Cisse Relishing Swansea Test

By Tom Easterby

As he trains his sights on Saturday's opponents Swansea City, Papiss Cisse told nufc.co.uk the Magpies need to stick together if they are to notch up their first Barclays Premier League victory of the season at the Liberty Stadium.

The Senagalese international is part of the United squad which has travelled to South Wales and has called on his teammates to convert their hard work on the training pitch into top-flight points.

"The team need to work together and work hard, to work hard in training and go on Saturday in the game," said 29-year-old Cisse.

"If you have a game you need to be strong and try to win the game all the time, all the time. I know it's not easy and it's very, very hard, but the team needs to be together and work hard.

"Swansea are a very, very good team and they keep the ball all the time. If you go there you need to be ready to run, because if you need the ball you need to run and be compact, be solid and work hard because this team is a very, very good team.

"Newcastle as well are a good team but at this moment it's a little bit hard, but the team need to be compact, work together and run together and maybe if we have chances, we'll win."

Goals have proved hard to come by for Alan Pardew's men in recent weeks, with United registering just five league strikes so far.

Cisse, though, is confident that the goals will begin to flow in due course.

"I'm a striker and we have other strikers in the team, but we just need to work hard in training and trust yourself to score goals," he said.

"It's not easy at this moment but the team work hard together and the gaffer wants the players working hard to put the ball in for the strikers and the strikers to score, but the strikers need to be ready as well.

"At the moment, you have just one chance in the game and you need to score this chance. I know it's not easy, but we need to be ready as well, the strikers."

Emmanuel Riviere and Ayoze Perez are both vying for a place in Saturday's team, with the latter having impressed with a four-goal first-half haul in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Carlisle United this week.

And with the level of competition for striking spots as strong as it is, Cisse insists he's ready to shoulder his team's attacking burden, but is also willing to bide his time should he be named amongst the substitutes this weekend.

"It's for the gaffer," said Newcastle's number nine.

"I'm just a player, and it's the gaffer's decision. If he says I'm going to play, I'm ready to play, but if he puts in another striker to play, I wait for my chance.

"If he says come on in the second half, I come on to enjoy myself and work hard for the team. It's the gaffer's decision."