Benitez wants more from temperamental Cisse

RAFAEL BENITEZ will again look to harness the desire and passion of Djibril Cisse as Liverpool chase the victory which would take them a giant step closer to the Champions League knock-out stages.

But by telling the French striker that Liverpool “can play with or without you”, Benitez has underlined the player-manager dividing line and shown that Cisse’s theatrical handshake of apology after his winner against Blackburn has earned no favours.

The Anfield boss takes his Champions League holders to Anderlecht, who hold the unenviable competition record of losing nine successive group stage matches.

Benitez will never have a better chance to ease his side towards qualification from a tricky Group G, but he has made it clear nobody is sure of their place.

Benitez said: “I will not say ‘this is my 11 starters for the season’. I prefer to say to the players, ‘try and convince me you want to play all the games’, it is important to have competition.

“Simply, we are happy when the team wins and the strikers score goals. I have talked with Cisse and there has been comment about our relationship. But it is a professional one and we have no problems.

“He knows he is a player I can use or not use, it depends on his team-mates or my decisions. If he works hard for the team he can play more games, but it also depends on who else I have available.”

Benitez believes Anderlecht will have to attack - after defeats to Chelsea and Real Betis already - and he will deploy pace to punish the Belgians if they leave space.

That is tailor-made for Cisse, and a continuation of his fledgling partnership with Peter Crouch.

Cisse said: “The partnership with Peter worked well. We are starting to know each other and try to make good movements.

“Peter has good qualities and he doesn’t need to listen to what people are saying, they should stop. He is confident and has good qualities and that showed in this game. He will be okay, fine.”

If Liverpool win in Brussels and Chelsea overcome Betis at Stamford Bridge, both English sides should make the last 16 - one more win each from three games should do it.

Benitez will utilise his favoured counter-attacking style in the Constant Vanden Stock stadium.

He said of Anderlecht: “They need to win, and it means they will have to attack, to play ‘high’ up the pitch. There will be spaces for us so we could use pace up front against them.

“I have seen the videos of their games and they have good players. But sometimes they play too nicely and in football it is hard to play nice and win. It is hard to combine the two things.

“They have players with quality and pace, but sometimes they go forward and leave spaces.

“I am sure they will try to go forward because they need to win and we will have to be prepared to take advantage.”