Stoke City veteran Peter Crouch says Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez's methods can become complicated.

Crouch was signed by Benitez for Liverpool.

He told Talk Sport: "I think anyone who played for Rafa at Liverpool at that time would all say the same thing…

“He was very stand-offish, he never gave you praise and when you were doing well he would always pick on something you did wrong.

“He was fantastic and he gave me my chance at one of the best clubs in the world.

“I've got loads to thank him for and I actually think he's obviously a very, very good manager, as he's proving again now.

“But there were times when I think, personally, he did over-complicate things.

“I felt that sometimes at home against lesser teams we were trying to do different things…

“I was like, 'hang on a minute, we've got Alonso, Mascherano and Gerrard in midfield, let's just go out and beat these teams! We don't need two holding midfielders, we don't need to be defensive, let's just go out and beat them!'

“Sometimes there was a bit of over-thinking, but that was just Rafa and that's what he's about."