when it comes to transfers.

So while Ba could be headed to Chelsea or another money-to-burn club in January, the idea of a move being imminent, based solely on today's reports, is almost laughably premature. We stand by our recent piece on the Demba Ba "transfer dance." Substitute "Chelsea" for "Arsenal."

What Timing: Lille Paper Reports Debuchy Agreement

With Christmas having snowed 11 goals onto a seemingly lost Newcastle United defense, the Lille newspaper La Voix du Nord (Voice of the North) is reporting today that Newcastle and Lille have agreed in principle on a €6 million (£4.9 million) transfer to England for Lille right back and French international Mathieu Debuchy. While the article says the deal isn't finished - incentives are still being worked out - this detailed local report takes the Debuchy deal out of a lengthy rumor stage and onto the doorstep of reality.

It's been a somewhat disappointing year for Debuchy, with the player "not recovering his smile or his best form" since the failed transfer of last summer, according to the report. The article says Debuchy intended to finish the season at Lille despite his removal from the five-player "Council of Elders" that helps manager Rudi Garcia run the club, plus the recent falling out between club management and goalkeeper Mickael Landreau, which resulted in the French international backstop signing a six-month contract with Corsican club Bastia just before Christmas. "But the wing back saw the situation accelerate suddenly: Newcastle needs reinforcements, having yielded 11 goals in two matches against Manchester United and Arsenal, and Lille needs cash," the paper reports.

I've seen Lille and Debuchy several times this season, being one of the lucky few American soccer fans whose satellite pulls in the new beIN Sport USA network run by Al Jazeera that has snagged US television rights to Ligue 1 matches. From what I've been able to sample, Debuchy isn't quite the player I'd pick to cure the defensive ills Newcastle has suffered recently - he seems prone to exactly the sort of who-just-ran-past-me? lapse that's become an epidemic across the Toon back line. Debuchy's skills on the ball are what set him apart from most backs, and the Newcastle defense is already bookended by one such player in Davide Santon.

But given the utter collapse at the back almost any new blood is likely to be an upgrade, and the change of scenery could help Debuchy recover his form, especially on a club as French-flavored as Newcastle. With the resilience Newcastle's attack showed despite the poor results at Man U and Arsenal, and compatriots Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye due back before long, the additional adrenaline-injection of Debuchy at the back could make it a wild second-half ride for the Mags and their fans. 

The Arrogance Of Alex Ferguson

There's no denying the success that Sir Alex Ferguson has had at Manchester United. In an era where managers are seemingly discarded at will, where even the big clubs have long strings of poor results, he's survived - and won - over and over again. You would think that after spending over two decades as the preeminent manager in the world's biggest league, Ferguson would be able to comport himself with more dignity. But you'd be wrong.

In case you missed it, Ferguson berated the officials at halftime of Wednesday's match, furious that the Jonny Evans own goal was - rightly, in my view - allowed to stand. In his post-match comments, Alan Pardew noted the "pressure" faced by referee Mike Dean, and suggested that either Dean or the FA should have taken action, which is not unusual when a managerial rant goes over the top. Ferguson responded by calling Pardew "the worst for haranguing referees" and referred to himself as "the manager of the most famous club in the world. I'm not at Newcastle, a wee club in the North East." 

The "he did it too" and "my dad is bigger than your dad" defenses are what you'd expect from a five-year-old, not a man in his 70s who has won virtually every trophy on offer in his sport. They're also the sort of comments one makes when he knows he's virtually immune from punishment, as the FA's refusal to even consider any sanctions has shown. It's pure, unadulterated arrogance, and doesn't reflect at all well on the man or the club employing him. 

In my non-soccer life, I've seen the other side of this coin. The Duke Blue Devils basketball team is essentially the Manchester United of college basketball in the States. It's virtually a national holiday whenever Duke loses, and there may not be a more hated coach in the country than Duke's boss, Mike Krzyzewski. He's also not averse to letting referees know what he thinks of their decisions. But as far as I can remember, I've never seen "Coach K" let that heat-of-the-moment frustration with a referee's call boil over into belittling opposing teams or coaches. It's a shame that the Premier League's top manager fails to share the same philosophy.

Sir Alex, your managerial record proves that you're a winner. Would it kill you to behave like one?

