Xavi Hernández

[FinBarcelonafan]

Mundo was writing about importance of the first goal. We seem to let in the first go very often and it makes the game more complicated. If we score first, I think our tactic is probably decent because opponent has to open up, but if we fail to score, we are in a lot of pain.

 

[ajnotkeith]

Taking a single quote from an entire post-match interview and press conference where he goes on about how bad the team played tonight is not a fair reflection of what he thinks.

Especially when a lot of these quotes on Twitter are mistranslated.

He is talking about how the team lacked character and lacked determination when it is not that at all. The tactics were poor.

He had a great run but things slow down, teams react to your setup, not everything is 'mentality' 'intensity' 'determination' in these past games, teams have stifled us with their setup. He needs to be the first one changing what he is doing instead of saying the players didn't want it enough.

 

[Joan]

He is talking about how the team lacked character and lacked determination when it is not that at all. The tactics were poor.

He had a great run but things slow down, teams react to your setup, not everything is 'mentality' 'intensity' 'determination' in these past games, teams have stifled us with their setup. He needs to be the first one changing what he is doing instead of saying the players didn't want it enough.

Frankfurt and Cadiz are mostly on Xavi. The real loss would be not learning from it and adapting.

We can discuss if the squad's got quality to compete with Real or in the CL but the lack of quality shouldn't be the conclusion drawn from our recent defeats.

 

[delancey]

He clearly needs to reflect on his numero uno tactic of always passing the ball out to one of the wingers, followed by a dribbling attempt and Inshallah!

 

[JamDav1982]

More legs in team.

Full backs that can cross a fucking ball and a threat if left wide.

Full backs with that threat mean forwards can ply closer together and narrower at times which means midfield can try and combine as a three as dont need to focus so much on supporting striker.

It is fucking basic stuff.

Set ups like today have Ferran/Dembele as touchline wingers, Alba and Dest barely getting forward and wide, the front three are width of pitch apart and midfield are trying to get forward in between lines to stop CF being isolated which means less control and options to open up game through middle.

Busi often gets ball in 20/30 yds of space and trying to open game up with cute pass. There is no moving of ball or trying to creat over loads in middle of park as the other mids are told to get inbetween lines and into box to support the CF.

Fucking eye bleeding stuff in games like today.

 

[Barcilliant]

I don't know why people are so focused on the quality of the squad. La Liga wise the squad is fine. We hit four past Real, AM and Valencia. In Europe we hit four past Napoli.
Imo the coaching aspect is the problem. The squad does have holes in it but we shouldn't be losing like this.
I'm struggling to understand Xavis tactics. I really am. I think the players are too. Losing at home to Cadiz is unacceptable. There are no excuses.
It's time to hire a proper coach. Rafa Benitez guided an absolute shit Liverpool side to a cl win. They came back from a 0-3 deficit in a final to win against a quality Milan team. That's coaching. A good coach gets the best out of his side. I said it before, I don't think Xavi is ready for this job. We risk wasting another season next year. Is it worth keeping him on? Lakpard was good initially,got the players he wanted and was sacked. Management at the highest level is tremendously difficult. Very few are cut out for it.

 

[Iniesta Ultra]

I don't want the team to suffer Xavikjaer (no disrespect to Solskjaer just paralleling honeymoon hiding truth phase) and I post this in total seriousness I believe Xavi's only hope is to participate in a few well reputed ayahuasca ceremonies before next season starts if he wants to overcome the only obstacle which is his ego. Despite these shitshows Xavi has all the intelligence necessary to succeed if he can face his own shadows.

I pray Xavi seeks the healing only a shaman can give him.

 

[mc_lovin]

It's the end of the world, eh?

 

[fergus90]

I don't know why people are so focused on the quality of the squad. La Liga wise the squad is fine. We hit four past Real, AM and Valencia. In Europe we hit four past Napoli.
Imo the coaching aspect is the problem. The squad does have holes in it but we shouldn't be losing like this.
I'm struggling to understand Xavis tactics. I really am. I think the players are too. Losing at home to Cadiz is unacceptable. There are no excuses.
It's time to hire a proper coach. Rafa Benitez guided an absolute shit Liverpool side to a cl win. They came back from a 0-3 deficit in a final to win against a quality Milan team. That's coaching. A good coach gets the best out of his side. I said it before, I don't think Xavi is ready for this job. We risk wasting another season next year. Is it worth keeping him on? Lakpard was good initially,got the players he wanted and was sacked. Management at the highest level is tremendously difficult. Very few are cut out for it.

