Xavi Hernández

[delancey]

[MENTION=22850]delancey[/MENTION] That post is utter rubbish tbh. Xavi is a young coach, has made his mistakes, but he's still learning, as there's a big room for him to grow along with the team, but the difference between this team and Koeman's is like day and night. I really hope that we don't sack Xavi cos sacking managers won't do us any good and even though we've had inconsistent performances lately, we've been getting results, plus we're topping the league in a season where we really need a league title badly. So at this point, I really don't know what we fans want, good performances or good results in a season where our team isn't matured enough to have both consistently

Well, I am not a fan of nepotism. I think that managing FC Barcelona should be done by the most competent manager, nothing more and nothing less. It goes without saying that managing FC Barca is not an apprenticeship, in which managers are allowed to get us knocked out of the Champions League two years in a row and soon the Europa League two years in a row. Okay okay, Xavi was only slightly responsible last year, but point still stands.
We are underperforming in Europe due to nepotism. One should not be learning on the job at one of the largest clubs in the world.

Second, our tactics are extremely dull. Almost always out to one of the wingers who attempts to dribble and then crosses it into the goal area. This multiplied by infinity. This appears to sometimes change, tbf, usually against Real Madrid, where we have more intensity, more attacks through the middle, and more lethal finishing. Point still stands, we are playing slow and unattractive football most of the time. One game does not change this. And we are getting knocked out of the CL and the EL to boot. Two years in a row. Early on.

Our talented squad should perform significantly better than it has in Europe.
Too May attackers fail to score, the attack is not fluid.

Third, why the hell is Busquets playing almost every game? Xavi says he is essential to the system and dreams of renewing him, while one of the best mids in the world sits on the bench. Why? Did you know that Busquets and Xavi are best friends?

 

[iniestaGOAT]

Getting knocked out of group stage by Inter was just bad, no way around that tbh.

What do you mean no way around that? Did you even watch the game?

We were screwed by the referee

 

[jamrock]

I was just looking at last season table and for some reason I forgot we finished 13 points behind real Madrid last season.

13!, I honestly forgot it was that much, with a Goals scored count of 68, & goals against of 38, at our current pace, I'd be surprised if we concede 25 all season.

I've heard the Barca brain trust, said we finish 2nd in the league & so winning the league isn't a great achievement so many times I almost started to believe them.


If we should win the league with the current points gab, between us & Madrid, it would constitute a 16! Points swing from last season to this, with 17 games played, we already matched our GF for last season of 30.

20/21 gap was 7
19/20 gap was 5

So its been getting worst each year.

I'm sorry but if anyone downplays, Xavi/Barcelona potentially (could still go to shit) winning the league, after finishing 13 points behind the European & League Champions, They are a fucking idiot & trying to spin some narrative that doesn't compute with reality.

 

[MTL_Barca]

I was just looking at last season table and for some reason I forgot we finished 13 points behind real Madrid last season.

13!, I honestly forgot it was that much, with a Goals scored count of 68, & goals against of 38, at our current pace, I'd be surprised if we concede 25 all season.

I've heard the Barca brain trust, said we finish 2nd in the league & so winning the league isn't a great achievement so many times I almost started to believe them.


If we should win the league with the current points gab, between us & Madrid, it would constitute a 16! Points swing from last season to this, with 17 games played, we already matched our GF for last season of 30.

20/21 gap was 7
19/20 gap was 5

So its been getting worst each year.

I'm sorry but if anyone downplays, Xavi/Barcelona potentially (could still go to shit) winning the league, after finishing 13 points behind the European & League Champions, They are a fucking idiot & trying to spin some narrative that doesn't compute with reality.

It's a big improvement, but that's what we had to aim for considering the levers. We took a risk by spending so much, it has to pay off by winning titles.

Since Xavi took over we bought Ferran, Lewandowski, Raphinha, Kounde for a combined 200+ million, and the money mainly came from selling parts of our future income. Would've been a disaster to not see significant improvements, and honestly with the early CL exit in mind not winning la liga would be kinda disappointing at this point.

 

[JamDav1982]

It was almost impossible not to improve from last season in the league.

The circumstances with Messi leaving so late in day left team without player it was built for.. then Griezmann who was second best attacking player left also.

Add to that a coach that was a dead man walking after being undermined and then injuries to Pedri/Dembele and was nothing like circumstances now.

Gavi emerged, Pedri/Aruajo got more experience and Dembele came back from injury.

Those alone before the 220m+ signed all make a huge difference.

Barca sold levers to be compettive in BOTH the CL and league.. that is what was sold by the board as justification.. that is what was budgeted for due to squad had.

The levers were not sold just to improve on a couple of the most turbulent seasons in the clubs history.

There would have been significant improvement on that without the levers.. they were actioned to make Barca competitive in BOTH the league and CL with no time for any building on that.

 

[jamrock]

It's a big improvement, but that's what we had to aim for considering the levers. We took a risk by spending so much, it has to pay off by winning titles.

Since Xavi took over we bought Ferran, Lewandowski, Raphinha, Kounde for a combined 200+ million, and the money mainly came from selling parts of our future income. Would've been a disaster to not see significant improvements, and honestly with the early CL exit in mind not winning la liga would be kinda disappointing at this point.

200m euros in the grand scheme of things isn't that much money.

we hear most of the same people who talk about spending 200m euros & winning, make excuses for ETH & Man utd, who have spent twice as much money, while starting from much more stable Platform in terms of where the club was re financial stability & squad equality last season we were starting abde & mingueza at times for Christ sake.