Boxing Day Disappointment, But We're Still Celebrating

Last week, I planned to write a post wondering how much patience fans would have with Alan Pardew after a daunting set of holiday matches. If Newcastle continued to round into form, but found itself in the relegation zone come January 3rd, would the manager be given time to continue his burgeoning uptempo 4-3-3 project?

That seems like a moot point now. Though Newcastle once again came up empty-handed against Manchester United at Old Trafford, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more encouraging defeat from an attacking perspective, which has been the club's biggest flaw all season long. Even in the driving rain, spongy turf, and daunting history of the "Theater of Dreams," Pardew sent his players out to win yesterday. As ESPN's Steve McManaman put it, if Newcastle keeps this intensity up the remainder of the season, there will be absolutely no problems with relegation.

From a statistical point of view, there was very little to differentiate this match from many others we'd seen this year. Newcastle was outpossessed 61-39 and even with the home side on chances. But watch the match, and you can see how the midfield pressure unnerved a veteran set of Man U players. Sure, James Perch would not have scored had it not been for an error from David De Gea, but how often would you have found a Newcastle midfielder in that position earlier in the year?

Though Hatem Ben Arfa was missing from the lineup, the three forwards still swapped positions to attack from unpredictable angles. Papiss Cissé was nominally the right winger yesterday, yet his presence in the center of the box was responsible for the second and third goals. (Incidentally, this is exactly the sort of movement which could render the whole center forward discussion unnecessary.)

And with Demba Ba's future at the club more uncertain than ever, it was fantastic to see Cissé attack Gabriel Obertan's pass with confidence for his goal. Just like Ba earlier in the season, who responded with a flourish after being benched by Pardew, Cissé continued to work hard despite being unsatisfied with an early substitution on Saturday, and demonstrated why he should keep his place in the team. You can fault Pardew for many of his decisions, but he's shown time and again that he can motivate his players, even by doing things that fans initially disagree with.

Obviously, the club still sits in a precarious position in the table, with a Saturday visit to rested Arsenal and midweek match against Everton looming over the next week. But unlike the relegation-bound squad of 2008-09, this year's team has lately proven to be hard-working, confident, and far too skilled to find itself in the bottom three come May. The stage is set for a strong start to 2013.

If you're in the New York area on Saturday, come join me and the lads and lasses of Toon Army NYC at Legends! What better way to ring in 2013 than by outcheering some glory-hungry Arsenal fans?

A Tale Of Christmas, Islam And Newcastle, United

In 1984, a group of musicians, most from Britain, came together under the banner Band Aid to record the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in an effort to aid famine-stricken Ethiopia. It would stand for 13 years as the biggest-selling hit in UK history, and is still second on the all-time list (behind Elton John's "Candle In The Wind 1997" tribute to Princess Diana). The song raised a staggering $18 million for relief from a disaster that would ultimately cause more than a million deaths in East Africa.

As with any popular phenomenon, over time cynics would descend on Band Aid and its catchy, uncomplicated original hit. In a 2004 editorial entitled "Do They Know It's Simplistic?" marking the song's 20th-anniversary reissue to aid survivors of the Darfur genocide, Time magazine pointed out not only that "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was more apt for Christian Ethiopia than Muslim Sudan, but also that the song "reinforces the popular impression that all Africans are starving as they wait for heroic Westerners to come and save them."

A couple of years later, an American songwriter and entrepreneur named Tim Jahnigen was watching a documentary about the Darfur genocide in which surviving children coped by playing soccer with balls made from garbage and string. Seeing how soccer boosted the children's health and will amid the devastation, aid organizations had tried distributing real soccer balls to the children, but the balls ripped and punctured quickly in the rocky environment. Jahnigen was moved, and set to work trying to design a soccer ball that would last for children in harsh conditions. He eventually hit on PopFoam, a material similar to the hard foam used in durable Crocs sandals. But he lacked the funds to figure out how to shape the materials into an un-deflate-able sphere.

Enter a man known as Sting: a friend of Jahnigen, an original member of Band Aid, a native of Newcastle and a Magpie-loving soccer fan. Sting put up the $300,000 necessary to develop what is now the incredible One World Futbol, a puncture-resistant ball that never needs a pump and even reinflates itself when crushed. The ball has since brought joy to thousands of children in developing and troubled regions, without imposing a stereotype of helplessness upon the recipients or Western/Christian imperialism on the givers.

