Newcastle silent as Ba speaks out on role

NEWCASTLE WERE last night keeping their own counsel over claims from Demba Ba’s agent that he does not understand his role at the club.

It is understood the Magpies were less than impressed by both the player’s comments after Monday night’s 2-2 Premier League draw at Everton and subsequently those of his representative. Ba, who scored both his side’s goals after coming off the bench at half-time, revealed after the game that he had “not been so happy with some things” beforehand, but agent Alex Gontran went further yesterday.

He told BBC Sport: “Since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, Demba doesn’t understand the management. If he continues to be a substitute all season, we’ll look at other solutions.”

Manager Alan Pardew has insisted he has no qualms about upsetting even his biggest names if it is for the good of the team, and Ba’s response on the pitch when he got his chance would have been just the one for which he was hoping after admitting that the Senegal striker and compatriot Papiss Cisse needed to step up a gear.

The pair were, of course, two of the stars of last season’s charge into the Premier League’s top five, with Ba plundering 15 goals before his departure for the African Nations Cup and January signing Cisse contributing 13 during the second half of the campaign.

However, Cisse’s arrival from Freiburg prompted a change in Ba’s position – he played much of his football wide on the left – and he added only one more to his tally before the end of the season while also providing his strike-partner with fine support. Pardew has tried to employ him in a more central role in recent weeks, but Gontran claims it is that change which has upset his client.

He said: “How could you put your best striker with full confidence on the left wing? The choice to put Demba on the left last season was good for the club because Cisse scored 13 goals.

“But there was a lack of recognition for Demba. It is more difficult to play well when you don’t have the confidence of your staff.

“Demba is happy at Newcastle. He is playing in the Premier League with lot of fellow French speakers and he loves the club’s supporters. He would like to start every game, but he respects the choice of the coach, even if he does not always understand or agree.”

Kyle Naughton has declared himself the man to fill the void left by Benoit Assou-Ekotto ahead of Tottenham’s Europa League opener against Lazio tomorrow. Spurs were yesterday still waiting to discover how long left-back Assou-Ekotto would face on the sidelines amid fears he could be ruled out for up to a month.

The 28-year-old missed Andre Villas-Boas’ first win in charge at Reading on Sunday with a knee problem that may require a ‘washout’ procedure, ruling him out for around four weeks.

Despite playing out of position, the 23-year-old Naughton proved up to the challenge at the Madejski Stadium and is hoping to have done enough to keep his place for tomorrow’s clash against Lazio.

Stoke defender Andy Wilkinson has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association following an incident with Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli in Saturday’s 1-1 draw between the sides. Wilkinson was involved in an altercation with the City striker which was not seen by the match officials but was caught on video.

Referee Mark Clattenburg spoke to the players but took no action and replays did not suggest anything serious had occurred.