Cabaye appeals to Magpies board

Newcastle star Yohan Cabaye believes it is vital the club keep hold of their best players if they are to be successful next season.

The Magpies were one of the Premier League's surprise packages last campaign, defying gloomy pre-season predictions of relegation to compete at the top end of the table. Alan Pardew's men eventually finished an impressive fifth, ensuring a crack at the Europa League this upcoming season. That success hasn't gone unnoticed with a number of clubs circling around United's best players, including top scorer Demba Ba and January signing Papiss Cisse. Cabaye admitted he is aware of the interest in some of his team-mates but has urged owner Mike Ashley and the board to resist any big-money offers. "Demba scored so many goals for us so it's going to be important to keep him - and keep all the big players," said the France international. "I hope the board are going to do the right things to keep them. "I don't know if we can go higher than last season, but we have to keep doing the right thing." If Newcastle do manage to keep hold of their major stars then optimism will be sky-high on Tyneside ahead of the new season. Crafty punters may want to use their free bet to back the Magpies to go one better than last year and breach the Premier League's top four.