We heard about the One World Futbol Project here at the blog as Christmas was approaching, and immediately began thinking about a way to use our cyber-platform to help get these futuristic footballs to children who needed them. Around that same time, a Newcastle-based nonprofit funded by Papiss Cissé called Friends of Sédhiou tweeted at us asking for help in spreading the word about their mission to aid Cissé's impoverished home region of Sédhiou in Senegal (pictured above). Thus was born Score For Sédhiou, a joint effort between Cissé, Friends of Sédhiou, One World Futbol Project and us that allows our readers to give the gift of soccer to children who will cherish it, and get one of these amazing footballs for yourself as well if you like. If you'd like to help, just click this link or the Score For Sédhiou badge at upper left.

The children of Sédhiou aren't celebrating Christmas today; they are Muslim, as is Cissé. But according to an eye-opening guide to the region published by CESIE, an Italian aid organization working there, Sédhiou's Islam is not the fundamentalist, Christian-hating stereotype perpetuated too widely in America. It is "a tolerant, moderate Islam - very open to other religions and interreligious discourse. You can lose yourself in hours of discussion about the question of where we are coming from and where we are heading to in life, to conclude that human beings must keep on searching."

In the spirit of that search, and of peace and joy to all in every faith and country, we wish all our readers and friends in Newcastle, across the US and around the globe, a merry and giving Christmas.

Is Newcastle's Front Line A Failure?

Newcastle may have given itself a Christmas gift on Saturday, but not many fans felt like celebrating. A 1-0 win against an almost embarrassingly poor QPR, with away trips to Old Trafford and the Emirates Stadium still to come this week, means that the club's position in the table is far from secure. And while the general play has been far better than it was earlier in the season, the new-look front three has still been a bit blunt.

That's why it was still 0-0 an hour into Saturday's match, when Alan Pardew pulled the trigger on Papiss Cissé, earning a frosty reception from the crowd at St. James' Park, and from Cissé himself. Now that Pardew's critics can't hurl the "longball" criticism at the manager anymore, they have settled for his mismanagement of the Ba/Cissé situation. In short, they claim, playing Ba at the center of a front three helps Ba at the expense of the rest of the team. Here's why it's too early to make that judgment.

Though Cissé isn't exactly the world's most skilled winger, he's looked more comfortable in that position as the weeks have gone by. When playing on the left wing against Liverpool, he was essentially a squad filler. Starting on the right against Wigan, he drew the penalty that won the match. On Saturday, he managed to get into some great positions - including one following a through ball from Ba, which may well have been the first time the two have ever linked up.

Granted, he didn't convert any of those chances, but that sounds suspiciously like what we said about Ba late last season. Just as happened then, Pardew is featuring the striker who's scoring at the expense of the one who isn't. It may not be an ideal situation, but the midfield and defense look so much better playing a 4-3-3 that there do not appear to be many other options.

The main issue with the front three is not the Ba/Cissé partnership (or lack thereof), but the third position, staffed uncomfortably by Jonás Gutiérrez against QPR. While Jonás may have had the ability to be a left winger when he first joined the club, he certainly doesn't now. It was not surprising to see him get the hook along with Cissé on Saturday. His replacement, Gabriel Obertan, should get a chance to start against his former club on Wednesday, as he returns to Manchester with a point to prove.

Obertan might have been the recipient of more abuse than any Newcastle player this side of Danny Simpson, but playing on the left wing in the Europa League looks to have sparked something. This may be the moment when he gets his Perchian revival and becomes an useful squad player. 

And of course, the main reason why it's too early to judge this year's front three is that Newcastle's most exciting player has yet to play in it. There's no doubt in my mind that Hatem Ben Arfa would have undone the QPR defense on Saturday. Besides his unique brand of flair, his presence allows the forwards to shift positions more often during a match - helping defray any discussions over who the one center forward is. Until then, an improving Cissé should get his two or three chances per match from the wing. Will he make them count?

Remy Transfer Could Cure Two Clubs' Headaches

In this corner, a club with two strikers who prefer the middle. In the other corner, a club with a surplus striker who can play out wide.

It's not brain surgery, is it?

During transfer season there are easily 20 illogical transfer rumors for every one that makes sense. The current reports of Newcastle United targeting Olympique de Marseille striker Loic Remy make nearly perfect sense. That's provided Newcastle is prepared to lose Demba Ba or sit Papiss Cissé. Figuring out which of those is more likely isn't brain surgery either.

