10 | Rayan Cherki - 2025/26

He doesn't always execute technically sound moves for his own enjoyment.

In this instance, if he hadn't lifted the ball, he wouldn't have enough space to pass to Semenyo and would have given him a one-on-one opportunity.


 
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Love for this guy grows with every game. Just a joy to watch. I don't think Pep wants to coach anything out of him. He won't like the showboating, but I think all he's concerned about is making sure he's high up the pitch doing his work, rather than dropping in to try and see more of the ball. Whatever Pep said at HT worked, as Cherki was in much better areas to influence the game, and he sure did influence it.
 
He needs to stay focused and find positions of the pitch he is most effective, let bernardo drop deep for the ball and cherki stay in more advantageous positions because he is our new KDB just more in the david silva archetype of assists but being 50 yards away from goal to get a touch ain't it, theres others for that
 
He's the closest we'll get to KDB again. Has plenty of years ahead of him. So glad we got him, I rate him higher than Wirtz, he has more creativity imo.
To me it is not even close. The stats show it but the big game stata even more so. Every big game Wirtz is completely MIA. And I am not so sure that will change. He seems lightweight and a bit of a flat track bully
 
We need to find role for Phil, because Cherki has earned the creative centre for us. If Pep stays I think he will find a way to accommodate both, but after the Grealish experiment I am not so sure.
The only way is to have him play Bernie's role, Phil can't do a winger job anymore, his ability is bested used in the middle anyways.
 
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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
Sorry mate, but this is an oversimplified take. What Pep is actually saying is that Cherki can be a free spirit, provided he has the humility to put the team and the club first. Too many so-called mavericks chase individual expression or acclaim at the expense of collective success.

Prioritizing the team’s needs does not magically reduce Cherki’s output by 25%. That premise just doesn’t hold.

Yesterday’s match was a perfect illustration. In the first half, Cherki dropped into a deep-lying playmaker role, whether by instinct or habit from his time at Lyon. City’s performance in that half spoke for itself. When you already have a literal Ballon d’Or winner operating in that role, we are far better served by Cherki concentrating on what he does best for the team.

The shift after halftime was telling. He spent far more time in the final third, and the impact was immediate. No flair was sacrificed. No creativity was dulled. The only thing that changed was alignment between individual talent and team need.
 
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 seei
I think its a lot more to do with the players picked ahead of him not performing.
 
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Sorry mate, but this is an oversimplified take. What Pep is actually saying is that Cherki can be a free spirit, provided he has the humility to put the team and the club first. Too many so-called mavericks chase individual expression or acclaim at the expense of collective success.

Prioritizing the team’s needs does not magically reduce Cherki’s output by 25%. That premise just doesn’t hold.

Yesterday’s match was a perfect illustration. In the first half, Cherki dropped into a deep-lying playmaker role, whether by instinct or habit from his time at Lyon. City’s performance in that half spoke for itself. When you already have a literal Ballon d’Or winner operating in that role, we are far better served by Cherki concentrating on what he does best for the team.

The shift after halftime was telling. He spent far more time in the final third, and the impact was immediate. No flair was sacrificed. No creativity was dulled. The only thing that changed was alignment between individual talent and team need.
Yeh good Points and observations. I didn’t notice Cherki playing that deep but you are right. But that’s good management, not stopping Cherki from being Cherki. But yeh I agree
 
Sorry mate, but this is an oversimplified take. What Pep is actually saying is that Cherki can be a free spirit, provided he has the humility to put the team and the club first. Too many so-called mavericks chase individual expression or acclaim at the expense of collective success.

Prioritizing the team’s needs does not magically reduce Cherki’s output by 25%. That premise just doesn’t hold.

Yesterday’s match was a perfect illustration. In the first half, Cherki dropped into a deep-lying playmaker role, whether by instinct or habit from his time at Lyon. City’s performance in that half spoke for itself. When you already have a literal Ballon d’Or winner operating in that role, we are far better served by Cherki concentrating on what he does best for the team.

The shift after halftime was telling. He spent far more time in the final third, and the impact was immediate. No flair was sacrificed. No creativity was dulled. The only thing that changed was alignment between individual talent and team need.
Pep pretty much said this after the game as well didn’t he. Said he needs to trust that the ball will come to him
 
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French media attacking him again, I genuinely don't understand why they do it.
 
Lots of people saying he's got an arrogance about him but I don't see that. Confidence yes, arrogance no. Maybe the kick ups against Arsenal but in that game they were playing like a Pulis Stoke team and deserved calling out for it. Expressing exceptional talent isn't arrogance, it's just talent.
to me he seems more like confident in his ability than arrogant
 
I think its a lot more to do with the players picked ahead of him not performing.
That does not change what Pep was seeing in training etc in respect of Cherki. Also, for instance, Foden had a purple patch; can't recall how available Cherki was at that point but it may have been a factor as fitting both in the starting line-up is not our best option it seems.
 

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