Rayan Cherki is not in top form and his performance on Sunday against Reims demonstrates it.
Olympique Lyonnais are on the brink at the moment and if there is a player who symbolizes this delicate pass it is Rayan Cherki, their playing master. The French international hopeful is much less inspired than usual.
A Cherki who no longer makes the difference
Cherki is ineffective in the zone of truth, with no successful decisive move in 7 matches and 499 minutes spent on the pitch this season. But it’s not just that. The young midfielder is also failing in his favorite area, namely dribbling.
Sunday afternoon, during the match played in Reims (0-1), he only completed 20% of the dribbles he attempted. In fact, he only tried five in his 53 minutes on the pitch and only one worked. This is its lowest rate of the current financial year. Even in 2022/2023, in matches where he attempted at least five dribbles, he has never had such a low average. At worst, he managed 40% per game.
Cherki is therefore not in top form. And this is very bad because his club needs him now. His coach Fabio Grosso wanted to stimulate him with a motivating speech, pointing out that “He’s a great player. A very, very great ball player. And he can become a very great football player. We will work together to make him one, with his teammates.” But it clearly didn’t bear fruit.