Despite 23 goals in 45 starts last season, Remy has been forced out of the XI at Marseille, not so much for lack of form as lack of fit and fitness. Elie Baup, Marseille's manager, is a strict adherent of the one-striker formation. That leaves the spotlight to the fittest and hottest foot, and that foot this season has belonged to the resurgent and newly svelte André-Pierre "Big Mac" Gignac, with six goals in nine starts. Meanwhile Remy has struggled with a dogged left thigh injury suffered at Euro 2012, raising concerns in the French media that the player is "physically fragile." On the night of his most recent quadriceps aggravation in November he was seen seeking treatment in the nightclubs of Marseille, also raising doubts about his attitude.

It's little wonder Marseille appears set to off-load the talented striker at about the €15 million price they paid Nice to get him. It's also little wonder that at the top of the destination list sits Newcastle, having become essentially the Premier League's fanciest island of misfit toys. Let's face it: Absent questions about attitude and fitness, a player with Remy's pedigree would either be set at Marseille or headed to pricier climes. At least a quadriceps injury isn't typically as serious or prone to recurrence as a hamstring or groin (see Marveaux, Sylvain). For that matter, Remy's medical chart isn't as worrisome as that of the goal machine he may be ticketed to replace.

It seems absurd to wish a top-three scorer away. But Newcastle may be better off waving bye-bye to Ba and taking a chance on Remy in partnership with Cissé. There's no guarantee Remy will shake off his body and mind issues, or that Cissé will find his form when restored to the spot where he last had it. But it's a better chance than fitting the current pieces of Newcastle's attack into a solved puzzle. Paired with the addition of a center-back - completing the plus-one January transfer scenario recently touted by Alan Pardew - Newcastle would gain little in the way of security, but significant hope.

The Demba Ba Transfer Dance

Here we are, once again on the cusp of another transfer window. And, on cue, once again the Demba Ba rumor mill is operating at full power.

When it comes to Ba, many Newcastle United fans tend to blame the English media - with some justification - for stirring up gossip-based stories about his infamous release clause. But the fact that Ba did an interview with French television station Canal+ over the weekend - in which he called Arsenal "a very attractive club" - shows the striker isn't exactly trying to steer away from transfer-related headlines.

By now, it should be abundantly clear to everyone: This is the Demba Ba transfer dance. He laughs off the speculation on Twitter, then fans the flames. All the while, his small army of agents hunts for a blockbuster payday for a 27-year-old with a degenerative knee condition.

If there's a quote that sums up Ba's handling of transfer speculation, it's this one from his interview with Canal+:

"Journalists just do their job. They know Arsenal need strikers, they know a release clause is inserted in my contract, so they make speculations. I don't really want to comment on that, because there hasn't been any contact, clearly, but it is true Arsenal are a very attractive club."

In one sound bite, Ba manages to first blame the media for drumming up talk of a move to Arsenal, before declaring interest in making said move.

There's no doubt Ba is a quality striker; his scoring record in 1½ seasons at Newcastle is a testament to his ability. His production merits a raise that will put him near the top of the club's wage structure (though according to reports, that's not enough for Ba's advisers), even if his knee could cause problems down the road.

But it's also fairly difficult to argue with the notion that Ba is a "me-first" sort of player based on his track record. He went on strike to force a move away from Hoffenheim in January 2011, and he's done little to quell the constant contract speculation since arriving at Newcastle. Then there's the petulant manner in which he reacted to playing on the left to accommodate his international teammate, Papiss Cisse, in the second half of last season - when Newcastle was surging toward a fifth-place finish.

This seems to be the balancing act with Ba: Great production for a considerable ego (he's not alone in that regard) and steady speculation. Perhaps a long-term extension would end that speculation. More than likely, though, such talk would resurface the moment any Champions League clubs began sniffing around.

So is it worth it? Or would Newcastle benefit from, say, Loic Remy replacing Ba in January and allowing Cisse to lead the line?

It's hard to have a conviction either way, especially with Newcastle relying so heavily on Ba to score goals this season. Perhaps this is simply one of those issues that isn't black and white. After all, with Ba, nothing is simple.

Join Cissé To Help Senegal Youth Have A Ball

With gift-giving season approaching for many here in the States and around the world, we’re excited to announce a partnership with Newcastle United’s No. 9 to help youth in his home region of Senegal have a ball this winter. A soccer ball, that is.

