While a toothless Newcastle lose to Arsenal at the Emirates on a Monday evening thoughts drift back to the season when they nearly finished in a Champions League spot. Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse were the striking pair scoring 29 goals between them in the 2011-12 Premier League season.
Historically Newcastle always had quality strikers. Think back to Peter Beardsley, Andy Cole, Les Ferdinand, Craig Bellamy, Obafemi Martins, Michael Owen and of course Toon legend Alan Shearer who is still the leading Premier League goal scorer of all time.
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Demba Ba signed for Newcastle in 2011 on a free transfer from West Ham. Papiss Cisse signed in the January transfer window that season from German side Freiburg. Both strikers went on to be a threat to every team that came up against them. Alan Pardew’s side finished fifth just behind Tottenham and ahead of Chelsea. Liverpool finished seventh that season just to put things into propsective for you. The pair scored all kinds of goals and that form had Fantasy Football players doubling up on the Toon pair in their millions.
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Papiss Cisse scoring the goal of the season that year!
The Senegalese pair were so successful that Chelsea eventually came in for Ba and the offer of Champions League football was too good to turn down in 2013.
The following years saw Newcastle suffer relegation and as the Premier League became more competitive the North East club failed to reach those dizzy heights of 2012. The well documented problems at the club have been highlighted again this season. Paraguayan Miguel Almirón was signed this January breaking the club’s transfer record previously held by Michael Owen however has made little impact in front of goal despite putting in good performances.
Papiss Cisse Goals
Bemba Ba Goals
