Let's talk about Xavi's replacement (2024)

[Birdy]

You don’t think the squad has systemic issues?

I think that a top coach could challenge for all titles with this squad
He would have to bench Lewa, but then there are no excuses

 

[BJJ]

If we had a proper manager, wed be trailing Madrid by 3 or 4 points and would have got past PSG and probably into the final.
Madrid have had a few injuries and have still bossed it.
Noone can tell me Lunin is a world class keeper but he still performs and delivers. Compare that to our divas whi always have some excuse.

 

[Mrgandalf]

After Romano also reported on Marquez, I've got to admit, the equations just don't add up for me anymore. There's more than a 90% chance that Marquez will fail, and the club knows it too. But I ask myself, just how deep in the mire are we to resort to such measures? Especially when we're nearing the end of Laporta's era, and choosing the next coach was supposed to be a critical and decisive move. Considering the barriers between us and Klopp, it's clear we're not planning to invest in him. So, we must simply accept that we are a defeated team, with a traditional and tribal management culture, staffed by completely ordinary personnel, and merely a generation of promising young players who, if we don't harvest their potential now, we'll either lose them or they too will become part of the losers who will contribute to our future problems. This summer, in my opinion, is pivotal, and if things don't change, it will only add to the sediment of our problems.

 

[ajnotkeith]

Can't believe people are still discussion about the holes in our squad, as if this is the issue...
Seghei-ism has infected the discussion.
It has been answered a million times already.
If you don't see by now that the coach is the issue, you will never see it

PS: Yes, there is a big hole, ghost walking at the 9 position. But that hole was brought in using 55m levels, personal choice of our incompetent manager, and his choice to start in the XI every game.
So it doesn't count as an excuse

The squad does have problems, but the funds and resources could be better allocated as well.
If we want to sign, we have plenty of very saleable assets who have large markets (Araujo,FDJ, Balde, Gavi, Pedri etc) that would bring in huge fees and allow us to fill more important positions if we want to.

It just seems like we are stuck in a limbo of wanting to keep everyone but then not having money to address the problem areas (DM!!, winger)

 

[Messi983]

How many times do we need Zubimendi to reject us? He is loyal to Sociedad and most likely will move abroad.

Without Raphinha our attack is mediocre at best, at least this year.

I think Xavi could have convinced Zubi to join us if he wanted him that much. Obviously I'm talking about summer 2022. We knew Busi's time was expiring and had to think about a longterm replacement.

Even if Zubi would reject us we could buy another DM rather than spend 100m+ on two RWs at the time we already had Dembele. Yeah, I know everyone thought he would leave (and eventually he did) but just not smart use of resources imo.

 

[Porque]

I think Xavi could have convinced Zubi to join us if he wanted him that much. Obviously I'm talking about summer 2022. We knew Busi's time was expiring and had to think about a longterm replacement.

Even if Zubi would reject us we could buy another DM rather than spend 100m+ on two RWs at the time we already had Dembele. Yeah, I know everyone thought he would leave (and eventually he did) but just not smart use of resources imo.

Zubimendi has had his little CL adventure with Sociedad, Cinderella story is over and now the Royal Society are back to midtable.

Good chance's he would leave this summer if we could agree a deal I think. Arsenal have the cash to sign him ahead of us though and on better financial terms (payment instalments than us) probably though.

But I think it is a feasible deal this summer if we can generate the right sales.

 

[BJJ]

Fuck Zubimendi. That guy is soooo fucking mediocre. Get someone like Guimares. Doesn't have to be him but someone with a similar profile.

 

[khaled_a_d]

I think Xavi could have convinced Zubi to join us if he wanted him that much. Obviously I'm talking about summer 2022. We knew Busi's time was expiring and had to think about a longterm replacement.

Even if Zubi would reject us we could buy another DM rather than spend 100m+ on two RWs at the time we already had Dembele. Yeah, I know everyone thought he would leave (and eventually he did) but just not smart use of resources imo.

It is about the timing though.
-Xavi believed in Busquets and wanted him to renew in 2022
-Zubimendi wanted to stay in Sociedad as a starter in teams with several failed attempts to make it to CL, and was already negotiating renewal.
-Ferran Torres joined in January 2022, by summer 2022 it was clear he isn't a good starter if we want trophies. Barca was also suffering from attack PTSD after seeing the likes of Abde, Demir, Jutgla as starters in important games. We wanted to make sure we get a good new attacker.
-So in summer 2022 Raphinha was signed, and it made sense tbh. And now he is statistically our best attacker.

If Ferran had been success, we would have either passed on signing Raphinha or sold Ferran to generate income, sadly it wasn't the case