Xavi Hernández

[Rory]

raphinha is not our shit winger, he is our best. And he would still sit on the bench in PSG more often than not.

Of course I play it down to the squad. Our supposed star defender was an embarrassment. That's the definition of player quality being low. Even players we consider to be leaders are not that good for this level.

I didn't say he is our shit winger, I said our supposedly shit winger, referencing how many here have called him crap since he arrived. I agree he's our best winger. Only reason he'd mostly be on the bench at PSG is they have Mbappe (unfair comparison) and Dembele who everyone knows is a better winger. Having said that Raphinha gets way more goals and assists than Dembele, I think he'd take lots of minutes off him throughout a season.

Honestly too many holes in the logic for what you've said about Araujo there. He's not our "star defender", probably best overall CB but even then that's probably not true. Him having a lapse in judgement != bad player quality. If that's the case then any team where one of the better players is sent off = crap or something??? Sergio Ramos?

You haven't actually dove in to analyse the PSG squad because you know once you do there's basically nothing between the squads. In fact in most areas we are stronger.

 

[serghei]

I didn't say he is our shit winger, I said our supposedly shit winger, referencing how many here have called him crap since he arrived. I agree he's our best winger. Only reason he'd mostly be on the bench at PSG is they have Mbappe (unfair comparison) and Dembele who everyone knows is a better winger. Having said that Raphinha gets way more goals and assists than Dembele, I think he'd take lots of minutes off him throughout a season.

Honestly too many holes in the logic for what you've said about Araujo there. He's not our "star defender", probably best overall CB but even then that's probably not true. Him having a lapse in judgement != bad player quality. If that's the case then any team where one of the better players is sent off = crap or something??? Sergio Ramos?

You haven't actually dove in to analyse the PSG squad because you know once you do there's basically nothing between the squads. In fact in most areas we are stronger.

That's why I said you need time to call a player great.

Last night it was probably the biggest match of Araujo's career at Barcelona by a distance, and he fucked it up. Let's hope more games of this magnitude will follow in the next seasons, and he will get the chance to prove that it was just a horrible night.

 

[Iniesta Ultra]

There is too much emphasis on Araujo’s mistake. Yes, it created a disadvantage for the team, but Xavi’s inexperience dictated how we handled that challenge. Moaning on the sidelines instead of keeping his cool, getting sent off, removing Yamal instead of Pedri or Lewandowski, implementing a game plan which allowed PSG to dominate and park their attack in our backyard.

We got spanked, humiliated. One man down does not mean that the other team must dominate in such a fashion. We conceded 4 goals. That is unacceptable (one man down or not).

Araujo was just channeling Xavi on the red. Araujo along with team been conditioned to hold on to 1-0 wins for dear life at all costs for years now. This no-faith mentality that we can score again caused Araujo's amygdala to go full gimpball.

Laporta's to blame for not firing Xavi a year ago.

 

[Rory]

That's why I said you need time to call a player great.

Last night it was probably the biggest match of Araujo's career at Barcelona by a distance, and he fucked it up. Let's hope more games of this magnitude will follow in the next seasons, and he will get the chance to prove that it was just a horrible night.

Of course to call someone great they need time. Araujo is a very good centre back that is not suited to Barca. That's the reality. Even then he's mostly done a pretty good job for us. Of course he fucked it up though. Plenty of players have fucked up important games, doesn't signify the squad they play for sucks. Anyway Barca and PSG squads are very close in level. Midfield they are especially weak and we should have done more there.

 

[jamrock]

Araujo is still an excellent defender, few defenders in the world I would take over him, he just fucked up big time, he made a mistake and over corrected to make up for it

 

[serghei]

Of course to call someone great they need time. Araujo is a very good centre back that is not suited to Barca. That's the reality. Even then he's mostly done a pretty good job for us. Of course he fucked it up though. Plenty of players have fucked up important games, doesn't signify the squad they play for sucks. Anyway Barca and PSG squads are very close in level. Midfield they are especially weak and we should have done more there.

