Cisse gets lost in translation

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew says Papiss
Demba Cisse is having a hard time
settling at the club because of his limited
grasp of English.
Cisse arrived at Newcastle with a bang,
scoring a superb winner on debut against
Aston Villa, but the Senegal striker has
struggled in recent weeks and Pardew
said he is having his trouble getting his
message across to the 26-year-old who
arrived in January from Freiburg.
“I can’t explain to him in great detail
what I want him to do and what he can do
for the team,” Pardew told The Telegraph.
“You’re doing it through interpreters and the
message can get lost.”
“What I do know is that in training, his finishing
is a huge asset. The problem that we’ve got at
the moment is that we’re not creating enough
chances for him.”
Newcastle have won only one of their last six
Premier League games, and Pardew believes
Cisse – if he can shrug off the close attention he
receives from defenders – could help arrest that
slide.
“We’re not getting him in a position (to score),”
Pardew said.
“So there’s no point in him being on the pitch if
we’re not able to dominate the game and create
chances where he can bring out what’s best in
him.”
“Plus it’s a tougher league and there are more
physical centre-halves here who don’t give him
the time he had in the Bundesliga.”
“He’s certainly found the last couple of games
tough and this Sunday (against Norwich),
hopefully he’ll get the message that we’re trying
to get to him about what he needs to do.”
“He’s a good lad and he’s diligent. He can speak
four languages already so I don’t think learning
another one is going to be a problem.”
“I want to protect him a little bit because he got
off to such a flying start, but there was always
going to be a period when he’s going to find it
difficult and he has — make no bones about
that.”