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There was never anything to "improve" really in Traore, he was always a fast dribbler who can play a specific role that is nice to have in some scenarios. Like Tello, Cuenca, Deulofeu, Konrad or Abde or 10+ other products of la masia the last 15 years, or hundreds of players around Europe, some...

Seems like last week it was Atletico de Madrid v FC Barcelona. But it was four months ago before this game is played. I think Atletico will be too strong again unfortunately, but I look forward to being surprised from some unexpected improvement from Xavi and his lads!

What is triggering you? I am a bit disappointed to read that you try to ignore me, as I think you are one of the more sane posters here (and one who I also agree with more often than most). I am here to write honestly and maybe discuss about this football team which I have followed very closely...

Zidane won one league for that stacked Madrid team over five seasons and three leagues in total, being able to play for any team he wanted, with complete freedom and both Juve and Madrid were clearly the best teams of their leagues at that time. Maybe if he could control games more regularly...

Thanks for the mention Porque I didn't see the game or the mention until now, but I'll be sure to watch the el clasico game the day after tomorrow. I enjoyed watching Nico, Konrad and Collado last year and it was fun to see Gavi get minutes. I also thought Pimienta looked like a good coach...

I agree that one problem was the distance between MCs and DCs for sure. These connections are a bit gone since Koeman arrived, it became more and more so that DMC and AMC lines were unoccupied (or MC when they advance to AMC), and we still see it. I think it is a waste to have three players...

Busquets was obviously told to fall back into the defence line, and Gavi/Pedri/de Jong could not often be found for the 5 players trying to bring the ball up from the buildup. When they were found, even in nice positions behind the press, the best we could hope for from them was pretty much a...

Gavi dominated a game v. Italy wasn't it? Garcia was very good against France. But fine, it is probably better to rephrase it as "players who are obviously of the highest class" and maybe remove Araujo from there. I have seen enough to gauge them, but maybe they haven't "proven themselves" yet...

I listed 11 world class players, 4 good rotating players, 1 great youngish player, and 4 decent rotating options. That's great, and then I even forgot Ferran Torres. I don't make any excuses for Xavi for not succeeding with the players, and even if it was a terrible squad, I wouldn't make any...

Hm what do you mean? I literally wrote "It's a great squad", and it was even better last year with Messi of course (also Griezmann should be at 2. even though he was clearly 5.) Break down Liverpools squad and see where that takes you (please think about the players isolated, not in the great...

1. World class players that might be a bit over the top (Alves, Alba, Pique, Busquets) 2. Players who should be world class and in their best years (Frenkie, Stegen) 3. Very young players that have already proven themselves at the highest level (Gavi, Pedri, Garcia, Fati, maybe Araujo if we're...

I am beginning to think it is not "Chameleon Eyes" on the bench but rather some "Koeman chameleon" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcA9LIIXWw But I will continue to believe, despite seeing no obvious improvements so far. Yesterdays game was truly a disaster against a team that could never be...

Ok you can probably put this thread in the "legends" subforum already. I think his situation is really terribly handled by Xavi.

Of course Xavi is better than Koeman, and of course he would be one and a half years ago too, or half a year ago. It would've been better if he arrived then rather than when he did, but as it stands, he isn't impressing me that much - I expected more, earlier. Let us see what happens from here.

I think top 3 should be expected with the material still, and without knowing just how much Koeman had lost the dressing room, I think that he too was headed for something like that, maybe 4th at worst. Barcelona were actually 9th when he was sacked, and six points behind leaders Real Madrid (I...

But your comparison between "pushing for 3rd" now and being placed at 10th before is not really fair. Let's hope for more steady, small improvements, and that they keep the right players and buy the right ones this summer. Maybe Xavi can be great with the right players later. If I count...

You need to relax a bit, too, because Barcelona are currently at 6th place. I see a lot of small improvements but a lot of stuff that are not fixed or look like being fixed that should be fixed. I expected more than this. Results wise, I think that Xavi lost against Betis and Boca as well as...

He only missed one game this season, and in that game Puig played... I think the mids in front of Busquets should have the potential to be perfect, most of the defence and at least Torres and Fati, too. I think it is up to Xavi, I will blame him as I have blamed previous managers if he doesn't...

Simple and unquestionable truth. But maybe too simple and unquestionable, where is Xavis vision so far? I expected and will soon demand some questionable decisions from him, that hopefully turn out right rather than wrong, but I want something that shows that he is actually seeing something...

Depays triceps surae look a bit impressive, more than anything he ever did at the pitch for Barcelona. It is difficult to perform worse than him and I doubt these now quite fat legends would succeed. My logic though has nothing to do with that, it is simply that the best player should play...