When young people in developing nations play soccer, their quality of life improves: They're happier, healthier and safer. Unfortunately, soccer balls are expensive, and easily punctured or deflated in harsh physical environments, leaving kids to play with makeshift balls of trash and tape and twine.

We at the blog learned recently of a company here in the US called One World Futbol Project that's developed an amazing, virtually indestructible, never-goes-flat soccer ball that's perfect for imperfect conditions in all parts of the world. One World Futbol Project has a dual mission of selling the balls to the public and donating them to schools and aid organizations in developing nations. The initial funding to design and develop the revolutionary ball came from a famous Newcastle native and NUFC fan who performs under the name Sting. And in another Newcastle-related twist, United’s Papiss Cissé has recently helped start an aid program called Friends of Sédhiou whose mission includes bringing soccer to the youth of his economically troubled home region of Senegal. They could really use a whole bunch of these footballs.

That's where you come in.

We've linked up One World Futbol Project and Cissé's relief effort in a campaign called Score For Sédhiou so Newcastle fans can give these futuristic indestructi-balls to the children of Sédhiou, Senegal. For $25, One World Futbol Project will send a ball to a school in Senegal via Friends of Sédhiou. Or for $39.50 (plus shipping), One World Futbol Project will send one ball to Senegal and one to you! Just click this link or the Score For Sédhiou badge featuring Cissé at the upper left for full details and to purchase.

Cissé says, “I would like to offer my gratitude to everyone involved with trying to send the One World Futbol to Sédhiou in Senegal. Your kindness has touched me and I cannot express what it means for you to help the young people of Sédhiou play the game I love so much. I have been able to fulfill a dream of being a professional footballer, and by sending these footballs to Sédhiou, I am thrilled that more children can play football and perhaps be able to realise their dreams too.”

Thanks not only from Papiss but also from One World Futbol Project and us. We’ll have updates here on the blog as the Score For Sédhiou campaign progresses. Howay the Senegalese lads!

More Of The Same - And That's Good And Bad

It's becoming all too tiring to laud moral victories in the wake of yet another Newcastle United defeat.

But you'd have to be a cynic of the highest order to fail to acknowledge the positives of Newcastle's 3-1 defeat to defending Premier League champions Manchester City.

For the fourth Premier League game running, Newcastle showed it may have found a blueprint that suits the players at Alan Pardew's disposal: a fast tempo, moving the ball quickly, playing direct when needed and pressing as soon as possession is lost.

With that approach, Newcastle outpossessed its big-spending opponents (53.7 percent to 46.3) and outpassed them, both in terms of volume (324 of 406 vs. 283 of 357) and efficiency (79.8 percent vs. 79.3). Newcastle matched City for scoring chances (15) and total shots (17).

Vurnon Anita continued to impress in a more advanced central midfield position, James Perch added some steel in the middle, Jonas Gutierrez was improved and Papiss Cisse showed signs of life on the right of the 4-3-3 formation.

Unfortunately, Newcastle also showed it hasn't yet solved its season-long defensive deficiencies. City absolutely shredded Newcastle for most of the first half to grab a stranglehold on the game. That Newcastle was still in position to mount a second-half comeback attempt was a minor miracle.

For all the (justified) complaints about Newcastle's attack over the past four months, the fact is that United has kept just two clean sheets in 17 Premier League matches this season. And only five teams - Fulham, Southampton, Wigan, Queens Park Rangers and Reading - have allowed more goals than the 26 Newcastle has conceded thus far. Ill-timed mental breakdowns and lacksadaisical defending - not pressuring the ball, not tracking runners or simply failing to clear the ball of the line (eh, Davide Santon?), for example - have foiled Newcastle all too often.

As Pardew pointed out after the match, City's array of attacking talent had something to do with the struggles at the back on Saturday. The movement of Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Samir Nasri baffled Newcastle's backline and midfielders - City's pass completion rate in the final third (80.3 percent) was better than its overall total - and, while Newcastle might have deserved a better fate, City clearly created more premium scoring chances.

But rather than lay down and take a beating - which is what the 2008-09 team would have done - Newcastle rebounded and threw everything at the defending champions in the second half. Had Cisse displayed some semblance of composure in the 53rd minute after his skillful turn in the box, Newcastle likely would have emerged with more than just a moral victory.

At some point, Newcastle will need to start turning performances into results if it wants to avoid a full-on relegation battle. If nothing else, Saturday's display maintains hope that it's more a matter of when than if.