Ba gives a timely reminder of his quality

Demba Ba's hat-trick suggests he may have been the striker Newcastle were looking for all along

Amid all the hullabaloo of Newcastle United's doomed chase for a striker in the closing stages of the summer transfer window, there was one hitman already on the club's books patiently waiting for his chance.

Demba Ba performed admirably in a struggling - and ultimately relegated - West Ham side last season and when he moved to St James' Park on a free transfer in June, he was seen by many as the replacement for Andy Carroll, who left to join Liverpool in January.

However, sluggish pre-season performances and poor displays against Arsenal and Scunthorpe were all it took for many to write him off and dismiss him as an also-ran and a back-up.

Yesterday's superb hat-trick against Blackburn though was Ba's birth as a Newcastle player. Fans were finally able to see the best of him and his performance means the forlorn summer striker search is becoming more and more meaningless.

Ba, as a devout Muslim, observed Ramadan during August and so the fasting involved will have undoubtedly made an impact on his football.

Now, fully fit and in peak condition, he is a player who can carry the goalscoring burden and provide the focal point of a progressive team.

The three goals he grabbed against Blackburn - who, it must be said, were woeful - will also boost his confidence enormously as he now has the springboard to launch his career in a black and white shirt.

It wasn't just the goals, either. He linked up well with the midfield and worked tirelessly all afternoon, while he looked the sharpest he has since joining the club.

Ba's treble helped Newcastle to a 3-1 win over Blackburn and helped his side remain fourth in the Premier League.

All the negativity of the summer has been pushed to one side and manager Alan Pardew now has his team playing exactly as he wants.

Pardew must be delighted with his side's strong start to the season

Early-season performances were solid if not spectacular, but the displays in the last two games against Aston Villa and Blackburn have been exciting and offer real hope for the campaign ahead.

It is all built on a very solid base, with Tim Krul impressive in goal, Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor in dominant form and makeshift left-back Ryan Taylor somehow still holding his own and contributing to the side's success.

The midfield partnership of Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye is one of real potential. Tiote had a slow start to the season but is now re-approaching his best while Cabaye is a superb technical player who looks like he will be a real threat at the attacking end of the pitch. As a duo they have the ability to control the game and provide the spark for those in front of them.

Leon Best has grabbed three goals from four league starts and now Ba has joined the party, there is much to be optimistic about.

It is also a sign of Newcastle's progression that there are players on the bench who can realistically change a game.

Hatem Ben Arfa and Sylvain Marveaux came on against Blackburn and both are technically gifted players likely to be regular starters before long, yet this game was won largely without them.

Ben Arfa was given a superb reception from Newcastle's fans on his first home appearance since his horrific leg break

Then there are others like Peter Lovenkrands, Shola Ameobi, Sammy Ameobi, Shane Ferguson, Davide Santon, Dan Gosling, Mehdi Abeid and Haris Vuckic who weren't required yet are ready to step up if needed.

The squad is still threadbare in certain areas - particularly left-back and centre-half - but there are talented youngsters coming through and quality back-up in most areas.

Newcastle's positive start to the season makes Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias' decision not to invest heavily in the summer look like something of a masterstroke, but it is likely to be a case of more luck than judgement on their part.

They have hit lucky that certain players have been able to step up to the plate, but as the season progresses their decision not to spend may yet come back to haunt them.

This is a superb start to the season, for sure, but it is still just a start.

If Newcastle are still miraculously near the top by Christmas, then their lack of spending can perhaps be justified.

But only six league games have yet been played and none of their opponents have been particularly impressive. You can only beat who you are pitted against, though, so worries about playing greater quality opposition can wait for now.

Steve Kean's Blackburn were extremely poor at St James' Park

Newcastle's fans will enjoy occupying a Champions League place because they will recognise it is not going to last for long.

Their next few fixtures, against Wolves, Tottenham, Wigan, Stoke and Everton, may help them stay up there but sooner rather than later, it is likely six teams will pull away and leave the rest fighting it out between themselves.

The best Newcastle can realistically hope for is seventh, but that would be a superb effort and a real sign of progression.

Anything higher would be nothing short of a miracle with the money the top six clubs have spent over the last few years.

So Pardew can aim to lead his side to the title of 'best of the rest' and their great start to the season will offer great hope they will do just that.

This seems to be a team playing for each other, with a mixture of hard work and technical ability, and the Newcastle fans are now looking ahead with optimism rather than the traditional pessimism.

The performance of Ba against Blackburn perhaps sums up how Newcastle have done so far this season: written off yet coming up with the goods.

The pre-season scaremongers tipping the Magpies for the drop are slowly changing their tune as a team full of endeavour and talent emerges from the doom and gloom which engulfed the club just a month or two ago.

Those who left in the summer - particularly ex-captain Kevin Nolan - are slowly being forgotten about as a new team of heroes comes to the fore for the Geordie faithful.

They won't be bleating it from the rooftops just yet, but forgotten man Ba and co may be about to lead Newcastle to a hugely successful campaign.