Can Demba Ba rescue West Ham?
The Ba saga has more than proven transfers are not as they appear on the surface. After failing a medical at Stoke, West Ham and Avram Grant swooped in to steal the Hoffenheim striker from under the noses of Sunderland, Everton and even more so Stoke City.
It is plausible to believe that West Ham’s medical was slightly less professional to seal the deal for Ba as their strike force couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat. But when the rare occasion comes (Mr. Piquionne I’m looking at you) they don’t even have the sense to celebrate on the pitch to avoid getting a second booking.
No matter how scandalous the ruling of getting booked for celebrating with your fans is, it is still a rule. Apparently though, you can crush through the back of someone in a reckless fashion and get the same punishment, fascinating isn’t it?
Anyway, back to potential club saver Ba. He has scored six goals in 17 appearances for Hoffenheim and by no stretch of the imagination, that is world class in eyes of those involved at West Ham. Yet Piquionne and Carlton Cole have the same amount attributed to their name. In a harder league can Ba muster up a note worthy tally of goals?
Either way there is something different the club have seen in Ba, even if he is another big, intimidating striker. I’m sure they have a couple of those at the club already…
The only puzzling factor in this whole ordeal is why the player himself chose the Hammers. Sunderland and Everton both have problems in the striking area and are doing a lot better in the league. It must have been something about linking up with Jonathan Spector instead of Mikel Arteta….
West Ham also have strikers in abundance, average strikers, but still to coin that old phrase ’at the end of the day,’ they are classed as strikers.
Freddie Sears, Cole, Zavon Hines, Victor Obinna, Piquionne, Frank Nouble and the rarely sighted Benni McCarthy. Even with that amount of choices at his mercy, Avram Grant is still to find a winning combination.
Maybe Ba can link up with one of these so called strikers and form a partnership to salvage the West Ham Premier League refuge for another year. However fans will be remembering and looking to a Carlos Tevez effect, is it too much to ask of an on loan player?
