All Xavi does is play a suicidal high line and say guys this is the Barca way like he is a damn Jedi Master. Listen we don't have Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Eto'o anymore. We have damn shadows of that team and yet our defenders play above the halfway line almost in the final third like it's no big deal. We got smashed on the counter 80 times by Real Madrid and we never change. Literally RM didn't do anything but counter over and over. Stupid. But he gets slack because he is Xavi. No better than Setien in my opinion so far.
La Liga | Round 24: RCD Espanyol - FC Barcelona 2-2
- Thread starter Barcaman
- Start date
All Xavi does is play a suicidal high line and say guys this is the Barca way like he is a damn Jedi Master. Listen we don't have Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Eto'o anymore. We have damn shadows of that team and yet our defenders play above the halfway line almost in the final third like it's no big deal. We got smashed on the counter 80 times by Real Madrid and we never change. Literally RM didn't do anything but counter over and over. Stupid. But he gets slack because he is Xavi. No better than Setien in my opinion so far.
Nazario1985
Senior Member
A lot of that was due to Simeone loosing his mind this season.
Fair assessment
Messigician
Senior Member
agreed except setien part
Daisymorr
Active member
Disappointing result. Nice header at the end from Luuk.
Pique was losing his head for the last 20 mins, he is our most experienced player and should be setting a better example, stay calm and keep playing football. He stormed off down the tunnel as if to say "this is unbelievable", but it wasn't, it was coming the way he was behaving.
Puyol, a proper leader would not act this way, and if he still around he would not allow one of his team mates to act so selfishly. Espanyol players knew he was losing his head so the just kept poking him.
Pique was losing his head for the last 20 mins, he is our most experienced player and should be setting a better example, stay calm and keep playing football. He stormed off down the tunnel as if to say "this is unbelievable", but it wasn't, it was coming the way he was behaving.
Puyol, a proper leader would not act this way, and if he still around he would not allow one of his team mates to act so selfishly. Espanyol players knew he was losing his head so the just kept poking him.
FinBarcelonafan
Well-known member
He saved us. He just scores.
This will go down as legendary as Valverde "It is what it is".
Spot on. Luuk is the GOAT.
Iniesta Ultra
Senior Member
I've disliked a lot of Xavi's lineup choices since he's become our coach but tonight's with substitutions was the worst. We ended with five forwards on the pitch Dembele, Torres, Traore, Auba, and Luuk which just screams of total desperation. Was there supposed to be any formation for these players or was it just a hail-mary-do-anything-maybe-we-can-score. I don't think I've ever seen any club in the world do that.
I hope Xavi isn't afraid of doing the right thing if Torres doesn't pan out, he clearly doesn't belong center forward at the minimum.
I hope Xavi isn't afraid of doing the right thing if Torres doesn't pan out, he clearly doesn't belong center forward at the minimum.
Messi983
Senior Member
Koeman was criticized to death for doing the same (most of the times with worse players coming off the bench than Xavi has now at his disposal). I clearly didn't expect tiki-taka maestro would sacrifice midfield dominance to bring on forwards, Well, it worked out well in the end so can't complain too much this time but clearly not a way to do it longterm. Xavi will need to find better ways to break down defenses as it's evident with our defense we'll more or less need to score at least two if not three goals in every game to win. Don't see this team keeping more than one or two clean sheets for the rest of the season.
On a positive note we're on a 8 games unbeaten streak in La Liga. I'll take that.
He may have taken the gung-ho search for a goal approach straight from Tito. Pep was/is much more structured (or you can say rigid) in his substitutions to try and turn a result. Tito when he got the job would just bring on every forward at his disposal.
In the end what Xavi did was bold, and it worked. We can't really complain against it too much, though Luuk should have come on with more time left, and Ferran was not having a good game so didn't really have a reason to finish it.
behindbrowneyes
Well-known member
The approach in itself was not the worst against a parked bus. You could see that it can work with the right players on the field.
The real problem was having to chase for the equaliser after leading literally from the first minute of the game. This should just not happen if you look at both teams and Espanyol's current form.
The real problem was having to chase for the equaliser after leading literally from the first minute of the game. This should just not happen if you look at both teams and Espanyol's current form.
Nazario1985
Senior Member
The bus wasn't that parked.
iniestaGOAT
Senior Member
Its a 12 points lead. Thats nothing. Win the Clasico win the league.
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