10 | Rayan Cherki - 2025/26

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

For a genuinely 2 footed player it was unnecessary really.

As others have stated, I thought the skill for the Haaland chance was much more impressive.

A piece of skill that caught the defender out of shape. Had he shifted his feet for a conventional cross the defender might well have covered it.

I agree with you on the Haaland chance.

 

[KS55]

He plays street football. Brilliant. He cost a fortune…..£35m!!

 

[OB1]

A wise once told me never eat yellow snow and if you come across a sleeping Weasel piss in its ear.

That’s a Frank opinion.

 

[Ajm1985]

A piece of skill that caught the defender out of shape. Had he shifted his feet for a conventional cross the defender might well have covered it.

I agree with you on the Haaland chance.

Yeah that's what I was thinking - caught the defender flat footed as he was expecting something else

 

[Skrastins]

i would not be surprised that City lock him to a better deal after this season

 

[TonyBookEnd]

A piece of skill that caught the defender out of shape. Had he shifted his feet for a conventional cross the defender might well have covered it.

I agree with you on the Haaland chance.

He'd already beaten the defender all ends up and took an extra touch with his left before the Rabona.

But glad we're discussing something which makes people smile rather than the endlessly dry discussion about legal or accounting matters

 

[Marvin.]

What happened in the 2nd half vs Sunderland that brought Cherki to prominence? I don't remember him doing anything in the first half. Did Sunderland just get tired?

 

[Gabriel]

A piece of skill that caught the defender out of shape. Had he shifted his feet for a conventional cross the defender might well have covered it.

Indeed. Bernardo had already overrun and if Cherki had taken time to shift his balance again to use his left foot, then there's every danger that Foden would have overrun, too. At this level, fractions of a second make a huge difference.

We've never had a player so equally adept with both feet. Countless that were equally dreadful with both feet, but none like this.

 

[Gabriel]

What happened in the 2nd half vs Sunderland that brought Cherki to prominence? I don't remember him doing anything in the first half. Did Sunderland just get tired?

He passed it to Dias to score and he passed it to Silva to blaze over. If Sunderland tired, it was as much to with the fact that we moved the ball constantly and quickly in the first half, and Cherki was instrumental in that.

 

[kippaxchris]

He'd already beaten the defender all ends up and took an extra touch with his left before the Rabona.

But glad we're discussing something which makes people smile rather than the endlessly dry discussion about legal or accounting matters

Taking the extra touch gave him the time to set it up perfectly for Foden, had he released it earlier Foden wouldnt have arrived at the ball, it was all necessary.

 

[Marvin.]

He passed it to Dias to score and he passed it to Silva to blaze over. If Sunderland tired, it was as much to with the fact that we moved the ball constantly and quickly in the first half, and Cherki was instrumental in that.

Grealish was very good at making very precise passes for other players that didn't look that much at the time. I am thinking now of the assist for Foden's winning goal vs Leeds.

I read some stat yesterday that said that Cherki was the most productive player per minute in the Premier League in terms of chances and assists. I know Doku is right up there too.

We need to be careful that by adding Cherki we don't overload our midfield. On transition, City could be vulnerable. We were at Fulham but probably then because we took Gonzalez off and we stopped working

 

[Gabriel]

Grealish was very good at making very precise passes for other players that didn't look that much at the time. I am thinking now of the assist for Foden's winning goal vs Leeds.

I read some stat yesterday that said that Cherki was the most productive player per minute in the Premier League in terms of chances and assists. I know Doku is right up there too.

We need to be careful that by adding Cherki we don't overload our midfield. On transition, City could be vulnerable. We were at Fulham but probably then because we took Gonzalez off and we stopped working

I agree. We need to choose the right players for the right occasion and be prepared to rotate within games, too. There's so much more to come from this squad of players, Cherki included.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

Cherki is awesomely talented.

I do wish, however, that he'd eliminate his showboating.

Why? Because it:
1) Is less likely to succeed;
2) Pisses the opposition off - they're going to purposely foul you and you are much more likely to be injured;
3) Places self, above team. You're showboating to impress fans, at the expense of team;
4) Encourages such behavior from other players in our side;

Even if you - as a player - are OK with 1 & 2 - and even if you only try this when up by two goals or more - it still risks your side losing points - us especially, because our entire team is going through a rebuilding phase and at the moment we're unfortunately prone to let big leads slip.

 

[marc_mcfc90]

Cherki is awesomely talented.

I do wish, however, that he'd cut out his showboating.

Why? Because it's:
1) Less likely to succeed;
2) Pisses the opposition off - they're going to purposely foul you and you are much more likely to be injured;
3) It places self, above team. You're showboating to impress fans, at the expense of team.

Bloooooodyyyy hell I bet your the life of the party.

