There Is A Way Forward Without Cisse

Papiss Cisse is holding one-man training sessions and the Newcastle United fan panic meter has cranked back up after a strangely quiet couple of weeks.

Sure, fans have been clamoring for at least a couple of signings since Newcastle's miserable 2012-13 season ended. But the frenzy surrounding the club had calmed considerably since Joe Kinnear unleashed his verbal napalm attack in mid-June.

The sense of hysteria heading into the new season has returned over the past week as report after report has confirmed what had first been rumored months ago: Cisse, Newcastle's top striker last season, is refusing to wear anything emblazoned with the logo of the club's new sponsor, Wonga.

Apart from a few rumblings about Cisse wanting a new contract or a transfer, his reasoning is said to be based on his religious beliefs as a devout Muslim. I'm no expert on Islamic law, so I won't attempt to poke holes in Cisse's argument by examining the differences between Virgin Money and Wonga. Even highly paid athletes have the right to take moral stands, provided they're willing to deal with the consequences.

And the ultimate consequence of this dispute seems to be Cisse's departure. Not exactly the ideal situation for Newcastle when you consider the team's lack of depth up front and poor bargaining position. (Why would teams pay top dollar for a player they know Newcastle has to sell?)

Still, it's worth remembering just how poor Cisse's 2012-13 season was. Of the Premier League players who attempted more than 50 shots, only four (Leon Osman, Robert Snodgrass, Adel Taarabt and Nikica Jelavic) produced a worse minutes per goal figure than Cisse's 376.

Cisse's 11 percent chance conversion rate put him near the bottom of the league for regularly starting strikers. For comparison's sake, Bobby Zamora put away 20 percent of his chances. Heck, even Kenwyne Jones finished off 12 percent. Repeat: KENWYNE JONES!

Cisse's struggles were obviously part of the teamwide problems that gripped Newcastle last season. He was played out of position early on and didn't get consistent service when he did revert back to a central forward role. But too often, Cisse didn't find a way to contribute when the struggling team around him wasn't generating copious chances. And when a few scraps fell his way, he wasn't nearly efficient enough.

Even after a year and a half at Newcastle, including a blistering first five months, Cisse is a bit of an enigma on the field. Is anyone entirely certain which formation suits him best? He willingly runs the channels, but his complete lack of hold-up play makes him a risky play as a lone central striker. And we all know how he and Demba Ba performed when paired together up top.

All this isn't to say that Cisse is terrible. Remember, this is a guy who converted an otherwordly 37 percent of his chances during the second half of the 2011-12 season. He has shown he's capable of scoring spectacular goals and, even in the midst of his struggles last season, he popped up with goals at key moments. It's just that Cisse shouldn't be an unquestioned No. 1 striker given the gaping holes in his game. Ideally, Newcastle would bring in a more physical striker to complement or challenge Cisse.

But if the only way forward is selling Cisse, buying several replacements — always a dangerous assumption when it comes to Newcastle — and giving Yoan Gouffran some run up top, then perhaps we can all calm down for a bit.

And if Cisse is still training by himself in mid-August? Then, by all means, let's resume the panicking.

Comments

[Vernon Moyse]

We should support Papiss Cisse because WONGA is completely wrong for a football club strip with Newcastle's history and supporters. Sign the petition at https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/SUPPORT_NEWCASTLE_UNITED_FC_STRIKER_CISSE_IN_OPPOSING_WONGA_STRIP