Liverpool FC Forum

[bigmick]

Cisse eh? I know he's an infuriating player and is not going to cut it up top anytime this century, and I know he doesn't like it down the right but could it just be that that is his position? Could it just be that if somebody can have word in his ear, tell him to cut out the petulance and convince him that he has no future whatsoever as a central striker, that we could make him into a right winger?
I wonder sometimes about him. He doesn't knock a bad ball in as it goes and clearly has enough pace to worry defenders (though whether he is actually faster than Henri and all the other pieces of hype we were fed by Houllier in the build up to him signing I'm not sure) and you would assume he has the engine to work the line.
This is the rub though. Does he actually, really want to play? Does he want to influence games, will he work back and support his full-back? Can he contest a header from an opposition throw in? Ultimately, can we and he make it work?
I never thought I'd hear myself say it but he could do worse than follow the example of Diouf who has turned himself into a decent wide-man once it became obvious that he too was an awful buy as a central striker by the Frenchman. Maybe I'm clutching at a bunch of straws here but it looks like we are not going to get a wide-right man in, and though I like Stevie G playing there clearly he wants to go back central. Can we, could it maybe work or is Cisse too far gone? Is his understanding of the rudiments of football so lacking that even a berth as a work the line merchant, one of the easiest positions to play in a tactical sense beyond him?

[Lando_Griffin]

I see your point Bigmick.

However, in answer to your question - no.

I feel there is no way the idle bum would accept a permanent role as right-winger.
He has the drive of a stalled Austin Allegro, the commitment of a serial filanderer, the tackling nous of Kenneth Williams, and the team-mentality of Lleyton Hewitt.

He has the pace, he has the technical ability.

He just doesn't have the brains.

[JC_81]

Have to say Mick I think we'd be clutching at straws hoping that we could convert Cisse into a wide man.  For a moment I'll not even consider his stinking attitude and whether he'd ever be content with switching permanently to out wide, and I'll look at it from a technical point of view.

You mention Diouf, and although I hate to say it, he does look like a decent wide player these days, he suits that 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation that Bolton use at the moment.  But the one major difference between the 2 players when you ask them to play in a deeper role is first touch.  First touch is Diouf's main attribute imo, whereas it's probably Cisse's weakest attribute.  A wide player needs to be able to control the ball first and foremost to give them a chance about thinking about distribution or beating a man, but Cisse fails to do this most of the time.

Cisse is an instinctive player, if he has to think too much about something he messes it up.  Ball over the top and bang, a goal from Cisse - that's how it was at Auxerre.  At Liverpool he receives the ball with his back to goal and either miscontrols or doesn't know what to do.  Out wide it would be the same problem.  He doesn't fit our system and I fear he never will, whether it be out wide or up front.

[redmikey]

cissie has had enough threads and enough chances. He would never work hard enough to support finnan going backward and would moan at him for ever pass that wasn't inch perfect.

I am not an out and out cissie hater but he hasn't shown the talent that we all thought he had. I remember alot of the big names on here saying that he was going to be amazing back when i was reading the threads on a works pc and couldn't take part.

I had never heard of the player but at 14 mill you think he must be ace and he's in the french squad .and when he turned up you have to give the lad a chance to adapt ala henry,

Then he broke his leg and worked his rocks off to get back.which showed alot of heart which people
love.

But we are half way through a season and he hasn't got a first touch, or any skill on the ball , he isn't calm in front of goal and strops like feck when anyone else fecks up.

Imo rafa hasn't seen anything he wants to keep ala baros and will sell him when he has a suitable replacement lined up.and he won't play him rm because he isn't good enough

[Garymac]

Not for me, he lacks anything apart from pace, its all the boy has, he is a waste of space in my opinion and the quicker hes off the better, he doesnt have the intelligence to play in his 1st choice position so he will be even more lost out wide, all we will se is a lot of head down, running in a straight line and failed attempts at crosses.

He would also become the 3rd Houllier striker to cost over 10 million and fail misrably in that position, 14 million for a striker who is now going to be a bit part winger is truly shocking once again, as what happened with Diouf and what happened with Heskey.

And we have now spent around 50 Million pound on Strikers since Houllier took over (Hesky, Diouf,Pongo, Crouch, Morientes, Baros and Cisse) And in all fairness to all these, before this lot we had Collymore, who in terms of ability, was far better than any of these lot, that boy would have had the right mentality he could have done anything he wanted with his career.

And not one of them has ever looked capable of getting 20 goals in a season, the only ones who did where the ones on a free, Owen and Fowler, so its needles to say that signing strikers isnt are Managers strongest points so far.

Maybe it is time that we pushed the boat out a little on the striking front, If Cisse and Morientes were to leave in the summer, i would like to see Rafa bring in a real top class center forward as it is what we are craving most. We havent signed a class striker since Rush

[Poolinc.]

One huge flaw with putting Cisse on the wing.....he simply cannot cross a ball! Let's just get rid of him. He will never make the grade!

[Ace Ventura]

It depends on the game imo, i would not have a problem playing him wide right in a game that we are certain to control and not be put on the back foot. Like Birmingham tomorrow, his crossing is decent and his pace will cause problems for any full back.
His touch is awful and in games against anyone that will cause us problems i wouldnt fancy him there at all, as he will not provide any cover for Finnan.
In the short term in might be worth a go, but he really doesn't have the ability or nouse to adapt to that position in the long term.

[NCRedFan7]

Has anyone else been watching our reserves matches?  Paul Anderson looks like he's ready for prime-time.  He has energy, pace, and he's just plain wonderful to watch on the ball.  Does anyone else think he's almost ready for the bigs?  Or is he simply too young to be thrust onto the Premiership stage?

[Liverpool 4 EVA]

I feel sorry for Cissé, he seems like a decent lad, but he just doesnt have the footballing ability, not as a striker nor as a winger, no way.

I wish it would work out for him, but he has shown so many times that hes doesn't have the ability, it's as simple as that.

[stmichael]

at the end of the day bigmick, you've either got it or you haven't. in cisse's case i just don't think the guy is willing to listen in order to improve. when he plays down the right he gets into good crossing positions but then the end product is garbage.

[andy_g]

i think if he was stationed all the way out right he might make a half decent ball boy, but anywhere near the first eleven and i think he just weakens the team. we all know he has raw pace, but so does an ostrich, though the ostrich probably has a better footballing brain.

his period of grace after battling bravely back form a hideous injury is well and truly over and we can now only see him as the limited footballer he is. a winger or wide man needs plenty of nouse - he needs to know when to track back, when to go for the by line, when to whip in an early ball and when to wait for play to catch up. cisse only knows how to kick the ball forwards and run fast. the fact that he's put in maybe a couple of balls into the box when he's been out there does not make him a possible winger.

gerrard is doing a job out there, and its not like we're lacking in quality players in the middle. the sooner cisse is gone and the money put towards a proper striker the better.

[stmichael]

BREAKING NEWS

Liverpool have just announced that Djibril Cisse's wife has changed her name to 'Annette' - this means he won't hit her again all season... 

[thegreedo]

BREAKING NEWS

Liverpool have just announced that Djibril Cisse's wife has changed her name to 'Annette' - this means he won't hit her again all season... 

LMFAO!!

[ynwa]

i dont think he will right mid but i like him to play there he will worry the defence with his pace so let hope he lose his aggrisen out him when he plays

[thegreedo]

Normally I find myself agreeing with most of your posts Mick, however I have to say this time I think you are being incredibly optimistic. The ability to direct a decent cross 50% of the time by no means makes you a winger. I do however salute your positive thinking Mick!