Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew has highlighted the role of Moussa Sissoko in their revival.
One of the challenges for Pardew this season has been finding a replacement for Yohan Cabaye in the withdrawn No10 role, a position the manager has used since he was at Reading.
"Sometimes I play that system with a striker, sometimes with a midfielder. Last year Cabaye had massive success in the first half of the season. Moussa Sissoko has grown comfortable in that role and he's probably one of the big reasons why we have picked up.
"He is not a Cabaye. He's got a different role. Cabaye was the intelligence of the team, Moussa is like the battering ram. He'll make a run that blows the back four apart. The goal he scored against Manchester City Cabaye wouldn't have got," Pardew told the Evening Standard.
