That’s bollocks tbh. It’s harsh on Phil to call him that when he’s won games for us single handedly down the years and is still so young. One thing we probably agree on is that he needs to be around better players to play well but that’s completely normal
10 | Rayan Cherki - 2025/26
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Cheadle_hulmeBlue
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Don’t agree with that at all. Foden has been one of our only bright sparks this season.
One of the first names on the team sheet for me
Cheadle_hulmeBlue
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He played as a ten and often came in from wing as well.
Why not just play him in his best position?
Sibierskii
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BlueKolarovWorker
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Just lovely to watch. The sort of player you gladly pay your money to go and see. I think him and Foden will form a great understanding.
Le Havre Oswald
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Like a pro helping his mates out in power league. Too easy for him
The question is whether Foden is the best player we have in that position. If Cherki is a better 10, why play Foden there? Foden hasn't been the best at creating chances. Over the last 3 seasons he has fewer than 10 assists for Haaland. Even in his best season, 23/24, he didn't have many assists. He was more of a second striker.
Fans want to fit in all players they like regardless of team balance. IF Cherki is a better 10, then Foden gets in the team as an 8 or on the wing (but more as a midfielder than a pure winger). To be a proper 8, he needs to be able to run a lot and win duels in midfield. He will fit more naturally on the wing right now.
Cherki needs to prove he's the better player in the 10 role. He looks more natural there but he needs to show his quality in the PL and the CL. It's Foden's role for now.
richards30
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Pep needs to play him now and give him a run of games, can see Erling feasting on Cherki`s passing.
Cheadle_hulmeBlue
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I’d argue foden won us the league and got player of the season playing primarily as a ten. It’s not always about assists or goals either, as foden is hugely influential either way. He’s done it for years as well
If it was about assists and goals most of the front line wouldn’t be playing either ;)
As you say cherki has to prove it consistently.
Petetheblu
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Folk we have a player on our hands.
He's like a mini Tevez? His movement is exactly the same.
He's full of confidence and ready to try a pass. The competition that Phil needs and maybe a spark for Phil's imagination? It would be great to see them together in the middle, but we'd need Rodri and Nico behind them.
More than likely if we see them on the same pitch, Pep will put one of them on out wide.
A really refreshing player to watch.
He's like a mini Tevez? His movement is exactly the same.
He's full of confidence and ready to try a pass. The competition that Phil needs and maybe a spark for Phil's imagination? It would be great to see them together in the middle, but we'd need Rodri and Nico behind them.
More than likely if we see them on the same pitch, Pep will put one of them on out wide.
A really refreshing player to watch.
'Foden won us the league' is a bit of overstatement, given that Haaland scored more league goals (27 vs 19) and Rodri was the best player in the world that season, contributing 17 GA in the league from DM.
Foden was a second striker in 23/24 as evidenced by his numbers: much more goals than assists.
It's not a given his numbers will be better than Cherki's in that position (behind Haaland). Cherki has scored as many goals this season as Foden while playing a lot fewer minutes.
The team comes first. Whoever makes us better in the 10 starts there. Also, there is not a single 10 role: a 10 may be a second striker or a playmaker or something else. In 23/24 Rodri made it possible to have both KDB and Foden in the team. Whether and how it is possible in 25/26 to have both Foden and Cherki without being defensively vulnerable is another question.
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dunno about Tevez, but he reminds me mix of Messi and Neymar, can he get to the levels of those guys, that depends on him, but he has talent to do that
BlueMoonAcrossThePond
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Remember when Tevez was in our side? Remember the tidy one-two touches he had with David Silva to break a low block and get a great shot on goal sometimes leading to a score?
We've lacked that sort of offense for a long, long while.
Might it - however, resurface with Cherki and Foden and Reijinders? I think and hope so. We're capable of a quick one-two past a low block, but so far this hasn't been exploited. Hopefully Pep will employ this into our attack.
We've lacked that sort of offense for a long, long while.
Might it - however, resurface with Cherki and Foden and Reijinders? I think and hope so. We're capable of a quick one-two past a low block, but so far this hasn't been exploited. Hopefully Pep will employ this into our attack.
This is where he played in 23/24
It's as much on the wing as central, and if we put Cherki in the 10 and Foden on the RW they'll swap positions naturally in-game.
As for why... because he's just not creating the big chances in the middle that Cherki is, he's scored 1 goal in the PL & CL in 8 games so he's not doing it in the middle currently, and I don't think we're getting away with a Cherki-Foden-Rodri midfield in any big game.
Plus we know he can score plenty from the RW and we desperately need another goalscorer in the front 3.
Petetheblu
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Thankfully its all positives.
Phil needs this competition, someone that will give him a boost to try something different or spark his imagination again.
I wonder if Phil is a little bit more stat weary, what with growing up with players whose stats would have been off the charts, and Cherki has a personality that makes him less worried? He seems to play with a little more mental freedom. Something I'd love Phil to do occasionally, as he's absolute quality.
Either way Phil has competition, which can only be good news.
Petetheblu
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Yep, but if he gets to Tevez's level we still have a fantastic player on our hand, great times.
CΛL
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Until Cherki scores 19 league goals in a single campaign (no penalties) from the number 10 position, he hasn’t yet reached prime Phil Foden.
Both wonderful talents and we’re lucky to have them.
Shame for us is that, when we had Silva and KDB as roaming 8’s, they both had the engine and work rate to do enough defensively and to press that I think neither Phil or Cherki have, so our best option of seeing them both is one of them playing RW (probably Cherki) and having Nunes play as an overlapping fullback.