The fact that we added throughout the team while only spending 200m, promoted Youth team players that are doing very well, & turnt around the form of a few key players, makes the process look a lot further along that it other wise would be, & the later two parts, which is on Xavi/the board, gets conveniently forgotten most times when making an assessment of where the team currently is, Vs where is was when new management came in.

Adding torres 🤢, raphinha, Kounde, lewa, kessie, Christensen, Alonso for 200m euros, is 1) great business, but also would be useless, if not for the emergence of gavi, Balde & the turning around in form of Dembele & Mats.


The CL is a disappointment, but dropping out of the group with the German & Italian champions, with a few bad calls, & bad misses, given where we are coming from, it's not the end of the World.

Given all the trauma the club went through last season & the massive points gab, if the club was trying to spin this season into some form of success, they could make a legit argument that If we closed the points gab from 13, to 7/5, which is where we were in the previous two season with the GOAT in our team & 120m cheeseman is would constitute them fulfilling their promise of "competing again".

But we aren't about that spinning life, winning the league would be a massive achievement & was always main Target for this season, which is not to say everything is perfect, but nothing in life is, Xavi still needs major improvement as a coach, but he's in effect learning on the job.

 

[jamrock]

We also need to put this narrative of club selling TV rights into context, the club solid it's TV rights & received 700m euros if memory serves me correctly, of that number only 120m was spent on players, not 400m or some crazy number like that.

The TV rights were sold not only to Improve the team on the field, but like was said my the board at the time, to save the club from financial ruin, part of that strategy included keeping the team competitive throughout the process of finding out footing again as a club & that part shouldn't be undersold.

But this talk of we sold the TV rights soley to improve the team isn't what really happened.

 

[MTL_Barca]

200M was still a lot considering Barcas financial situation. Would've been pretty bad if it didn't work out, because we can't just easily try again. Honestly we're lucky Dembele is healthy and we can compensate a lot with youth players because the 120M for Ferran and Raphinha already look meh, and so do Alonso and Kessie. Not even to mention Bellerin.

It's going very well so far (at least result wise) in the league i don't disagree there, but if we mention last seasons points then we also have to consider the way better team we have now.

I mean just look at some of the line-ups used last season with us starting players like Abde, Jutgla, Demir etc. it was tragic.

All in all it's good, but i wouldn't say it's phenomenal or anything.

 

[serghei]

200M was still a lot considering Barcas financial situation.

It was a lot for Barca but in terms of dealing with competition in Europe, mainly EPL sides, it is not nearly enough. Spent something like 150m last summer, top tier teams spend that or go past that almost every summer. Especially those that try to get back on top like Barca are.

Competition doesn't care if Barca have financial issues or not. The bottom line is that, to be elite atm, you need about 500-600m invested in your team over the course of 3-4 summers. That, coupled with having top managers that can develop existing talent and get transfers mostly right on, can get you there to maybe win another CL.

 

[JamDav1982]

220m is a lot and it is on top of what was already there - MATS, Araujo, Balde, FDJ, Pedri, Gavi, Dembele etc.

Barca have better squads than many who have spent more and didnt have those players to begin with.

In the EPL they also have a panic situation that Barca wouldnt as they are shit scared of not finishing top 4 and there are now 6 teams at least that expect it. They will over spend at times.

Real dont have some amazing squad that Barca need another 400m to compete with. That is complete nonsense.

Chelsea have just spent 500m+ and other than Mudryk... not many of them would get in Barcas side.

Araujo, Pedri and Gavi wouldnt suddenly become better players just because Barca paid 250m odd to get them in. Same with Dembele, MATS, FDJ etc.

 

[serghei]

220m is a lot and it is on top of what was already there - MATS, Araujo, Balde, FDJ, Pedri, Gavi, Dembele etc.

Team that was already there is 90% a mix of kids, promises, and oldies that we try to get rid of. Courtesy of Bartomeu. There's some raw talent in there that is gonna take years to develop and money.

 

[serghei]

Been over this already. Barca is a clear cut case for me.

 

[JamDav1982]

Team that was already there is 90% a mix of kids, promises, and oldies that we try to get rid of. Courtesy of Bartomeu. There's some raw talent in there that is gonna take years to develop and money.

No it wasnt and when Barca beat Real last week Real fans were moaning about the level likes of Pedri, Gavi and Balde were already at.

Barca have two teenagers in their possible strongest line up.

Also these player develop and point remains they are not better if cost 250m to put together.

 

[JamDav1982]

Been over this already. Barca is a clear cut case for me.

Aye you think Barca need to spend 400m to compete with elite teams like Real on current squads.

No chance.

Moaning about 20 year olds as 'kids' when these players are held up as some of best players in Europe in their position already.

Balde and Gavi are good young players still learning but all teams have players still learning... even if brought over to EPl for 80-100m they play with that pressure and adapting to new environments in way young players at Barca dont have to same level.

Works both ways.

 

[serghei]

No it wasnt and when Barca beat Real last week Real fans were moaning about the level likes of Pedri, Gavi and Balde were already at.

Barca have two teenagers in their possible strongest line up.

Also these player develop and point remains they are not better if cost 250m to put together.

They develop, but not fast enough to challenge for big titles. They also develop better if they have better players to play next to. Hence the need of money. They need to develop winning titles. It's essential.

Not gonna lie, if we win the title it's a big big hit by the club. Gonna help this core get used to winning.