Our squad doesn't suck period, it's more nuanced than that. It's a good squad.

The problem is the ambitions of Barca aren't to beat good teams like Porto, Napoli, some La Liga sides etc. But teams from the upper level, with hugely expensive squads filled with class players. It's only at this level where our current squad shows its limits.

 

[mc_lovin]

Game was done with 10 men. No way we could have shielded the result with our current options in midfield (not gritty ones and also just coming back from injuries). We also lost our best defender. If you think otherwise and blame Xavi you are simply clueless. 11v11 he outcoached Enrique.

As for the squad: we have lots of promise. But it did feel too soon for this generation to win a CL anyway. It sucks primarily, because the final was easily up for grabs - and then who knows (but the likes of City would have been heavy favorites).

Season was a rough one, but Xavi managed to bring the joy back half way through. The introduction of Cubarsi changed everything. Just a shame he couldn't make it work sooner otherwise the Leaguew would have been possible.

 

[BJJ]

How can you be a top side if you fold so easily under adversity ???
Also modern football is about being balanced and adaptable. Not playing one frigging style. That's why a team like Madrid have so many CL. Strong mentality and ability to adapt to the situation.
I'm just amazed that some still want Xavi to stay. He's pathetic on so many fronts it's not funny. He was still whining about the squad despite Laporta pulling levers for him and getting m9st of the players he wanted.
He's a pathetic fool. He should be sacked asap. Let Marquez be interim manager.

 

[La Furia]

I don't wanna fully hate the job he's done even if I can't stand his attitude. He did a good job this season steadying the ship from the brink of crisis and has been a positive influence on some of the younger players (even if they forced his hand).

But he's arrogant and hot headed and tactically still has plenty to learn. Against better teams this year he's shown he can be tactically exploited, and yesterday he only made things worse.

It's in both his own and the clubs interest for him to move on after this year. If he can grow up taking a job in a place where he has less baggage he might still be a very good coach yet. But while great managers can be arrogant, they can't be this high in their own supply.

 

[Joan]

Bullshit about squad quality. Current Barca is far from a poor side. Won't bother pointing out glaring and obvious issues but can go head to head with PSG, current CL favorites. Araujo panicking and making a mistake doesn't make him a bad player either. Which doesn't mean it didn't cost us the tie. It's not on Xavi either. He stepped up lately.

This squad is likely the best one we'll have in years.

 

[serghei]

Who said Barca are a poor side? There are no poor sides in CL quarterfinals. Araujo is not a bad player either, he's just not a leader and not a top defender for the time being. Plenty of things he has to improve before you call him that by merit.

 

[jamrock]

After watching these games, you can hold you head high Mr.

Independent of opposition, no team played better than us with 11 men on the field, No team was setup better than us tactically, over these two legs QF games.

Only city were equal or better than us and that was largely down to having better players.

If you don't see that, stop watching football.

 

[Horatio]

Bullshit about squad quality. Current Barca is far from a poor side. Won't bother pointing out glaring and obvious issues but can go head to head with PSG, current CL favorites. Araujo panicking and making a mistake doesn't make him a bad player either. Which doesn't mean it didn't cost us the tie. It's not on Xavi either. He stepped up lately.

This squad is likely the best one we'll have in years.

I like the attitude

 

[serghei]

Araujo is still an excellent defender, few defenders in the world I would take over him, he just fucked up big time, he made a mistake and over corrected to make up for it

Can only hope he learned his lesson and when we come back at this stage of the competition in the futue he will do much better.

 

[BJJ]

After watching these games, you can hold you head high Mr.

Independent of opposition, no team played better than us with 11 men on the field, No team was setup better than us tactically, over these two legs QF games.

Only city were equal or better than us and that was largely down to having better players.

If you don't see that, stop watching football.

🤣

Ffs, get over it. He is a total moron. At least Mourinho has silverware to show despite being a total cunt. This guy has nothing but a fluke league title, and a buch of red cards and excuses.