You've got some point, but our getting KO'd this year would mostly be as a result of our Defense, cause it would've been different if we had Araujo, Christensen, and Kounde fit.
Our KO's are from all factors:
1. bad GK (even though he was good yesterday)
2. bad defense
3. bad midfield
4. bad attack
5. bad captains/leaders
6. meh coach
So what are you guys suggesting? that we give up on gavi and play him less? Even Xavi/Iniesta struggled initially when they first burst onto the scene. Its normal for young players, especially a teenager. Not everyone can be Messi or Neymar. I'm of the opinion that we give up to easily on young players rather than the other way around.
Xavi and Iniesta were always key players in youth NT teams who were winning World cups and Euros.
Gavi is nothing compared to them.
Remember a similar argument 3-4 years ago when Riki was hyped, and some of us said: why he doesn't play for NT teams then?
Ok, Gavi is playing for NT teams, but again: Xavi and Iniesta were rulling the world in youth NT teams in those years.
Ok, you could argue that it depends how strong a current generation of the NT is.
True. But also, true masterminds, like Xavi could elevate even average teams to high levels.
Also, since Pedri is 20 and Gavi is 18, it is always good to compare them to our greats when they were 18.
Someone may reply: but why are you comparing them with Xavi, since no one can be as good as Xavi?
But then we have a problem, since we always sucked before Xavi as a player.
And only when we got Xavi-Iniesta-Messi, we turned to greats.
If we'll have similar players like before Xavi-Messi's era, well, then we'll have similar results as back then, when we were getting KOd in CL group stage all the time (Dinamo Kiev 1998, Bayern&Man Utd 1999, Milan&Leeds 2001)...
Oh wait, that is exactly what is happening already.
For 10 years, I am often writing about Barca's DNA and how in general, that is not a good system EXCEPT when you have world class players on all positions and when you are 120-130% better than all of your opponents.
ONLY THEN can you win something with our style.
Our style historically never wins when we are 50:50 with opponents or when we are weaker.
All of our CL titles came when we were an absolute force. We never won a CL by luck, unlike other teams like Real, Milan, Bayern who can win CLs even in their not so great generations/seasons.
So, in short: our system/ideas can work only when we are by far the best in the world, what happened only when we had Xavi-Messi and friends.
Without them, for years, we were the world's laughing stock. We always played nice, but never won any major titles. Up until 2006 (young Messi), we had only 1 CL. Is that really such a surprise?
Now, this is why I am mentioning Xavi.
1. on one hand, we can't compare young players to Xavi, because no one can be even close to Xavi
2. on the other hand, if we don't have midfielders of Xavi's quality = we'll suck, as always (as we already do in the last few seasons and this is only the beginning)
So, my point is = if Pedri and Gavi are nowhere near to Xavi's level, how can you guys expect anything more than Europa league levels in the next decade?
What is even worse, football has evolved since Xavi and our opponents are even better, bigger and faster.
Which means that average midfielders in 2025' will be left behind even more than average midfielders from 2000'.
I have write it so many times and nothing what is happening is changing my mind: Pep's years and success from 2008-2012 will remain the biggest joy and the death of Barca.
Due to that enormous success, we will never move away from Barca DNA, Pep's ideas, our style from 2009, type of players from 2009, trying to copy them etc.
Someone may say now: but, we aren't playing anything like Pep's Barca. We play some shitty crossing-Xavi ball.
Well, that is true.
But, deep down, in veins of our club and directors, it will always flow blood called 2009&2011.
Just look at some of our transfers.
Eric Garcia = who else on Earth would play him?
Ferran Torres = the same question
Riki Puig until 1 year ago
Arthur = who on Earth would buy that type of a player?
Frenkie = again a player who should have been a son of Barca's&Dutch football
Busquets is still playing = is there any top player who would play a player of his profile in 2022', especially with his age?
So, yeah, is some aspects we changed, but deep down, we are still Barca (or a bad copy of it) from 2009-2011.
And as explained above = Barca can work and win only when it is 120% infront of other clubs.
And without money, rich EPL, rich oil clubs, footballing evolving and moving away from short-light-technical midfielders = I honestly can't find a big CL club (except Man Utd) with a grimmer long term future than Barca, in terms of ever going back to top of Europe.
After all of this rambling, let's now watch 18 years old Xavi in his debut in 1999 and then compare it to what Pedri and Gavi are offering in midfield today.
As always, look at Xavi's movement, involvement and compare it to "the master of hide and seek Pedri".
With Xavi's touches, everything was so clean, safe, simple and LOGICAL. I can't even compare it with Pedri's weird and forced first time touches which often lead to counters and lost possession.
