Alan Pardew says Yohan Cabaye can play in the Champions League with Newcastle dispite them currently sitting in 8th place in the Barclays Premier League Table.
The france international was quoted as saying on a French radio station saying he does want to return to the Champions League after playing in it with his former club Lille. He missed out on playing that the competition two years ago because he moved to Newcastle. This was after winning the double with his former club Lille.
The frenchman was linked with a move to Arsenal last summer and tried to push through the move by going on strike. He was claimed to be really upset he didn’t make the move to the Emirates but has returned and got back on track at Newcastle and has been on eof the best performers in the Barclays Premier League according to Newcastle manager Alan Pardew.
Newcastle defender Coloccini was the lastest player to set his heart away from the club last season after wanting to return to Argentina to play for his former club St Lorenzo and to deal with family issues in which Pardew said: ‘Sometimes when they are abroad they get asked questions which are slightly loaded and slightly different connotations to them’. if you want to ask me if I want to play in the Champions League i do, absolutely, and Yohan wants to play in the Champions League of course’. ‘But we want him to do that here, we are trying to build that but it is difficult and it is only players like Yohan Cabaye who will get us there’.
‘For him to have ambitions to play in the Champions League, I have absolutely no problem with that, none whatsoever and we have geared him up to have a fantastic World Cup so he is in great shape at the minute. I think he is one of the best players in the league’.
‘As far as Colo is concerned, he is our captain, and of course it is well documented that last year the pangs of home were pulling on him. But he is a professional, he is a professional player here, he has been brilliant for us, he is out captain and I am just letting our fans know there is no big deal’.
‘The media are always looking to upset you and when you are winning and we just want to continue where we are, which is in a good place.’
Newcastle are preparing for the Saturday evening visit of West Brom but go there with a fully fit squad.
Pardew added: ‘On Tuesday we had probably one of the best training sessions we’ve ever had since I came here theree years ago because of the quality and the numbers.’
Written by George Coomber
