Demba Ba remains Newcastle’s best striker since Shearer

Add as preferred source on Google

Newcastle United have struggled to score goals in the Premier League in recent years.

The Magpies had difficulty in attack last term despite ultimately finishing 10th in the Premier League.

This term they have encountered the same problem, having notched just 26 goals in 29 games.

Salomon Rondon was brought in and the Venezuelan has done well to his credit, but despite all his other qualities, he his not a natural goalscorer.

This week, a fan bumped into former Magpies striker Demba Ba at Malaga airport, and after some conversation on Twitter the Senegalese admitted he wished he’d stayed at the club five years longer.

He surely isn’t the only one – put simply, there hasn’t been a forward like him since he left the club in 2013.

Best since Shearer?

Ba took some time to get going at St. James’ Park. Following his free transfer from a relegated West Ham United side, he failed to find the net until he plundereda hat-trick against Blackburn Rovers, which proved his catalyst.

Ba went on to score 29 goals in 54 appearances (16 in 2011/12 and 13 in 2012/13) for the Magpies before he was poached by Chelsea in January 2013.

It was a short stint, but Ba showed himself to be a real handful for defences.

He was more effective than his inconsistent fellow countryman Papiss Cisse. Luuk de Jong, Seydou Doumbia and Emmanuel Riviere were all failures as is Joselu, and Loic Remy couldn’t earn himself a permanent move despite impressing.

Aleksandar Mitrovic, as good as he is now, was still a raw youngster during his time with the Toon Army.

Perhaps some may say Andy Carroll on his day, but Ba arguably had a better all-round centre-forward’s game.

None of the players mentioned have really been able to hold a candle to Ba, who bullied defenders and regularly finished with aplomb – arguably, he remains the best striker Newcastle have had since Alan Shearer.