Pardew: "The Bigger News For Me Is Coloccini & Cabaye"

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has said that keeping Fabricio Coloccini and having Yohan Cabaye fit are the best news for him over the last few weeks. Pardew touched on Coloccini's personal situation but quickly moved on to praise the skills his new signings have brought to the training pitch ahead of Tuesday's game against Aston Villa.

Pardew said;

"The personal issue he had, it’s delicate. It’s not nice and I wouldn’t want anybody to be in that position. He’s such a brilliant guy and man, and now he’s going to help us.

His reaction on the training ground has been brilliant, almost like he’s accepted it himself. Perhaps he was questioning himself, but maybe now he’s answered it.

Despite the signings, the bigger news for me is Coloccini and Cabaye.

Cabaye has now had a game and is up to speed. He’s our best player, perhaps outside of Hatem (Ben Arfa), certainly our most influential midfield player

And Colo’s now installed back after the question marks over him staying, and that’s as big as the Mapou signing.

He (Yanga-Mbiwa) is an outstanding player who we’ve brought to the club.

Mapou has fantastic leadership skills, great potential and fantastic power – and that’s something we have been lacking, a bit of power. There’s a re-energy on the training ground with new players coming in because actually new players coming in aren’t really about taking us forward.

They help, but it’s existing players and the competition that’s there.

Now there’s no room for errors, no room for the odd game where you don’t play at your best. You have to play very, very well now to stay in this team.

I have to make sure that the team that goes out at Villa has enough experience and enough quality around it.”