Alan Pardew admits to Cisse 'crisis'

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has admitted that Papiss Cisse is in the middle of a rare confidence crisis as the striker continues to struggle in front of goal.

Cisse has not scored in his last eight games for Newcastle and was poor against Norwich City on Sunday, even blasting a first-half penalty high into the stands. His form this season is in stark contrast to the phenomenal impact he had in his first five months on Tyneside, scoring 13 goals in 15 appearances following a pounds 10?million move in January from Freiburg.

"We will help Papiss through this," Pardew said. "Myself and my team have got the best out of most of my players here, particularly Papiss last season. Now he needs help and that's where we hopefully come into line. He is still getting into positions and for sure, you worry more if he wasn't. He had three good chances [against Norwich] and in training, they are flying in, but in the game situations, sometimes you just need a bit of luck. He scored an unbelievable goal for Senegal against Ivory Coast and we hoped that would be the spark he needs, but it's not happened.

"I don't see an overriding problem - I just know with Papiss one moment, one goal will get him back in the groove. Like all great players, you've got to stand by them."

Newcastle travel to Manchester United in the Capital One Cup tomorrow night and Cisse could start in a strong starting XI alongside midfield enforcer Chieck Tiote and centre-back Fabricio Coloccini.

While Cisse struggles, his compatriot Demba Ba is in exceptional form with four goals in six games after initially finding it difficult to adapt to the arrival of his fellow Senegal international. Ba scored 15 goals before the signing of Cisse in January, but only once more that season as Cisse stole the limelight. Pardew was happy to admit that if Newcastle could get both strikers firing at the same time the club would "be laughing".