ALAN PARDEW has praised Newcastle United’s counter-attacking capabilities and claimed the current side boasts superior pace and incision to the team that qualified for Europe in 2012.

The Magpies head into today’s home game with QPR looking to record a sixth successive victory in all competitions, with the memory of their dismal start to the season having been erased by the recent winning run.

Their most recent success at West Brom provided a perfect illustration of their ability to hit teams on the break, and while Rolando Aarons and Gabriel Obertan are absent because of long-term injuries, the likes of Ayoze Perez, Sammy Ameobi and Remy Cabella are still able to provide speed and penetration up front.

“We have some real assets in the team in terms of pace and exuberance,” said Pardew, who has handed 17-year-old winger Callum Roberts a place in the squad for today's game. “It is a different squad (to the one that finished fifth), it has not got the experience of that team.

“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.”

The latest test of Newcastle’s improvement comes this afternoon as they host a QPR side that is likely to feature Joey Barton as he makes his first return to St James’ Park since leaving the Magpies in 2011.

QPR drew with Manchester City in their final outing before the international break, but are 19th in the table after failing to pick up a single point from their five away matches to date.

Harry Redknapp’s side have shipped 14 goals on their travels, but Pardew feels they are a much better side than their league position suggests.

“Harry knows that his team is playing well,” he said. “When I was under a difficult spell, just before the big disappointment at Southampton, we were terrific but didn’t win a game. I think that’s where QPR are at.

“They are better than the position they are in, and we’ll see that. We won’t be surprised to get a tough game.

“I think there will be goals – hopefully, we’ll get one more than them. I always enjoy Harry’s teams. They play to win, like my teams, and are always on the front foot with flair.”

Redknapp came close to joining Newcastle in 2008, only to reject Mike Ashley’s offer of the manager’s job shortly after Sam Allardyce had been dismissed.

Redknapp refused to walk away from his then position in charge of Portsmouth, and insists he has no regrets about passing up the opportunity to manage the Magpies.

He has watched the club’s internal politics from afar though, and feels the deeply unpopular Ashley has been given an unfairly rough ride.

“The chairman has been fantastic,” said Redknapp. “He gets a lot of stick, Mike Ashley, but he’s always at the games in the crowd.

“He follows the team, loves it, and has stuck by Alan because he knows he’s got a good manager. It’s easy to make a knee-jerk reaction and bomb him out. But they finished fifth the other year and were very unlucky not to finish in the Champions League places – he’s done a good job.”