Let's talk about Xavi's replacement (2024)

Xavi replacement v3


  • Total voters
    19

Porque

Senior Member
Not 3 seasons. 2 complete seasons. In the first season he got the team midway from 9th place. If you check the stats since he took over the team, he's up there with Madrid for points won per game even in that troublesome season. Even beat them 4-0 away that year.

In that season he got the team from 9th and got it to 2nd by the end. Just the simple fact you will go and use that argument is demeaning imo.

This season, sure, the team was all over the place league-wise, especially in the first part of the season. No comments about that.

Well that first season we spent 55m in the winter market on Ferran, and 6 months later 158m. So all being equal, the new manager should have the benefit of 200m investment to be compared on.

Of course things don't work like that.

Well you know by now, I'm not Xavi biggest fan, or rather I have seen his limitations earlier in the tenure than most. I also was for his signing though, and still believe for that point in time was the best selection.

My issue more than him staying (though the U-turn is an issue in itself) is that he committed to staying and three weeks later we have these stories break and still no denial.

It's a joke, it does the club no favours, it does Xavi no favours if he stays or goes, and it does any potential new manager no favours.

And if Xavi does go, valuable time that could be invested on strategising our new manager has been lost.

And lastly, obviously we can't linerally compare Xavi coming in after Koeman to this new guy coming in after Xavi. For one Madrid is much much better team and are signing the worlds best player. For two there are no transfer funds. So we are closer to the situation that Koeman was in post Messi.
 

jamrock

Senior Member
Well that first season we spent 55m in the winter market on Ferran, and 6 months later 158m. So all being equal, the new manager should have the benefit of 200m investment to be compared on.

Of course things don't work like that.

Well you know by now, I'm not Xavi biggest fan, or rather I have seen his limitations earlier in the tenure than most. I also was for his signing though, and still believe for that point in time was the best selection.

My issue more than him staying (though the U-turn is an issue in itself) is that he committed to staying and three weeks later we have these stories break and still no denial.

It's a joke, it does the club no favours, it does Xavi no favours if he stays or goes, and it does any potential new manager no favours.

And if Xavi does go, valuable time that could be invested on strategising our new manager has been lost.

And lastly, obviously we can't linerally compare Xavi coming in after Koeman to this new guy coming in after Xavi. For one Madrid is much much better team and are signing the worlds best player. For two there are no transfer funds. So we are closer to the situation that Koeman was in post Messi.

You lost me at closer to the position Koeman was post Messi.

We are significantly better off than we were back then and if a new manager comes in, he'll have a squad that almost to a man, everyone here said should winning the league.

Koeman didn't have that, plus in the summer we'll probably figure out away to sign 1-3 player, like we've done pretty much every summer since the new president has been in place.

This summer a DM and whatever else,.will 100% be signed, any new manager if he's better than Xavi, should press Madrid until the end, we only play them twice after all and should be making the CL last 16-QF.
 

serghei

Senior Member
Well that first season we spent 55m in the winter market on Ferran, and 6 months later 158m. So all being equal, the new manager should have the benefit of 200m investment to be compared on.

Of course things don't work like that.

And lastly, obviously we can't linerally compare Xavi coming in after Koeman to this new guy coming in after Xavi. For one Madrid is much much better team and are signing the worlds best player. For two there are no transfer funds. So we are closer to the situation that Koeman was in post Messi.

The new manager is going to benefit from the previous investments. Unless we sell everyone that was bought back then and bring no one instead. I doubt the club is gonna do that.

Madrid were a level above us when Xavi won the league too, since they were fresh off a CL - League double. But people don't expect us to be better than Madrid in a h2h, that's not the point.

The best a new manager can do with this squad in terms of winning a big title is to motivate the squad to the absolute maximum. Beat the smaller sides with great efficiency, and then hope Madrid screw up a bit too much due to complacency in order for us to clinch a league title. The same thing Xavi did in 2022-23. For that to happen we also need luck and for Madrid to not produce a 95+ points season like this year.
 

