“Impatience is hard to manage, great players know how to wait for the right moment to be ready.
I learned to manage that when I was younger, I always wanted to play, ”said Rayan Cherki at a press conference before his tenure against Sochaux in the Coupe de France last Saturday.
Maybe his time has come.
Author of an excellent match, with two goals and an assist, he was the main architect of OL's qualification against the Sochaliens (5-2).
A great performance, certainly against a Ligue 2 team, which could allow him to start this Friday against Reims in Ligue 1.
A credible hypothesis as his last entries into the game were good and noticed by his trainer Rudi Garcia, especially against OM (1-1).
The defensive deficiencies that his coach found him are being erased little by little and Rudi Garcia recognizes it: “He has a talent for eliminating, he has both feet.
He entered Marseille because he deserved it.
He has improved on his defensive position ”.
A part of the game that Cherki confirms to work more than the others "I have focused a lot on the defensive tactical placement, I receive a lot of advice and I hope that it will pay off quickly", he confided in a press conference.
Relaunch the competition
What push the French technician to start more often in the league?
It is possible because the front of the Lyon attack, after having shone at the end of 2020, is struggling to renew itself and to continue.
Tino Kadewere and Karl Toko-Ekambi, to a lesser extent, seem to be marking time and no longer have the formidable efficiency that inhabited them in the middle of the championship.
Even if Rudi Garcia does not seem to be a fervent militant of competition for offensive positions, these mixed performances pushed her to start Islam Slimani against Rennes on March 3 (1-0 victory).
The Algerian, who arrived this winter between Rhône and Saône, had a series of good returns and a good performance against Ajaccio in the Coupe de France.
His match was finally average against Rennes but Rudi Garcia seems to have sent a message to Toko-Ekambi and Kadewere: they have competition.
In this little game, Cherki could stand out and the Lyon coach would be likely to give him a chance in Ligue 1. At only 17 years old, the Franco-Algerian is showing some pretty fantastic things on a pitch for his age.
With a few more minutes, he could be one of the key factors at the end of the Lyon season.
Even if he does not perform enough to be a regular holder, his gain in playing time will perhaps push Kadewere and Toko-Ekambi to work extra hard, especially since Slimani is still on the lookout.
The 32-year-old striker and the 17-year-old prodigy, often lined up together in the cup, showed good understanding on the pitch.
If Lyon wants to continue playing for the title, it seems imperative that his coach manages to relaunch a sluggish attack but with enormous potential.
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