Alan Pardew: "When you have a player who has a special talent, sometimes they look at you as a manager and they want to play.
"He wasn't fit. He had worked really, really hard, but he wasn't actually match-fit.
"He was fit, but not match-fit, not really sure of how we played and in the Premier League, the transition of play, where he should be and where he shouldn't be.
"He has taken on board and he has listened to me and he as listened to my staff and he has been very, very diligent.
"That's why nothing would give me more pleasure than for him to make the French squad, and I think he can.
"He has got some individual ability that I would be very surprised if France has that in the squad in terms of what he can do to a team.
"Even if he was to be taken as an impact player, he's got a great opportunity and he is in great shape.
"We have got some great players here - and actually, some of the players I inherited were the ones who won us the game.
"[Mike] Williamson and [James] Perch were probably the two best players on the pitch and if we owe victory to any particular players, it was probably those two."