Just admit you don’t like football

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

Bloooooodyyyy hell I bet your the life of the party.

Just admit you don’t like football

Fuck off.

I'll bet you'd change your tune if Cherki is out for a year because some pissed off opponent broke his leg.

Or if we're up 3-1 against the Scum, Cherki tries this sort of thing, it doesn't work, the ball turns over and they score, and now it's 3-2... and the Scum come to life in a game that was done-and-dusted for us is now up for grabs... with the eventual score ending 3-3... or worse.

 

[Mr HJ]

Cherki is awesomely talented.

I do wish, however, that he'd eliminate his showboating.

Why? Because it:
1) Is less likely to succeed;
2) Pisses the opposition off - they're going to purposely foul you and you are much more likely to be injured;
3) Places self, above team. You're showboating to impress fans, at the expense of team;
4) Encourages such behavior from other players in our side;

Even if you - as a player - are OK with 1 & 2 - and even if you only try this when up by two goals or more - it still risks your side losing points - us especially, because our entire team is going through a rebuilding phase and at the moment we're unfortunately prone to let big leads slip.

To be honest BMAP the showboating theme is something that to me seems a bit made up by the press and even Pep. Cherki, like Kev before him tries the hard passes. This brings him more assists than the normal player, just like Kev. Sure he has the innate ability to try things that may look unnecessary but football after all is entertainment. Last season we struggled a bit and lacked the maverick type player that gets people off their seats. We have plenty of players that will run and run and take the easier options - it's all about balance.

I understand why you posted it and naturally I respect any opinion. Yet, Rayan Cherki is supremely talented, helps us win, makes Erling and Phil in particular get excited about being on the end of his passes - so for me he should be a fixture in the side & is key to our future.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

To be honest BMAP the showboating theme is something that to me seems a bit made up by the press and even Pep. Cherki, like Kev before him tries the hard passes. This brings him more assists than the normal player, just like Kev. Sure he has the innate ability to try things that may look unnecessary but football after all is entertainment. Last season we struggled a bit and lacked the maverick type player that gets people off their seats. We have plenty of players that will run and run and take the easier options - it's all about balance.

I understand why you posted it and naturally I respect any opinion. Yet, Rayan Cherki is supremely talented, helps us win, makes Erling and Phil in particular get excited about being on the end of his passes - so for me he should be a fixture in the side & is key to our future.

Let me be clear. I'm 100% for giving Cherki free reign to move about the pitch and control games. I'm 100% OK for Cherki to try risky passes as he sees fit, so long as he makes such passes as skillfully as he can with an emphasis on team, on successful completion, and bearing in mind state of game.

As an aside, Cherki does understand momentum and state of game. He intentionally slowed down play against Sunderland when we were 2 up but the game was becoming far too wide open. Thanks to his deliberate tempo-slowing play, we regained control of the game when it was slipping away.

What I'm against is showboating. A rabona at any point in a match - unless it's a testimonial or some such in which case go for it! - is both less likely to succeed and is going to piss off the opposition.

 

[Mr HJ]

Let me be clear. I'm 100% for giving Cherki free reign to move about the pitch and control games. I'm 100% OK for Cherki trying risky passes as he sees fit, so long as he makes such passes as skillfully as he can with an emphasis on success.

What I'm against is showboating. A rabona at any point in a match - unless it's a celebrational in which case go for it! - is both less likely to succeed and is going to piss off the opposition.

I'd be with you if he was trying the rabona all the time - if you watch closely the track and pace of the cross was actually better than if he had tried a simple extra touch cross. How many times this year alone have we seen our wide men not find an attacker with over hit crosses that are easy to defend - it was fantastic and I applaud it.

It was also something that he knows he is capable of and was the best option at the time plus it got everyone on the pitch and in the stands on their feet. I don't give a shit if it upsets any opposition because when you get under the skin of a team they have no idea what you are going to do and often lose shape and their minds.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

I'd be with you if he was trying the rabona all the time - if you watch closely the track and pace of the cross was actually better than if he had tried a simple extra touch cross. How many times this year alone have we seen our wide men not find an attacker with over hit crosses that are easy to defend - it was fantastic and I applaud it.

It was also something that he knows he is capable of and was the best option at the time plus it got everyone on the pitch and in the stands on their feet. I don't give a shit if it upsets any opposition because when you get under the skin of a team they have no idea what you are going to do and often lose shape and their minds.

We agree to disagree.

Cherki came to us with a penchant for showboating - and this is but one example.

As Pep remarked, the best player in world football history, never, ever, did this, insofar as Pep can tell.

If Cherki can eliminate needless flair from his game he'll be a much better team player and will be less likely to be injured - because if some fucker tried a ribonna against my side, I'd sure as hell try to fuck him up the next chance I had to make a tackle on him.

 

[freshie]