Responding to the devil's advocate: we lose possession a lot more when we play long ball without him, which is generally the alternative to having him in the team
Amazes me the arguments that are given for not starting him by Pardew. Work rate, ball retention, all that shite. Surely that's all cancelled out by how much good he does and the fact the alternative will lose the ball just as much through other, only less speculative, means? Not just by using his own ability, but like I mentioned earlier, the fact that everyone around him starts playing on the deck and just generally a more fluid team.