ROUX SLAMS RAFA OVER CISSE Cisse during his Liverpool days. Guy Roux has blamed Rafa Benitez for the lack of progress made by Djibril Cisse in his career. Roux was Auxerre coach when Cisse was snapped up by Liverpool, but he feels his former charge has not yet achieved what he should have in the game. The legendary Frenchman has claimed that being played on the wing during his time with The Reds hampered Cisse's progress. "Benitez slowed down his career by playing him as a right winger," blasted Roux in L'Equipe. "He preferred to play the players he has signed in the centre. "I watched Cisse last Wednesday for Marseille against Auxerre. He didn't miss a single pass. It is untrue to say he has technical weaknesses. He has made huge improvement on that level." Roux has also heaped praise on Cisse's attitude and the way he has come back from two broken legs. "His character? He has great reactions and an excellent state of mind. "Cisse has been outstanding with his team-mates. How many players would have sulked? Moreover, do you know any boy who has two broken legs and plays football like him?" He played like he had 2 broken legs even before he broke them.
Hummm, In part, I'd agree with the above .... although I'd need a lot of convincing on the World Player of the Year bit No Doubt: - Cisse was extremely unlucky with 2 broken legs, during his time at Liverpool, something you'd never wish on anyone. - Cisse & Rafa never clicked - Cisse was signed by Gerard H and not Rafa - Cisse was played out of position, something I don't agree with as a rule, unless it's an emergency situation with a limited timeframe involved - Cisse had some serious issues away from the pitch, which no doubt didn't help his play & perhaps, his relationship with Rafa / other Liverpool players. On a personal level, I always felt we never got the best out of Cisse and we should have gotten a lot more goals - but a mix of all the above is probably responsible. As for World Player of the Year ... eh, perhaps I should have won that in my prime too !
Cisse will always be a star player in the french League where defenders cant snuff out his threat tactically, or with a lower top flight club in the Prem such as Bolton where they would play every ball through him. He just isnt tactically or emotionally aware enough to make it with the bigger teams.
Here are some stats from Cisse's time at Liverpool 2004/05 Statistics 14 starts/10 Subs/5 goals 2004/05 Statistics 19 starts/25 subs/19 goals He also scored in FA Cup Final in 2006 and a peno in the shootout in 2005 final I would argue that Cisse is a better alternative that either Kuyt or Vorinin. If he could have learned the offside rule and stayed free of injury, he MAY have been a great player.
Cisse had an terrible attitude, refused to pass to anyone but threw a fit when anyone else didnt pass to him or mis hit a pass. He also had a first touch that would make Heskey laugh, was crap at one on ones and his finishing technique consisted of hitting the ball as hard as he could and hoping he missed the keeper. And even when he played wide and could see right across the line could never keep himself onside.
Can't agrue too much with that, although I would still bet on him to score a goal in a match, not like the current 'Strikers' at the club, Kuyt and Vorinin.
The guy should have been a 100m runner. He has the speed to compete on that level, eventhough he would have probably had as many false starts as off-sides...always jumping the gun.
Its never easy to settle at a big club, plus throw the premiership into the mix ... Cisse looked kind of alright until the first leg break, I dont think he ever recovered from that one. Following that break, he wasnt the same player. Shows a lot of heart to have 2 breaks and still come back to the game. Shame he's dirt now though.
I think there's a number of reasons it didn't work out for him at Anfield, most of which have been covered already Personally I really liked him as an individual & was very disappointed he didn't make it but when you look at him closely, he was dynamite quick & could hit the ball like a bullet but that was pretty much it. His work rate was average, wasn't great in the air, looked disinterested much of the time, had no positional sense, was extremely greedy (which isn't necessarily a bad thing for a striker) and could control the ball further than most could kick it !!!! I was delighted to see him recover from his 2 horrendous injuries and wish him all the best in the future but he was never the type of player that Rafa would warm to. Very popular guy by all accounts with the other players, even long after leaving he was a guest at Stevie G's wedding
He wasn't as bad as Diouf, the leg break hindered his chances a lot but applaud him for his time although not entirely successful he did contribute to the cause.
I agree with the fact that Cisse didnt recover from those leg breaks, But he was never the most gifted player we signed, his first touch was so bad his second touch was a tackle maybe that explains the 2 leg breaks. Rafa made a Campions League out of an average player ( mind you he wasnt the only average player to pick up a medal in 05 Djimi Troare anyone). Are all us REDMEN blinkered and are the only people that can see Rafa is a good manager next thing you he will be locked up for the london bridge burning down
You must be mistaken - it was Houllier who won the CL for us in 2005 don't you know! At least according to him...
Never one to pay much attentipon to Dunphy, but think he got it spot on here when describing why cisse never made it for liverpool On Djibril Cisse - "here we have Cisse, right wing, attempts to put in a cross, BANG...hits the full back, again BANG hits the full back, BANG...off the full back again, and once more, BANG...smacks the full back again.... Millions of euro and he can't clear the first man, I mean...whats he trying to do to the full back here, Kill him??"
Sorry peterk dont know what i was thinking while i was posting that of course Houllier won the CL for us he also won the FA Cup in 06 and was CL runner up in 07 well at least according to Gray and Dunphy he did
I remember him saying that at the time. The most accurate analysis he ever made. I suppose the counter argument is that if he had been in the centre he'd have been shooting at goal and the odd shot mightn't have went BANG off the keeper. He's what I always term a side-netter, a guy that cuts in off the wing at speed and always shoots mostly hitting the side netting if that row Z and the odd time the keeper who's rarely going to be beaten at his near post. I had a problem with Gerrard over this for a while too. We've had a lot of very quick side-netters in recent times but thankfully Rafa doesn't go for them. Those that dribble in have more time/balance/composure to pick out the right cross/square pass/pull back or more to the point actually look up to see whats there. I don't think Cisse even looked to see where the keeper was. Torres's trademark glance up to see the keeper's position when passing the 2nd of the 3 defenders he'll glide pass on his way into the box is a subtle but crucial thing that the toe-boggers don't bother with. He doesn't need to look a second time when 'placing' the ball (placing rather than putting the fear of God into it). A lot would lose the ball when looking up.