Why the Demba Ba switch could be good business for both parties (and agents)

Demba Ba looks set to swap St James' Park for West London today, completing a £7.5 million move to Chelsea.

Newcastle's prolific striker is the first of the Graham Carr signings to have enhanced their reputation at Newcastle before moving on, and as long as the Magpies can keep their other main stars they should creep away from the bottom of the table.

After another defensive batting collapse, the 2-1 reverse to Everton, Pardew admitted what most of us could see: the Ba and Cisse combination was one that never worked.

Last season Ba was shifted right to accommodate the red-hot form of Cisse and this campaign it was Ba with the Midas touch, with Cisse shifted wide.

Given that Ba actually played as a wide midfielder for Hoffenheim, Pardew's deference to him must have been an, ultimately fruitless, ploy to convince the striker to commit to the club.

The Chelsea switch is beneficial for all parties: Ba's goals and form helped fire Newcastle to fifth last year and in doing so has earned himself a move to the European champions. A free-signing in a pay-as-you-play deal, Ba represents excellent value for money for Newcastle.

£5 million of that return looks to be signing Matthieu Debuchy from Lille, one of the few highlights from France's Euro 2012 campaign. Mike Ashley needs to back Pardew's eight year deal in the transfer market, with Newcastle needing at least another two defenders and now cover up front.

It can be no coincidence that Cisse scored in the first game since Ba's exit was all but confirmed, and if Davide Santon had glanced across the box the Newcastle number nine ought to have drawn the game level.

This graphic from whoscored.com is an excellent indicator of why I think Newcastle will be better off with Cisse up front on his own, without a team set up around Ba.

Ba has a fantastic goal-scoring record since moving to the Premier League, but his tally of 0 assists for Newcastle is a reminder of his limitations as a striker.

Newcastle's game plan this season has involved hitting it long to Ba, who in turn tries his luck from about 30-35 yards. Remember any go in? His inability to involve team mates can't have helped the team perform as a unit and is a polar opposite to his new striking rival at Chelsea.

Fernando Torres has surfaced from his dearth of confidence, but he still seems unwilling to try percentage shots, preferring a simple pass to a team mate which isn't always the best option.

Ba's shoot on sight policy at Newcastle is unlikely to be welcome at Stamford Bridge, but his selfish running and movement could be the perfect tonic for Chelsea's midfielders.

Ba's exit gives Alan Pardew an opportunity to start again at Newcastle. Cisse proved he can score for fun last season and with Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye returning to fitness, Newcastle fans should be quietly confident that their team edges up the table.

Sylvain Marveaux might have taken twelve months to recover from injury and settle at St James' Park, but he has been outstanding in recent games and a front three of Cisse, Ben Arfa and Marveaux will trouble defences in the Premier League. The absence of Ba, results in a more fluid triumvirate up front and Newcastle will no longer be able to rely on the long-ball.

Pardew was able to call upon the same back five in the first fourteen fixtures of 2011/2012, but a succession of injuries have meant his defensive unit and midfield has been in flux this season. Injury to Cabaye and Ben Arfa, Newcastle's best midfielders and the best  Frenchmen in England, has been a big loss and Cheick Tiote has had a disappointing 2012.

Newcastle's squad is of the calibre to be competing for a top ten finish. Mike Ashley must back Pardew in the transfer window and with a little more luck over injuries, Newcastle should ease away from danger in 2013.

French Connection

The much vaunted Clairefontaine academy in France saw two of its recent graduates, Abou Diaby and Hatem Ben Arfa, star this weekend in the English Premier League and makes the recent opening of St George's Park in Burton seem about 20 years too late. 

Diaby was rightly named man-of-the-match after his role in the 2-0 dismissal of Liverpool and after two seasons virtually lost through injury the rangy midfielder is filling an Alex Song size hole with ease. It’s easy to forget that the Frenchman has been at Arsenal for six years, joining just two after Robin Van Persie came in from an exile at Feyenoord. His recent career has been stunted by injuries, which have affected his game since early on during his time at Auxerre, and if he had been available to Arsene Wenger more than 115 times we could be looking at an entirely different Arsenal team.

Quickly dubbed the ‘new Viera’ after joining in 2006, Diaby became an integral part of the Arsenal side and full international recognition came in 2007. His athleticism and presence in midfield was an integral part of Arsenal’s game with Diaby operating alongside Fabregas and Alex Song in a central midfield three; performances which led to a place at the 2010 World Cup. Diaby started all three of France’s disastrous campaign in South Africa and spent the next two seasons rehabilitating from injuries.

His seeming return to full fitness for 2012/2013 has been a substantial boost for Arsene Wenger who is still without Jack Wilshire and sold the influential Alex Song to Barcelona for £15 million. Arsenal are three games into the season and are yet to concede many chances, yet alone a goal. Much has been said about Steve Bould marshalling the Arsenal back four, but a midfield of Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Diaby hasn’t allowed other teams to settle and has masked what remain misfiring strikers.

Oliver Giroud missed another sitter (on his favoured foot this time) and despite scoring Podolski doesn’t look like a 20 goal a season finisher. Arsenal will always create chances because of their open and attacking principles and once the strikers start taking their chances, should have a good season.

Meanwhile in Newcastle the enigmatic Hatem Ben Arfa added another stunning goal to his repertoire, adding to strikes against Everton, Blackburn and Bolton. His rumoured fee of £5 million was somewhat of a gamble as the 25-year-old was recuperating from a Nigel De Jong-ed ankle and his given reputation for aggravating trouble and testing managers.

This temperament was captured on camera in the French documentary, A la Clairefontaine, which followed the French academy players, of which Ben Arfa was the youngest trainee. In a famous clip he is seen arguing and almost coming to blows with a 16-year-old Abou Diaby, providing a fascinating insight into what it must be like to leave home so young and dedicate your life to becoming a professional footballer (Take note Adrian Bevington).

Ben Arfa was part of a generation soon dubbed L’enfant terrible by the French press, that also included Karim Benzema, Samir Nasri and Jeremy Menez. This team won the European Under-17 Football Championship, defeating a Spain side that included Gerrard Pique and Cesc Fabregas but Ben Arfa was the star of the tournament. Feted as the new Zinedine Zidane, helped by his North African heritage, from the age of 17 Ben Arfa became a figure of disruption and managed to alienate Lyon and Marseille, then the two biggest clubs in France. A move to Newcastle was in all respect a come-down for a player who interested the likes of Real and Arsenal early in his career.

That Alan Pardew has been able to tame Ben Arfa is one of his greatest accomplishments at Newcastle and now he has devised a system that allows Ben Arfa to commit defenders the Frenchman has thrived. With a tally of nine goals for Newcastle he has beaten his goal record at Lyon and at Marseille in roughly half the number of games. Even more impressive is that at least five of his goals in England have been screamers, created from nothing.

Despite both Diaby and Ben Arfa enjoying a career renaissance, their fortunes on the international stage have contrasted visibly. Ben Arfa made Laurent Blanc’s 23 for Poland and Ukraine but fell-out with then France coach, Laurent Blanc, as did three other players. He was fined and dropped for the upcoming set of World Cup qualifiers and having finally broken back into the national set up, may have blown his second chance. Meanwhile, Diaby is included in Didier Deschamp’s squad for games versus Finland and Belarus, a first call-up since last June. Both players are products of the successful Clairefontaine academy, which you hope the FA have seriously looked at, and are enjoying second winds in the English game. 

Remember Demba Ba?