Ex-Kop star Cisse: 'Liverpool don't have the strength in depth a top club needs'

Djibril Cisse last night admitted he is "saddened" by Liverpool's demise under Rafa Benitez.

Former Anfield striker Cisse has also claimed Benitez's lack of strength in depth and reliance on Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard is the reason behind their poor campaign.

Benitez is under pressure as Liverpool are on the brink of crashing out of the Champions League and are in serious danger of missing out on the top four this season.

It is a far cry from Benitez's glory days when the Liverpool boss led the club to European success in 2005 in Istanbul when Cisse was one of the penalty shoot-out heroes against AC Milan.

Cisse, now enjoying a prolific spell at Panathinaikos, says it pains him that Liverpool have not built on their incredible 2005 Champions League final success.

France international Cisse told Mirror Sport : "After winning the Champions League, and in the way we did it, it makes me sad to see the club struggling like it is now.

"I loved the club, I still do and it remains close to my heart. The fans are fantastic and they deserve a lot better. They are the best fans in the world, always so supportive.

"I thought the club would go on and be even more successful after winning the Champions League. But these are difficult times for Liverpool.

"It is easy to see why it's happening - they do not have the strength in depth or the squad that a top club needs.

"You need more than just two strikers if you are a top club. In fact, if you are a top club in the Champions League then you need four strikers. You need at least four, and possibly more with different options.

"Liverpool have Fernando Torres and David Ngog. I know Ngog and he is a really good player. The Liverpool fans must be patient with him because he is very talented. But the problem is that he is very young and still learning.

"They haven't got the sort of squad and cover in positions that you need to be successful in different competitions and that is the problem."

Cisse is still close to Liverpool captain Gerrard - the pair speak regularly - and it has been a difficult season for the England midfielder.

But Cisse believes Gerrard will turn around the club's fortunes this season - just as long as he returns to full fitness as soon as possible.

Cisse said: "They have had so many injuries and part of that is down to bad luck, especially when the injuries effect Torres and Gerrard.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful to the other players, but a Liverpool team without Gerrard and Torres is not the same. You could say that about other teams losing big players, but they would have back up.

"They struggle to score goals without Torres and Gerrard, and scoring goals and creating chances is a big part of the problem and what is going wrong at the moment.

"They have had bad luck as well - when will you ever get what happened with the beach ball goal at Sunderland happening again? That was a freak."

Cisse had an unhappy exit from Liverpool in 2006, when he claimed that Benitez was trying to force him out. But, despite his regret, Cisse only has fond memories of his time at Anfield and, in particular, the fans.

He said: "I don't want to judge the manager. But I didn't want to leave the club. It is the same for other players as well. I had a good goalscoring record for the club and I'm still very proud of that.

"I had a fantastic relationship with the fans. I've been back twice, with Sunderland and Marseille, and had a fantastic reception both times.

"That shows how strong my relationship is with the supporters. That comes, I suppose, from the Champions League success in 2005. That was a very special time and I would love to see that happen again for the club."

Cisse, who was married in a tuxedo in the red of Liverpool, is now in prolific form for Panathinaikos with seven goals in 10 games this season, but his wife Jude still lives in Cheshire with their children.

They travel regularly to Greece but Cisse also has a great deal of affection for English football, having played for both Liverpool and Sunderland.

Cisse is catching the eye of English clubs with his form for Panathinaikos and, despite being a huge star in Greece, may be tempted back.

More than 3,000 fans welcomed him at the airport when he flew in for talks with Panathinaikos and, despite suffering racist abuse from opposing fans, he has only praise for the supporters of his club.

Cisse added: "It was a difficult start for me because the football is not as easy people think. I'm more confident now. The Panathinaikos supporters have been good and it's different, a completely different experience.

"But people know that I have a great affection for England and English football. I had so many great times there and my family are still there, so we will see what happens in the future."

Albert Riera says bad luck has destroyed Liverpool's confidence - read the full story here