10 | Rayan Cherki - 2025/26

[Craig]

You are disagreeing with Pep Guardiola.

Sound. It’s allowed i disagreed with his team against Chelsea in the champs league final too. As long as he has end product which he does in spades then it’s all good. He’s a brilliant footballer and entertainer.

 

[mattcity5]

You are disagreeing with Pep Guardiola.

No, I dont think he is. He's disagreeing with you.

Pep has said a lot, and mainly that he wants Cherki to be an influence and create upfront. He does that. Yes he criticised the rabona as not needed, but that is a small thing, not the huge thing that you seem to think.

 

[alexmcity]

Pep. He gets quite a lot wrong you know -

Complete bullshit.

 

[Gibblue]

You are disagreeing with Pep Guardiola.

You think Pep will coach unpredictably out of his game. I do not.

I'm disagreeing with your opinion on how Pep will coach him, not with Pep himself (I don't know him).

 

[jamielowndes]

If Pep can just spend one more year in Cherki's ear and get him to remove the show-off element of his game we'll have a proper killer on our hands. He can show off in his celebrations - on the pitch, it's about doing the simple things incredibly well and incredibly consistently. Guehi even said in his interview that he "never knows" when the ball is gonna come if Cherki has it - that can't carry on forever if Cherki wants to reach his full potential.

The best creative players in the history of 21st century football are the ones who did exactly what everyone expected them to do, but still made it seem like a shock. Messi, Kaka, Robben, Figo, Zidane, and in our legendary City teams De Bruyne and David Silva - they all had their signature moves, defenders knew what they were going to do, but still no fucker could prevent it. It's not about unpredictability, it's about making the predictable unstoppable.

That's what Pep was on about earlier in the season when he tried to calm Cherki down after the rabona flick for Foden against Sunderland. Today at Chelsea is the measure of Cherki's talent and he didn't need anything like that. His assist for O'Reilly was perfect, nothing flashy but perfectly measured; his assist for Guehi showed great style and determination and then he found that little reverse ball. He's been listening to the master and it's showing.

Cherki strikes me as the kinda guy who's been the best player at every level of the game since he was about 6 years old. He's got god-given talent and skills and he bloody well knows it. In the eyes of his coaches and his managers, he'll have been unable to do wrong. As a teenager he's won games on his own, doing little flicks and tricks, playing Joga Bonito-style football, using both feet, knowing that he has enough talent to win without properly grafting.

That's got to stop and I think he already knows it. The silly poses on the touchline when he's injured, trying to flip that bottle at Stamford Bridge, the laughing and joking, all that is fine. But the keepy-uppies against Arsenal when there were still 25 mins on the clock, the 1 in 100 rabona flick? Nope. You could see Pep wasn't happy either incident. It's fine to tolerate that side of Cherki for now but he's got to get serious as he goes deeper into his 20s.

Think about them players I mentioned up top. Messi, Kaka, Robben, Figo, Zidane, De Bruyne, David Silva. Did they ever gloat and show off during games? No. They got their heads down, switched on, and made history. Pep's only (seemingly) so harsh with Cherki because he knows that's his potential level. He has Ballon d'Or potential and Pep, having groomed two Balon d'Or winners now, knows exactly what it takes to channel your talent correctly.

Ask yourself, across the last 15 years, who were the characters at City and who were the leaders? We've had all sorts of talented players come through our doors but a lot of them are remembered differently. That mentality, to just do the fucking job in front of you, over and over for years on end, is what separates De Bruyne from Nasri, Aguero from Balotelli, Gundogan from (much as I liked him) Grealish.

Cherki has a choice - he has the talent to be the very best, and Pep knows it.

This just reads like a fundamental misunderstanding of Peps approach to anything in terms or player development and man management. He has never coached out this kind of behaviour from a player. He's always encouraged big personalities.

Hes always found a way to work around the individual quirks of players. He let Messi basically walk around the pitch doing nothing for the first 10 to 15 at times because Messi was reading the game and seeing what to work with.

He knows he's dealing with a 22 year old and trying to iron out the wild streak in him isn't going to work.

Let him be who he wants to be and iron out the really negative stuff when it rears its head. Peps never really had a tolerance for showboating. That's really all that is.

 

[OB1]

I couldn't agree more. I'm pretty sure I have that book, but I'm so shit at completing them or even starting to read them. I need to start .

They are well worth reading. I’d make them compulsory for all supporters commenting on Pep on social media if I could. That said I am guilty of being slow to finish the third one, which I am still reading. But I just have too many unfinished books at the moment; I’ll get there.

 

[OB1]

To think that more than a few people on here didnt even want him in the side a few week back, embarrassing. We would have been top of the league if he had started more.

Seen quite a few people claim that we’d be top etc if Cherki had played more but you simply cannot be sure that the way Pep has managed him and clearly demonstrated to him that he has to graft OOP, for instance, was not needed to get the levels of performance and effort that we are now seeing.

 

[jamielowndes]

They are well worth reading. I’d make them compulsory for all supporters commenting on Pep on social media if I could. That said I am guilty of being slow to finish the third one, which I am still reading. But I just have too many unfinished books at the moment; I’ll get there.

