Striker enjoying competition for places at St James' Park
Saturday 13 December 2014 07:19, UK
Papiss Cisse says winning the Premier League Manager of the Month award for November is a just reward for Alan Pardew after a difficult start to the season.
Pardew looked to be on the brink of losing his job as Newcastle United manager after a seven-match winless run at the start of the campaign.
But the Magpies hit their stride in stunning fashion as they won six of their next eight league games, including last weekend’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea, to soar up the table.
Ahead of their Saturday Night Football clash at Arsenal, Cisse, who came off the bench to score both goals against Chelsea, says Pardew deserves plenty of credit for turning things around.
“I say well done to him because it was very, very hard for him at the start of the season,” the striker told Sky Sports. “It was not easy and he kept going, believing in himself and the team.
"Now he is the manager of the month and that is good for him. That will give him more confidence. I just tell him keep going and try to do something good for the team.
“The players believe him and he believes in his players. If something happens now in this team to win the game it is because of very hard work.”
The players believe him and he believes in his players. If something happens now in this team to win the game it is because of very hard work
Asked about the reason for Newcastle’s poor start to the season, Cisse said: “It was like the team had changed. The players didn’t know their friends and they had never played together. They had to make a team quickly and that is not easy for the gaffer and the players.
“Now it becomes easier because everyone knows everyone and knows what happens if you work hard.”
Cisse himself endured a tricky start to the season and had only found the net twice in the league by the start of October.
However, he now has seven goals to his name, including three in his last two outings, and says he is enjoying the competition for places at St James’ Park.
“You need to have some pressure but it needs to be positive,” he said. “If I have pressure, I laugh, I dance, I smile. I do that all the time. In my head I just say, ‘I go and play football’.
“I need to enjoy myself. Football is something to enjoy. Smile and play. It is normal that you concentrate but I don’t have pressure.
“Ayoze (Perez) is here and (Emmanuel) Riviere, and (Yoan) Gouffran can play as strikers as well. I love competition and it is something that pushes me more to do well and to work hard and that’s good.”
