True. I understand, that you want to have a few homegrown players, but you don't need to have all the players from the same country. Madness. Especially when the generation isn't nearly as good as the "golden generation".
It is obsession/delusion about Spanish/Barca DNA/TikiTaka, and Serghei's "if executed properly, nothing can beat TikiTaka".
Pep's era is the best and the worst thing which ever happened to Barca/Spain.
Pros = the best results ever
Cons = 50 years of mysery afterwards trying to replicate that era/being stuck in time while the opponents/football are evolving
Best player vs Villarreal too
Xavicross killed dna, midfield, and tiki taka. Not sure how your delusion about a fake delusion comes about but it's impressive.
Since 2012:
1. Barca couldn't replicate their golden era
2. Spain couldn't replicate their golden era
3. the only one who came close was Pep, but only in league competitions against weaker teams with ultra-rich teams
Barca had 10 CL attempts after 2012', 4 of them with MSN and 9 with Messi. 1 title.
Pep had 9 CL attempts after 2012'. 0 titles.
Spain had 5 WCs/Euros after 2012. 0 titles.
24 major tournaments. 1 win.
Yet, we are still trying to replicate 2008-2012.
Xavi's tenure is a perfect example of what is wrong around Barcelona, I have been repeating the same for a few years:
1. if you want to replicate EXACT copy of 2008-2012: you can't, because we don't have such players and we'll never have it again.
So, if you want to play Pep's football with current players, you'll get something like Setien's Barca at best.
2. if you want to move to something new, you'll get one of these propblems:
1) you'll either move away too much from Barca's values, like EV and you'll get hated by fans.
2) you'll try to create some weird mix of Barca's football and new ideas (like Xavi's crossing game played with 170cm tall Barca DNA players) = and then you'll get something which both doesn't look eye pleasing, results are shit, fans are mad and we aren't moving forward.
In short:
1. if you want to replicate the past = it won't work
2. if you want to move to something new = fans will be mad because fans want a return to 2008-2012 which is not working anymore
An eternal catch 22.
Welcome to Fc Barcelona.
Pep's era = heaven and death of Barca.
Can you please tell me how is Xavi trying to replicate Pep's Barca? The way we are playing is not even similar to the way we played back than. We had like 1963716312 crosses per game and with PEP we had basically none. In addition to that, we are broke, so we are trying to sign free agents (Kessie & Christensen) and players who entered the last year of their contract (Alonso, Koulibaly, Lewa...). Where is that replication you are talking about because I seriously can't find any similarities between Pep's and Xavi's Barca? Furthermore, I am 100% sure that NO ONE cares and wants 2008-12 playing style back. People are not dumb, in general we all care only about results and good football.
People are not dumb, in general we all care only about results and good football.
Busi, Gavi, Pedri
There is no such team in the world with physique of those players.
Add Ferran's pace into that.
In general, all teams in the world moved to more physical players (between two players with technique 10/10 who have 5/10 and 9/10 physique, other teams are moving to players who are taller, stronger, faster, with insane stamina, defending etc).
Name me one top team in Europe who would play a profile of Torres in attack. A winger with no pace or dribbles.
Who on earth would play Busi, especially 34 years old Busi?
Barca-ballplaying CB Eric.
Barca-ballplaying GK MATS.
Should I even need to mention a part with no leaders, no fighting spirit, no aggression, just a bunch of nice choir boys, as always?
1. which top team has as many choir boys as us?
2. which top teams has shorter average height than us?
3. Busquets
4. technical, soft players
So, inspite of Xavi's crosses, there are tons of Barca DNA written all over our players, coach, president, socios, transfer policy.
Tata started well.
He didn't have possession, media went crazy.
EV was on top for 2 and a half season straight. Sacked because he didn't play beautiful Barca's way.
So, no.
Fans don't want a beautiful football.
They want only one version of a beautiful football.
You know which one that is.