First one (Pep Confidential) is genuinely one of the most interesting football books I've ever read. Incredible insight into him and the entire Bayern system.

 

[eastmanc]

They are well worth reading. I’d make them compulsory for all supporters commenting on Pep on social media if I could. That said I am guilty of being slow to finish the third one, which I am still reading. But I just have too many unfinished books at the moment; I’ll get there.

I'm exactly the same, start one and then start another. Useless.

 

[eastmanc]

I think it’s fine to disagree with Pep. He gets quite a lot wrong you know - despite being a genius. If you tame Cherki, you lose 25% of his game. It would be a crime against football to do so

Pep is taming nobody.

 

[OB1]

I want to be entertained. For many years Rodney Marsh was my all-time favourite player, then David Silva et al arrived and I no longer bother having a favourite player.

I do though love players who are fun to watch. Cherki’s idiosyncrasies are part of what makes him entertaining. If Pep, who I am as big a fan of as anyone, wants to coach those quirks out of Cherki, I am disagreeing with him, but I am not sure he will attempt that.

What Pep will focus on is Cherki doing what is needed to hurt the opposition with his talent and creativity time and time again. He will want Cherki to do the right thing at the right time and if a Rabona gets the ball onto a player’s head in a way that allows them to score, Pep won’t give a flying f### what method Cherki used, but if he does one an wastes an opportunity, then he will be pissed off.

He might prefer Cherki not to play a brief bit of keepy-up vs Arsenal but it didn’t harm City’s possession so he won’t stop it. Pep will look at what makes Cherki tick and use it to get the best out of him, because that is what great man-managers do.

 

[OB1]

I'm exactly the same, start one and then start another. Useless.

Mad thing is I am currently trying out retirement and still not finding the time to read much. Must spend less time tapping a keyboard!

 

[goatfeeder100]

You are disagreeing with Pep Guardiola.

Are you a robot? Is that your only reply to everyone now?

You can be a maverick and have a killer instinct as well. Just because Pep shakes his head every now n again doesn't mean he detests every act of showmanship. If you can back it up with match influencing moments then what's the issue.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

I think it’s fine to disagree with Pep. He gets quite a lot wrong you know - despite being a genius. If you tame Cherki, you lose 25% of his game. It would be a crime against football to do so

This 'taming' business reminds me of the RDAHMeedya saying that we shouldn't attempt to remove the 'passion' when the likes of Rooney was kicking the shit out of people and occasionally getting sanctioned. Cherki's game needs to be what he brings to the pitch, ball juggling included. He is getting better 'n better, and it's being noticed not just by City fans. Let him express himself as he did yesterday and we can't go far wrong creatively.

 

[Ban-jani]

If Pep can just spend one more year in Cherki's ear and get him to remove the show-off element of his game we'll have a proper killer on our hands. He can show off in his celebrations - on the pitch, it's about doing the simple things incredibly well and incredibly consistently. Guehi even said in his interview that he "never knows" when the ball is gonna come if Cherki has it - that can't carry on forever if Cherki wants to reach his full potential.

The best creative players in the history of 21st century football are the ones who did exactly what everyone expected them to do, but still made it seem like a shock. Messi, Kaka, Robben, Figo, Zidane, and in our legendary City teams De Bruyne and David Silva - they all had their signature moves, defenders knew what they were going to do, but still no fucker could prevent it. It's not about unpredictability, it's about making the predictable unstoppable.

That's what Pep was on about earlier in the season when he tried to calm Cherki down after the rabona flick for Foden against Sunderland. Today at Chelsea is the measure of Cherki's talent and he didn't need anything like that. His assist for O'Reilly was perfect, nothing flashy but perfectly measured; his assist for Guehi showed great style and determination and then he found that little reverse ball. He's been listening to the master and it's showing.

Cherki strikes me as the kinda guy who's been the best player at every level of the game since he was about 6 years old. He's got god-given talent and skills and he bloody well knows it. In the eyes of his coaches and his managers, he'll have been unable to do wrong. As a teenager he's won games on his own, doing little flicks and tricks, playing Joga Bonito-style football, using both feet, knowing that he has enough talent to win without properly grafting.

That's got to stop and I think he already knows it. The silly poses on the touchline when he's injured, trying to flip that bottle at Stamford Bridge, the laughing and joking, all that is fine. But the keepy-uppies against Arsenal when there were still 25 mins on the clock, the 1 in 100 rabona flick? Nope. You could see Pep wasn't happy either incident. It's fine to tolerate that side of Cherki for now but he's got to get serious as he goes deeper into his 20s.

Think about them players I mentioned up top. Messi, Kaka, Robben, Figo, Zidane, De Bruyne, David Silva. Did they ever gloat and show off during games? No. They got their heads down, switched on, and made history. Pep's only (seemingly) so harsh with Cherki because he knows that's his potential level. He has Ballon d'Or potential and Pep, having groomed two Balon d'Or winners now, knows exactly what it takes to channel your talent correctly.

