Is Rayan Cherki the BEST PLAYER in the Premier League? 😳 | ESPN FC Extra Time
ESPN FC Extra Time: Is Rayan Cherki the Premier League's best?
The panel debates whether Rayan Cherki is the Premier League's most talented player, then discusses a Liverpool player's form, the hype around Liverpool vs Man City, and Manchester United's regression. Their view is that Cherki is special but not clearly the best, while United's third-place finish and subsequent dip need context.
- This Liverpool player is now a shadow of his former self, and his slump can no longer be explained away by saying he needs time to regain confidence — At this stage the wait-and-see explanation no longer holds; his poor play is not a one-off
- Not all of this player's struggles are on him; the only way out is to keep playing through it, and Liverpool's squad is so thin they cannot really drop him — Nobody who watched today's game was surprised by how he played; with so few options, Liverpool have to keep using him
- Rayan Cherki is not the Premier League's most talented player, though he is maybe top five or six; his two-footedness makes him unique — There is too much talent in the league to give him that title yet, and being able to use both feet makes him stand out
- When defending a two-footed player, a defender must know what he is facing before kickoff and decide which way to show him and when to use teammates to contain him — If you do not work it out quickly you will be made to look foolish; you have to control what the attacker does rather than let him control you
- Calling Liverpool vs Man City the most consequential game in Premier League history is overblown and meaningless — It was just weeks of discussion about challenges and decisions; it is hard to say what was supposed to be so consequential
- Manchester United's third-place finish last season was helped by the league being weaker outside the top two; now that rivals are stronger, similar performances are not producing the same results, which suggests they have reverted to their true level — United won many games without looking excellent; with Brighton and Brentford stronger now, the results have fallen back toward the mean
- Manchester United's improvement under Michael Carrick owes something to the post-managerial-change lift and simpler team selection, not necessarily a real leap in quality; that short-term boost fades after the summer — Players feel better once the previous manager leaves, Carrick put round pegs in round holes and got better results without brilliant football; then the summer took away the feel-good factor
Craig Burley, Steve Nicol and Nedum Onuoha join Dan Thomas on ESPN FC Extra Time to answer your questions 0:00 Did the red card take away from Wirtz’s poor performance? 3:28 Is Rayan Cherki the most talented player in the Premier League? 5:42 Do you remember the Man City banana craze in the 1980’s? 6:57 What are the main reasons for Man United’s struggles? ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN ESPNFC
Transcript
Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time. Craig and Stevie here. NAM staying up late to join us as well. Nathan, were you at Anfield today? >> Yep. Good. >> Down anyway. Staying at home. Yeah. >> Excellent. Good. >> At home. Yes. >> Well, his microphone wasn't working for the first half, was it? Of >> you were a true City fan though in their time of >> Yes. Nathan, why aren't you there? Look, Earling Harland's dad was in the crowd, why weren't you? I I spoke to Mark Ogden about this the other day. I'm a plastic fan, you know what I mean? I've changed the bio on my Instagram, you know? I've gotten rid of my Man City sheets, the wallpaper, all that stuff. But like I support >> another team now into Miami. Yeah. Yeah. Into Miami fan now. That's me. >> That's it. >> Well, no, nobody should speak to Mark Ogden about anything unless they absolutely have to. Augie don't even look He don't even like talking to himself. >> He likes talking about this though, doesn't he? >> Does he? >> Yeah. Oh, yeah. Cuz of his Manchester United ways. He just loves to see the downfall of City. On his Instagram, he was taking he was taking all these pictures of >> he whenever he writes on the website, he pounds Man United. >> Is that out of frustration? >> It's a double bluff. >> Yeah. >> Stevie has the red card. >> Not bright enough to double bluff anybody often. >> Stevie, has the red card taken away the limelight on how poor Vertz was? He is a shadow of the player he once was. Why is that? At this point, you cannot say he needs a bit of time once he gets his confidence back stuff anymore. What would you do say to him if you were managing him? >> Well, I don't think the line's on him, is it? I mean, nobody that saw this game today is surprised by the way he played, right? So, I think it's just >> What do you do if you're >> I mean, at the end of the day, the only way he's going to get out it is play his way out. >> Well, he's done it. It's 18 months. Well, the problem I don't know if you've noticed, but right now Liverpool's squad is about as bare as possible to be, >> right? >> I mean I mean you can't even set him now cuz who else do you play? So I mean they're really in they're really in a bit of a mix. >> That's what you say to him motivation wise. >> I can't even drop you. >> Listen. Well, >> there's no one left. >> Well, no. You say that to the other coach who's going, "We can't even drop this guy." >> Right. So, what do you say to him? >> Oh, you It's easy. You smile at him and tell them, you know, it'll come and stick with you. >> You show me your smile. Can you pretend I'm vers? Don't worry about it. Hey, >> don't give up on it. It'll come. >> We believe in you, right? If you believe in yourself, >> you've got the talent. >> Oh, wow. >> Go and show them and shut them up. >> I feel like >> stuff it right down their throat. Anybody and everybody who's had a go at you, who tells you that you can't play in the Premier League, ram it right down their throat, >> right? >> And off you go and you shut the door, you go, "Oh, the best." >> And he goes, "I have no idea what that man just said." He's like, "Yeah." >> You must have had that at the rest when you're talking to players and they don't understand your Scottish accent. >> I did have some like that. However, I did have one in particular who just didn't understand football. So, it really wouldn't have mattered what I said to him. >> Yeah. >> You had your in Yeah, I mean nameless. >> Here's your interpreter. >> But you see you're talking to people just around and you talk to them and people have no idea what you're saying. You can clearly say they just laugh politely at you. >> Yeah. Oh, I can see it. I love it. Uh to the panel. Let's go with Nan R. Is Ryan Shery the most talented player in the