Paola Di Canio: “I don’t like midfield players that touch 100 balls and don’t create anything.
“They never make mistakes and the statistics show they make 100 passes and 100 of them are good, but they are to the goalkeeper.
“I prefer to see my midfielders make 10 passes forward, seven mistakes, but three effective deliveries and then we’re going to score.
“The second goal at Newcastle came when Sebastian beat his opponent and then delivered it to Adam (Johnson) straightaway.
“The heart of the game is in the middle. If you don’t put pressure on your opponents and let them play, at this level they’re going to smash you.
“It is not just down to my central midfielders, but also my wingers when they play compact.
“Everyone in modern football wants to go down the middle to damage the opponents. But if we are a good unit, with good discipline and aggression, that can cause problems to the opponents and give you an advantage.
“If you work together either on the ball or off the ball, for sure you are going to save energy.
“It’s crucial these days to maintain distance between players and move in time and then you can be in the right place.
“We have to move in time and that comes from the training sessions.
“It’s not just about physical work, it’s in the head as well.
“You have to tell them why and show them why. Now they are realising straightaway because I’ve shown them.”