Newcastle United

Alan Pardew: 'Remy Cabella is too soft'

By Shane Callaghan, Reporter | 08 November 2014

Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew says that Remy Cabella is too soft for Premier League football at the moment and encourages the Frenchman to toughen up.

Alan Pardew has warned Remy Cabella that he must adapt to the physicality of the Premier League if he wants to be a hit at Newcastle United.

The French playmaker has struggled for form since a £12m summer move from Montpellier, registering just one assist from his nine outings so far this season.

Consequently, the 24-year-old found himself omitted from Didier Deschamps's latest Les Bleus squad, and the Magpies boss fears that things will only get worse for Cabella until he toughens up.

"His conduct and professionalism are very, very impressive. That gives you heart that he's going to be a success," Pardew told Sky Sports News.

"Obviously he's definitely got technical quality, but he's got to get a grasp. I don't think he really gets referees. He moans [in training] when me and [assistant] John [Carver] referee - and we're better than Premier League refs!

"He goes down and he thinks some of the challenges in this division should be fouls. He genuinely believes that - but they're not."

Cabella has not started for Newcastle since the 1-0 defeat to Stoke City in September.