Rayan Cherki no gree hide im feeling. Di boy bin dey vex say e start for bench for di game against Bournemouth on Sunday. But wen e come enter, e show say e get something to prove. E bin swing in di corner wey Marc Guehi use score equalizer, and e still set up Josko Gvardiol for added-time winner. Na so Man City comot from down to win dramatic match.
Dis win na im first for Enzo Maresca as Man City manager for Premier League. E go don breathe say tings no better for di oda side. But Cherki sef, e no too happy say e no start. E come on and do im thing, but di vex still dey inside am. Maresca talk say, “Rayan is quite a nice and clear boy, if he is not happy he wants to show it. If e dey next to me and e no happy, una go know becos e dey do anything to show am.”
De talk say e be different player. Maresca tok say, “In terms of quality, he is different from di rest becos e fit give us moments wen we dey struggle for di last third. E get di quality wey we need, but e depend on game plan and di opponent wey we dey play.” E still add say e dey sure say Cherki go help now and for future.
But dis time, Cherki don show say im talent no fit dey for bench. Since last season start, e don provide 12 assists from open play, more than any other Premier League player for dat period. For di PFA awards on Tuesday night, e bin dey happy, e dey pose for pictures and sign autograph. Dem name am for Team of di Year and nominate am for Young Player of di Year.
Still, e no dey regular starter. Under Pep Guardiola last season, e bin play 33 Premier League games, but 14 of dem na as substitute. For dis summer World Cup, im time no plenty. E only start against England for di third-place play-off, and dem replace am at half-time wit England 4-0 up. E bin play 124 minutes for di whole tournament, and videos bin show am dey vex at coach Didier Deschamps.
Ferran Soriano, di chief executive for Man City, bin talk for di Amazon documentary say dem get question mark over Cherki attitude before dem sign am from Lyon for £30m. “Di information on Cherki no too positive,” Soriano talk. “Everybody know about im abilities, but dere dis idea say e dey chaotic.”
After di win against Bournemouth, Maresca bin walk go meet Cherki, put im hand for im shoulder and dey talk to am. Nobody know wetin e tell am, but wen dem ask am if di boy go start soon, e answer “absolutely, yeah.”
For di game against Arsenal four months ago, Cherki bin shine well well. E bin score wetin fit don be deciding goal for di title race. But di title dream bin collapse. World Cup no go plan too, and e no fit hide im frustration. E dey always show am.
Maresca don tok say wen players no start, dem suppose do wetin Cherki do against Bournemouth: “Just be ready, go on and try to do your best.” And dat na wetin e do. E come on, e make impact, e change di game. For some people, dis kind bad face fit be alarm bell, but for Maresca, na good sign.
Di City documentary don show how Maresca dey talk to fringe players after defeat against Leverkusen. E bin tell dem say everyone suppose feel say dem go show di manager say dem better. “F****** hell, guys, everyone has to feel. I’m going to show dem and I’m going to win di game,” e talk. “Where is di competition today? I feel sad guys.” Cherki hear dat one and e act am.
Wen City bin win di league for 2022 against Aston Villa, na so di comeback bin happen because Ilkay Gundogan, Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko bin dey vex say dem no start. Gundogan bin dey very angry, but e become hero. Riyad Mahrez and Joao Cancelo sef dey like dat. Dem dey show dia anger, but dem channell am well.
Maresca bin spend di last days of summer for Barcelona wit Guardiola, dey talk about di squad. Dem dey talk about character, not ability. Which player react well when dem no play? Which one no react well? Na so dem know say Cherki dey react well even if e dey vex. E dey show passion, and e go show di manager say e be starter.
But e get challenge. E need to keep im emotion for check, e need to dey happy even if e dey wait. E no fi let di vex make am do stupid tings. But if e fit channel am like e do against Bournemouth, Maresca go love am. E go be one of di key transfers wey City don nail.
