Pardew's Praise For Prolific Papiss

By Steven Back

Alan Pardew has the utmost confidence Papiss Cisse can continue his eye-catching start to the season, having emerged as the most consistent goalscorer in the Barclays Premier League.

After netting his sixth and seventh goals of the campaign in Newcastle's 2-1 win over Chelsea last Saturday, Cisse's goals-to-minute ratio currently stands at a goal every 66 minutes - the best in the top flight.

And Pardew is full of praise for his Senegalese striker, who has netted some crucial strikes this term.

"Papiss been coming on late in games and scoring so that will push his ratio up, but he's a goalscorer and he will score all sorts of goals," said the boss.

"That can be off the back of his head or off his knee, like at Burnley. But at the moment he is red hot and if we can get him some chances we feel pretty confident he will take them.

"Every team needs a goalscorer as they can get you a goal and turn a game. Sometimes you might not be dominating a game and then someone like Papiss can get you a goal and it gives you a lift.

"You can go on to win or retrieve a situation like when we were at Swansea, so he's very important with his goals and the things he does.

"He's on the move in the box and if the ball comes to him he can adjust himself to get a shot off. That's his art."

Since Cisse returned from the serious knee injury he suffered at the end of last season, he has been in and out of the starting line-up in order to manage his condition.

And Pardew is delighted with the way his medical staff have managed Cisse's knee over the last few months.

"It's an on-going process with Papiss and his knee, just to make sure that it is okay," he explained.

"But by the time we get to the summer it will be all over. Just from now until the summer we have to be careful will him."