Ask yourself, across the last 15 years, who were the characters at City and who were the leaders? We've had all sorts of talented players come through our doors but a lot of them are remembered differently. That mentality, to just do the fucking job in front of you, over and over for years on end, is what separates De Bruyne from Nasri, Aguero from Balotelli, Gundogan from (much as I liked him) Grealish.

Cherki has a choice - he has the talent to be the very best, and Pep knows it.

You’ve had a bit of stick for this post with people wanting him to be himself, understandably, but I think the truth is probably in between.

He shouldn’t stop his flicks and tricks and should express himself, it’s great to watch and he’s the type of player that inspires.

However, it needs to be refined to certain moments and do it effectively at the right times, which he’s done very well recently, a little earlier in the season we nearly conceded on a couple of occasions, I recall, where he tried to nutmeg someone on the edge of our box.

I don’t want Cherki to stop being Cherki, I just want him to do it up the other end and whilst being the difference maker, which he absolutely is at this moment.

 

[CΛL]

Just enjoy watching a maverick play and not a robot. It’s supposed to be entertainment and he brings it in spades.

I think Pep is more arsed about his positioning and off the ball work rate, brought that up multiple times, he’s not disciplined enough in that respect.

Pep is right in that he comes too deep and demands the ball, whereas he really only can do his thing when he’s close to the box, and he definitely doesn’t press well.

KDB was similarly talented as fuck but he was always pressing and positionally disciplined in the right way, same as David Silva. Cherki is still playing like he’s a big fish at Lyon.

He’s a joy to watch but if he wants to be the best, he needs to listen to Pep.

 

[Berti No Show]

I think all he was saying is Cherki needs to tone it down a bit - not the skills but the piss taking and some of the more bizarre behaviours. (Putting his pals Liverpool top on when on the bench ffs. lying down by himself in the centre circle at Wembley whilst his team mates celebrated with our fans for example). I'm pretty sure that is all Pep wants as well - he said at his recent presser that Cherki is a free spirit but he wants him to be humble and concentrate on helping the team. The lad can be right up there with the greats but him listening to Pep and learning from him will help him get there. That doesn't mean extracting all the fun and joy out of him I don't believe. Think thats all YB. was getting at.

Yeah fair one mate, I might've misunderstood what you meant to be honest. I'd literally just woken up at 4am for work and as soon as I saw what looked like a dig at Cherki I just reacted to it straight away.

The point I was trying to make is that the fun side of his game - the flicks, the confidence, swagger and all that shouldn't be coached out of him. That is who he is, and you can't really change that without losing what makes him special. It's why he's out performing Florian Wirtz right now despite coming over with a lesser reputation. It's like when Ronaldinho was out there doing mad stuff like nodding the ball 5–7 times over defenders - that is what people actually turn the TV on for. Same reason those old La Liga games were so good to watch, full of players expressing themselves. The likes of Ronaldinho won trophies for his Barcelona playing this way.

I get the discipline side of it as well, and I'm sure Pep just wants to channel it the right way rather than take it away completely. He's turning him into an off the ball press machine with fight and grit. I think him being out of the team has done him no harm at all. He's come back into the team a different animal - a player with the hunger, as well as the flair.

And yeah, apologies if it came across like I was having a go at YB, wasn’t the intention at all!

 

[youngbob]

You’ve had a bit of stick for this post with people wanting him to be himself, understandably, but I think the truth is probably in between.

He shouldn’t stop his flicks and tricks and should express himself, it’s great to watch and he’s the type of player that inspires.

However, it needs to be refined to certain moments and do it effectively at the right times, which he’s done very well recently, a little earlier in the season we nearly conceded on a couple of occasions, I recall, where he tried to nutmeg someone on the edge of our box.

I don’t want Cherki to stop being Cherki, I just want him to do it up the other end and whilst being the difference maker, which he absolutely is at this moment.

Hey, a sensible reply with no crying in it. Turns out some people on this forum are capable of that.

 

[Dialog]

 

[Saddleworth2]

Yeah fair one mate, I might've misunderstood what you meant to be honest. I'd literally just woken up at 4am for work and as soon as I saw what looked like a dig at Cherki I just reacted to it straight away.

The point I was trying to make is that the fun side of his game - the flicks, the confidence, swagger and all that shouldn't be coached out of him. That is who he is, and you can't really change that without losing what makes him special. It's why he's out performing Florian Wirtz right now despite coming over with a lesser reputation. It's like when Ronaldinho was out there doing mad stuff like nodding the ball 5–7 times over defenders - that is what people actually turn the TV on for. Same reason those old La Liga games were so good to watch, full of players expressing themselves. The likes of Ronaldinho won trophies for his Barcelona playing this way.

I get the discipline side of it as well, and I'm sure Pep just wants to channel it the right way rather than take it away completely. He's turning him into an off the ball press machine with fight and grit. I think him being out of the team has done him no harm at all. He's come back into the team a different animal - a player with the hunger, as well as the flair.

And yeah, apologies if it came across like I was having a go at YB, wasn’t the intention at all!

lets hope that we can enjoy him for many years and some more trophies too. He is a fantastic footballer.