Ba hails hard work as he gets back among the goals for Newcastle

Aug 20, 2012 9:18:00 AM

Last season's top scorer on Tyneside netted his first strike since February in the Magpies' opening day victory over Tottenham and was happy to turn around his form

Demba Ba has revealed that going over his barren spell last season helped him to turn around his form, after scoring in Newcastle United's victory over Tottenham on Saturday.

The 27-year-old's fine curling effort opened the scoring at the Sports Direct Arena and the Senegalese forward claims a change in approach was vital in getting back among the goals.


NEWCASTLE LATEST
16/1	Newcastle are 16/1 to beat Chelsea 1-0 with bet365

"After games, I’ve spent a lot of time watching them over again, just to analyse things, trying to see what I had to do to change the bad stuff," he told the Daily Telegraph.

"A lot of things were going on last season, I was playing out wide for much of the time and while I wasn’t frustrated at not scoring, I didn’t get enough of the ball.

"I was coming too deep and wasn’t there to take the chances."

Ba had the oppotunity to double his tally when the Magpies were awarded a late penalty, but Hatem Ben Arfa brushed himself off after being fouled to convert from 12 yards.

However, the former Hoffenheim man vowed to ensure he was the man to step up next time.

"Hatem just picked the ball up after he was fouled," Ba added. "I didn’t know he was going to take the penalty and, to be honest, I thought I’d be taking it, but this time he was faster than me to it.

"I’ll take the next one we get, but I’ll have to make sure I’m a little faster on my feet in getting to the ball!"

The striker is a practising Muslim and has been observing Ramadan for the past month, meaning he is unable to eat during daylight hours.

And he admitted that his energy levels may have taken a hit due to this but maintained that his faith was vital in giving him the confidence to perform for Newcastle.

He added: "Fasting can make it difficult in terms of your energy levels, but only if you do it without a reason. When you have a strong belief like I do, then it’s easy. I have faith and that helps me."

Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200
Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets
Sign up today with Coral and get a £50 FREE bet - no strings attached!
Sign up today with BetVictor and get a £25 FREE BET!

play

open

Inside Goal.Com

Top 10 all-time Champions League scorers
As the competition moves within days of its much-anticipated conclusion at Wembley, Goal profiles the most prolific players in its history
'Mario, you will never redeem yourself'
Mario Gotze's injury means the playmaker has now played his final game for Borussia Dortmund. In an open letter, a fan tells of his emotion at his controversial switch to Bayern
BVB's rise from the abyss to European contenders
BVB have recovered from teetering on the edge of bankruptcy to take their place on Europe's grandest stage, humbling their opponents on Saturday, Bayern Munich, along the way
Transfer Talk: Mourinho wants Isco at Chelsea
Get your daily dose of all the speculation from around the globe as clubs cast their eye towards summer reinforcements
Top 10 Champions League Final Moments
As Europe braces itself for an all German classic at Wembley on Saturday, Goal.com takes a look back at some of the iconic moments in the history of Uefa's showpiece event since its rebranding in 1992.