Rafa Benitez also guided Real Madrid to playing like utter garbage with a Modric-Kroos pivot before he was sacked and they 3-peated the Champions League.

 

[JamDav1982]

Main issues for me in these past 3/4 games with Xavis set up...Too much positional play, little combinations and not enough basics.

1. Positional play more than allowing freedom to go and take ball to dominate in final third. The wide players hug the touchline and FBs do not take the width or combine with them very often.
2. The result is two wingers hugging touchline and an isolated CF. OK if breaking on teams but one dimensional if trying to break down team sitting deep.
3. As the CF is isolated from the wide players often this means Xavi asks the CMs on front of Busi to try and not come to him to combine but to stay higher up park and get inbewteen lines and into box to support CF. They also are heavily positioned with little freedom to move to get on ball and dominate at times.
4. This results on the ball with Busi getting it in middle of half with 20 yds of space and rarely anyone to combine with. He either tries a cute ball over top or inbehind or passes wide to wingers as main forward options.
5. All is one dimensional and stale with a cross or a piece of individual skill only way to open up game
6. This leaves Busi completely exposed on break when Barca lose it and no one near him as positioned up park for options in final third.
7. Then the FBs and CBs are too slow/old to have confidence to defend on oppostions coming charging past Busi in DM and look all over shop trying to defend.

Ways to solve it...

FBs that can cross a ball and technically good enough to combine and a CF threat that is supported by the winger centrally more often. That then allows midfield to play closer together and try to move ball quickly together and open game up.

 

[malvolio]

I don't know why people are so focused on the quality of the squad. La Liga wise the squad is fine. We hit four past Real, AM and Valencia. In Europe we hit four past Napoli.
Imo the coaching aspect is the problem. The squad does have holes in it but we shouldn't be losing like this.
I'm struggling to understand Xavis tactics. I really am. I think the players are too. Losing at home to Cadiz is unacceptable. There are no excuses.
It's time to hire a proper coach. Rafa Benitez guided an absolute shit Liverpool side to a cl win. They came back from a 0-3 deficit in a final to win against a quality Milan team. That's coaching. A good coach gets the best out of his side. I said it before, I don't think Xavi is ready for this job. We risk wasting another season next year. Is it worth keeping him on? Lakpard was good initially,got the players he wanted and was sacked. Management at the highest level is tremendously difficult. Very few are cut out for it.

Nope squad and every player in it had their honeymoon period and it finished. At the end of the day we have some oldies on the verge of retirement, some promising youngsters that are just breaking through(of which only one is seen as a big prospect) and some rejects from other teams(most of those teams are not CL regulars).

Yeah, Xavi might not be that second Pep we were dreaming of. He might very well be a second Pirlo or Lampard. But the squad is nothing special either.

 

[JamDav1982]

The bigger issues these games were Xavis tactics than the squad.

Much better squad than Frankfurt and Cadiz.

Set up was a shambles in these games.

 

[Joan]

Nope squad and every player in it had their honeymoon period and it finished. At the end of the day we have some oldies on the verge of retirement, some promising youngsters that are just breaking through(of which only one is seen as a big prospect) and some rejects from other teams(most of those teams are not CL regulars).

Yeah, Xavi might not be that second Pep we were dreaming of. He might very well be a second Pirlo or Lampard. But the squad is nothing special either.

Squad not good enough to win the match on individual quality but the way the team played recently has been a way bigger issue.

We are figured out and not adapting.

 

[Iniesta Ultra]

Yeah, Xavi might not be that second Pep we were dreaming of. He might very well be a second Pirlo or Lampard. But the squad is nothing special either.

Xavi can be better than Pep but not if he doesn't face himself.

 

[JamDav1982]

Has the lowest win % of any Barca coach since 2002 at this point.