Jonjo Shelvey has praised Steve Bruce's tactics after Newcastle United's win over West Ham.
The midfielder revealed that Bruce pinpointed West Ham's tendency to play a high line and deployed Shelvey to pick holes in their defence.
Shelvey responded with a magnificent man-of-the-match display and afterwards, Shelvey told NUFC TV: "We know that Pellegrini's teams like to play a high line.
"The gaffer spoke about it before.
"They (West Ham) always struggle with runners from deep and we worked on it in training and it paid off.
"It was a great win and we dug deep in the last 20 minutes.
"In the first half we should have been four goals up.
"We should have been more clinical but when you are down at the bottom you need to take any win as it comes."
Shelvey returned to the starting line-up after losing his place to the Longstaff brothers but with Sean Longstaff banned he returned to the field.
He added: "It's nice to just play a game, it has been five weeks.
"I just kept my head down and I am waiting for an opportunity. It is what it is.
"I have been around long enough to know you just have to keep working hard and fight for your place.
"That is what I'm going to do this season."
