Senegalese ace Cisse lit up the Premier League last season with 13 goals after joining Newcastle in January.
But the striker has managed just one league goal in 11 this campaign — and that one came via a lucky deflection off his back.
Toon boss Alan Pardew admits the form of the 27-year-old is a concern, but denies his goal troubles have reached the level of Spaniard Torres, who has scored just 19 goals in 88 games for Chelsea.
Pards said: “I am talking to Papiss and trying to calm him, telling him that he’s still he same player and we are still very confident in him.
“It’s only been a small period if you compare it to, say, Torres’ period.
“But you would have to say it’s something we are going to have to keep an eye on because we don’t want it to end up like poor old Torres has ended up at times.
“He’s a great player, Papiss, and we want to get the best out of him.”
The Magpies are on a woeful run having lost their last three Premier League matches, including two at St James’ Park.
Toon head to Stoke tonight for what is likely to be another tough test and Pardew admits his team are not a happy camp at the moment.
He added: “The training ground is a negative place, to a degree, because everyone is feeling a little bit sorry for themselves.
“You have to shake that out and be professional about it.
“But it does affect your mood, you can’t help that, and there’s a determination on our training ground to put it right.
“We are going to Stoke, one of the most difficult places there is to do that, but that’s what we are going to try to do.”
The Sun
