Adam Dennehey WAFU manager
Manchester United face Newcastle United tomorrow night at St James’ Park, so with that in mind it’s worth taking a look at these three players who we should be wary of going into the game:
Demba Ba
Around a year ago with the January transfer-window looming, many fans were looking forward to the prospect of Ba moving to the Premier League. After a move to Stoke City collapsed due to injury concerns, the Senegal forward eventually signed for West Ham.
Despite suffering relegation during his short-stay at Upton Park, Ba impressed on a personal level scoring 7 times in 13 games for the Londoners impressing fans and pundits alike with his physical presence and work-ethic up top.
Alan Pardew swooped in the summer to bring the Senegalese hitman to St James’ Park. So far Ba has proved to be a great signing scoring 14 times in 15 games, proving that you don’t have to wear the no.9 shirt at Newcastle to be a goalscoring hero.
Fabiricio Coloccini
It would be fair to say that many Newcastle fans were surprised when Argentine defender Coloccini stayed at the club following their relegation to the Championship back in 2009. After all footballers are not supposed to be loyal are they?
Colocini stayed and impressed in his second season in the north-east showing his class as the Geordies romped to the Championship under Chris Houghton. He impressed last season forming an excellent partnership with Mike Williamson.
When Kevin Nolan departed to West Ham in the summer, Coloccini was installed as the club’s new skipper by Pardew. His performances since taking over the captain’s armband have been exceptional and there are few better centre-backs in the country judging on current form.
Cheick Tiote
Newcastle fans will be hoping that this is only Tiote’s final game for the club before he goes off on African Cup of Nations duty with the Ivory Coast and that the tenacious midfielder is still at the club come the end of the Transfer Window.
Few football fans outside of Africa and France had heard of Tiote before he moved to Newcastle last season but it’s fair to say that the tough-tackling dynamo is now very much known across Europe after 18 months on Tyneside.
United, Arsenal and a host of top clubs across Europe are believed to be targeting Tiote who based on current form is surely worth at least £18-20 million and is somebody who it appears is destined to play sooner or later in the Champions League.
By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87