Porque

Senior Member
You lost me at closer to the position Koeman was post Messi.

We are significantly better off than we were back then and if a new manager comes in, he'll have a squad that almost to a man, everyone here said should winning the league.

Koeman didn't have that, plus in the summer we'll probably figure out away to sign 1-3 player, like we've done pretty much every summer since the new president has been in place.

This summer a DM and whatever else,.will 100% be signed, any new manager if he's better than Xavi, should press Madrid until the end, we only play them twice after all and should be making the CL last 16-QF.

Fair point. I mean in financial potential. But yeah, squad quality is way higher and I can see how that reads.
 

Porque

Senior Member
The new manager is going to benefit from the previous investments. Unless we sell everyone that was bought back then and bring no one instead. I doubt the club is gonna do that.

Madrid were a level above us when Xavi won the league too, since they were fresh off a CL - League double. But people don't expect us to be better than Madrid in a h2h, that's not the point.

The best a new manager can do with this squad in terms of winning a big title is to motivate the squad to the absolute maximum. Beat the smaller sides with great efficiency, and then hope Madrid screw up a bit too much due to complacency in order for us to clinch a league title. The same thing Xavi did in 2022-23. For that to happen we also need luck and for Madrid to not produce a 95+ points season like this year.

True. And hopefully he can unlock a few of those that Xavi didn't, and continue to develop those that he did.

Disagree on Madrid being a tier above squadwise last season. This year Bellingham and our miss at DMC recruitment has made a big difference though. Though on our short peak we showed we are on their level.

Highlighted the key point. The poor entertainment of the team aside (and that is a big issue for a side that markets itself as a side who wins playing well), few would complain about Xavi if this season we were competitive. And by competitive I mean not being pumped by Girona twice, pumped by Villarreal, pumped by PSG (sending off I know) in CL, pumped by Bilbao in Copa.

No one complains of losing the league to Madrid if they are exceeding the normal points total. But Xavi has lost the faith in these key fixtures. Not to forget losing 4 times in a row to Madrid for the first time in almost a century.
 

jamrock

Senior Member
True. And hopefully he can unlock a few of those that Xavi didn't, and continue to develop those that he did.

Disagree on Madrid being a tier above squadwise last season. This year Bellingham and our miss at DMC recruitment has made a big difference though. Though on our short peak we showed we are on their level.

Highlighted the key point. The poor entertainment of the team aside (and that is a big issue for a side that markets itself as a side who wins playing well), few would complain about Xavi if this season we were competitive. And by competitive I mean not being pumped by Girona twice, pumped by Villarreal, pumped by PSG (sending off I know) in CL, pumped by Bilbao in Copa.

No one complains of losing the league to Madrid if they are exceeding the normal points total. But Xavi has lost the faith in these key fixtures. Not to forget losing 4 times in a row to Madrid for the first time in almost a century.

The biggest issue for me with Xavi is the play well aspect, when we didn't win anything in a couple of seasons, you gotta do what you gotta do, to get back to winning ways.

But medium to long term, the dull style of play will indeed hurt our brand, especially if it doesn't come with winning.
 

DonAK

President of FC Barcelona
If Xavi stays then Laporta's term probably depends on him being able to make the team play entertaining football and/or competing well for major titles.

Firing Xavi and hiring someone like Marquez might give Laporta an excuse if it doesn't work out next season, although I'm not sure it'll work.

I don't think the current alternatives to Laporta are going to be any better, but if you play these kind of games then eventually people's patience are going to run thin. Talking about the locals ofc.

Might be why there's all this flip flopping because how much do you really trust your manager not to take you and your entire board down with him?

And if you don't want to be honest with your fanbase about when we'll be financially free again from the La Liga FFP issues and wage budget limitations due to it causing reputational damage then how do you expect them to be understanding of our situation and not have these high expectations?
 

serghei

Senior Member
There is no such thing as an entertaining football while not fighting for titles. There's nothing entertaining about losing.
 

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