Premier League? I don't know. I don't know about that. I think he's definitely maybe top five or six or something, but I don't know if I could just say he is the most talented. I think the fact that he's two-footed makes him the most interesting because as was the case with say Fong today diving in cuz you know he can shoot with his left foot, but they can just shoot just as well with his right. I think that's something that makes him feel a little bit more unique, but there's so much talent in the Premier League. I wouldn't necessarily pin to that title just yet. >> When you're defending someone that's two-footed, how aware of you are are you that they're two-footed? Well, you should know before you start the game what the what you're up against, >> right? >> Um, but how would you know back in your day, for example, because >> because you had a football brain and you had to very quickly figure it out cuz if you didn't, then you would look like a mug when they were all over you. So, you got to figure it out, particularly today when you know what's coming. >> And if you think for a second you can't handle it on your own, then that's what your teammates for. And then you decide which way you're going to let him go or which way you're going to take him. And then you try and take you try and control what he does and not let him control you. >> What do you mean? >> That's the theory. >> What do you mean? How would you know back in his day? >> Because like for Well, cuz you could look at the video of who you're up against. So you could Google which is Ryan Chery. Do you know what I mean? >> Oh, he is a player. Well, >> never seen him before. >> Give him a break. Give him a break in Europe. particularly. >> Yeah. Are you playing European? >> Playing Europe. Yeah. >> You would not English. You'd have to >> figure I don't think it's as stupid a question as it sounds. >> Well, it's up there. >> I don't know why it's up there. I mean, I get you back to Real Madrid TV at this rate. >> Um, Shery top player in the Premier League. >> Most talented player. >> Define talent. >> Well, I don't know how, you know, defending's a talent, right? >> Striking, finishing's a talent. Yes. That's >> it's very ambiguous, isn't it? Yes. Good player. ambiguous. >> Yeah, right. Google what it means. >> Google Google. >> Stephen Craig, do you remember the Manchester City banana craze back in the late 80s? >> Nope. >> Nope. >> So the the bananas you heard John was telling us >> the bananas were on the show because because they were having against Plymouth, our guy, everything was going wrong at the club and it was the bananas was >> John Champion second division. So who was watching in the second? >> Well, yes. >> Is he still working for us? >> John Champion. He's working for you have to be honest, champ. It wasn't stop. You just had a go Mark Ogden for 5 minutes. >> Yeah. No, I listen. I wasn't It wasn't going to define whether I was having a go at him or not. >> He still I think he still does some FA Cup for He's got so many hats. I can't remember. >> Apparently, he called this the most consequential game in Premier League history. >> What the hell does that mean? It was Liverpool Man City. >> Yeah, but it sounds good though, doesn't it? >> What's consequential about it? >> Great. What? Three weeks of people going on about this these challenges and rightly so and how it's going to be. How is it the most con what is he talking about? Is he What's he smoking? >> What was the question? What was the question? Bananas. >> Bananas. >> Bananas. Oh, he was piping on about bananas as well. Oh my god. >> Nen, do you like the bananas? >> Uh, listen, I've never held one like that, but it's certainly part of their identity. So, yeah. Long may continue. Uh, Nathan, what do you think are the main reasons why United are a shadow of the team that finished third last season? >> Um, if I'm going to be completely honest, and I don't know if the guys will fully agree with me here, I felt like United in some ways under carry, they got a little bit better, but the league itself also felt a little bit weaker just beyond the say the top two teams because they were winning games. I almost felt like it was week in week out without looking excellent. Obviously along the way, you know, they beat Arsenal, beat Man City, I think they beat Liverpool. Those were good performances, but some of the others you sort of looked at it and thought I don't know if this is actually any better than say what was there before, but the results were more positive. Whereas now, you see the league being in a slightly different competitive position. You see the likes of Brighton, you know, be a bit stronger, Brenford being a bit stronger and United kind of showing similar performances but not getting the same sort of outcome. So I think at some stage you sort of revert back to what you would deserve, revert back to the mean and this is in my mind essentially who they are with the squad that they have. Sometimes players get a big lift when the idiot leaves the room, >> okay, >> and and Amarim left and and Carrick comes in, everybody feels a bit better about the scenario because they're not having to listen to this guy, you know, talking nonsense and and blaming everything apart from himself. And Carrick comes in all of a sudden everything's a bit more bubbly. Puts the old round pegs and round holes moves, you know, more simplistic. They don't necessarily play brilliant football, but they get much better results and then as Nam says, you get the summer and all of a sudden all that sort of feelood is gone. >> And why you looking at me like that? >> I just think of the last time that you felt bubbly. >> Bubbly. >> Yeah. >> Uh usually, but usually at the end of Extra Time. >> Very bubbly today. >> I like >> He was eight. He was doing shots of tequila last night. How old is he? >> Scary. >> No, no, no. I was let me just tell you I was destroying the youngsters who were egging me on to take shots of tequila. Right. >> They don't know what they're dealing with. >> Fell for it. >> Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. >> Actually, I felt actually I was a bit surprised cuz I thought I would be uh struggling this morning. >> Yeah. You don't look your best. >> No, I haven't I didn't have time for makeup today, but actually in terms of you know in the morning I was I was up bubbly. I was very bubbly. >> Very bubbly. Morning everyone. >> That's it. Thank you very much, Lane. Go to bed, mate. Much appreciated. ESPNFC back tomorrow. >> Uh, no Craig, you're playing what? The Connecticut Amateur Championship tomorrow? >> Well, I'll be I'm I'm >> I'm just trying to avoid any more of those Italian highlights. I'll be honest. >> Steve, are you here tomorrow? >> Um, I don't know. >> Good. Excellent. I'll be here.