Senegal striker Papiss Demba Cissé proving inspired signing

It is about time Newcastle United and manager Alan Pardew started getting the credit they deserve for challenging the Premier League’s top clubs for a place in the Champions League – and pulling off another spectacular success on the transfer market.

Papiss Demba Cisse was snapped up in the January transfer window for an estimated £10 million pound from German side Freiburg. And the Senegal striker has been a roariong success with this afternoon’s double at Swansea taking his tally to nine goals in eight games.

The 2-0 win put Pardew’s men within two points of Arsenal and Spurs who share third place and takes them above Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification. On this form you have to say that if the FA are looking for an English born manager and they fail to sign up Harry Redknapp, then the Newcastle manager must be a strong candidate.

It is an extraordinary effort by the club in only their second season back in the Premier League. And whatever you think of owner Mike Ashley, who has been guilty of alienating the fans with some massive PR blunders, in chairman Derek Llambias and manager Pardew he has picked a winning team to guide the Magpies soaring to dizzy heights against rival’s with much bigger spending power.

Cisse is probably the signing of the season. It’s another remarkable success following the capture of Demba Ba who was voted signing of the season by the Premier League managers last term.

I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: Newcastle United are a bigger club than Chelsea – but it will still be a remarkable achievement if the Geordies can finish above the Blues when you consider the riches of the West Londoners’ billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

– BY JOHN GUBBA