Have we already found our goalscorer?

Demba Ba deserves the plaudits for his hat-trick heroics at the weekend after putting Blackburn to the sword.

It's been a slow start to life on Tyneside for the Senegalese international but in recent weeks there have been signs that the former West Ham striker has been steadily clicking into gear at NUFC.

It all started against Fulham for me. He didn't start that game and instead came off the bench. He didn't find the back of the net, but he did nearly break the woodwork on the Gallowgate goalframe with a ferocious shot from the edge of the area. He drew another blank against Villa but played well despite the lack of a goal and obviously now we have his hat-trick from the weekend to consider.

It's been coming for a few weeks now and whilst I didn't expect to see a hat-trick there have been sings that Demba Ba is starting to find the form he showed at West Ham last year. With arguably a better team behind him who is to say that he won't do even better?

Ba's record speaks for itself and it stacks up with the best of them. He's averaged a goal every two games throughout his entire career which is none too shabby in fairness. Put simply, if you play him, he will score goals.

How many can he score though? 5? 10? 15? 20? I'd be willing to bet that he can hit the 15 goal mark as long as he remains fit although it's the remaining fit part which is cause for concern.

Ba has issues with his knees. It's widely known and it's no secret, but what I will say is that it hasn't really held him back in his career to date and it's been some time since he has been out with any form of injury. Rest assured that I am vigorously touching wood as I type this in the hope that an injury doesn't crop up from somewhere.

I've read some utter tosh regarding Demba Ba in the last few weeks. I've read comments berating him and writing him off already. I hope to high heaven that he makes those people eat their words. Apparently you aren't allowed time to settle into a new club before being written off. I'd have hoped that the way Jose Enrique, Joey Barton and Fabricio Coloccini proved people wrong after their shaky starts to life on Tyneside would have heralded at least a slight change in opinion. Apparently not...

It's early days for Demba Ba, but if he can continue to improve and find the back of the net on the regular basis that his record seems to suggest he can the we could well have found our goalscorer. He'll be getting chances, and with a strike partner in the form of Leon Best next to him it could Ba who comes shining through in the end.

What do you think?