Alan Pardew believes that "pace and exuberance" is the differences between his current Newcastle United team and the one that finished fifth in the 2011-12 season.

The Magpies made a terrible start to their current campaign, but have turned it around with four consecutive wins, propelling them to eighth position.

"We have some real assets in the team in terms of pace and exuberance. It is a different squad [to the one that finished fifth], it has not got the experience of that team," the Northern Echo quote the Toon boss as saying.

"Possession was the key to that team, and this is slightly different. We can still win games not controlling the game in terms of possession.

"Both teams had a good defence. We were quite tight that year, and we have tightened up this year which has been the difference."

Pardew has handed 17-year-old winger Callum Roberts a place in the squad for today's game against Queen's Park Rangers.