Xavi Hernández

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Iniesta Ultra

Iniesta Ultra

Senior Member
Barcilliant said:
Has anyone seen Xavis body language? Hardly inspiring. It's like we peaked against Madrid and just blew our whole wad. The team looks clueless in all levels-physically, mentally and tactically. Team looks spent and we haven't even finished the season.
Another troubling aspect is the lack of personality and leadership on and off the pitch. It's time to get some character in the team. The only players with grinta are Gavi and probably Araujo. The rest are softer than melted cheese.
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Without faith Xavi's implemented a system that treats the players like they're incompetent, so no surprise they manifest that. He's so afraid of not being secure he's sacrificing their freedom and intelligence, no different from the famous quote 'those willing to give up liberty for safety deserve neither' and in football especially at the highest level I see no distinction from the two.

When Kiraly took over the USA women's volleyball NT he did exactly the same thing. Removed our two best and most creative setters, our undisputed best hitter in history for being a diva his ego couldn't handle, and implemented a mindless repetitive system that relied solely on our physical superiority to beat shorter European teams. Unfortunately in volleyball height matters a lot as does court size compared to a pitch and he was able to win a couple trophies with this embarrassing fake-faith system over a decade. Kiraly moreso than Xavi is a GOAT player and he never trusted his players with the freedom he played with, like a helicopter parent who suffocates his children. Puig is obviously a player unmanageable with this type of managing. Fortunately denying freedom and intelligence can never succeed in football. Xavi basically needs to overcome his Catholic upbringing which is nigh impossible without the help of indigenous medicine.

We're kinda fucked because I know Xavi will do his best not to face the problem, for him letting go of this sick control will torture him.
 
kobby

kobby

Member
Iniesta Ultra said:
Without faith Xavi's implemented a system that treats the players like they're incompetent, so no surprise they manifest that. He's so afraid of not being secure he's sacrificing their freedom and intelligence, no different from the famous quote 'those willing to give up liberty for safety deserve neither' and in football especially at the highest level I see no distinction from the two.

When Kiraly took over the USA women's volleyball NT he did exactly the same thing. Removed our two best and most creative setters, our undisputed best hitter in history for being a diva his ego couldn't handle, and implemented a mindless repetitive system that relied solely on our physical superiority to beat shorter European teams. Unfortunately in volleyball height matters a lot as does court size compared to a pitch and he was able to win a couple trophies with this embarrassing fake-faith system over a decade. Kiraly moreso than Xavi is a GOAT player and he never trusted his players with the freedom he played with, like a helicopter parent who suffocates his children. Puig is obviously a player unmanageable with this type of managing. Fortunately denying freedom and intelligence can never succeed in football. Xavi basically needs to overcome his Catholic upbringing which is nigh impossible without the help of indigenous medicine.

We're kinda fucked because I know Xavi will do his best not to face the problem, for him letting go of this sick control will torture him.
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What the heck did I just read?
 
Windhook

Windhook

Well-known member
No Pedri, no fun.

Glad the team is still 2nd in La Liga, but those home losses against bottom teams is worrying. Xaviball is exposed like Pep's tiki-taka against Chelsea in 2012.
 
T

Temptation

Well-known member
He's more like Pirlo without the charm than the next Pep....

Barca should have gone for Ten Hag or Arteta but nepotism is pretty prevalent in Football clubs these days...
 
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JamDav1982

Senior Member
Ten Hag wouldnt have left mid season and most likely would think he would want to punt the old legs.. Barca wont do that to those amigos.
 
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Temptation

Well-known member
Should have gotten an interim and waited for ETH/Arteta imo.

The thing about these managers is they aren't scared of coming in and getting rid of the overrated, overpaid oldies. They're willing to take brave decisions. Just like Pep did at Barca all those years back.

ETH is literally tailor made for Barca philosophy wise. Totally worth taking the gamble.

But now with Xavi, he'll instead make the likes of Busquets undroppable because hey, he's a "unique player with a specific set of skills"....it's Football, not Taken FFS!

Those managers have a much clearer idea about what they want to implement.
 
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JamDav1982

Senior Member
Even then I doubt ETH rejects like of Man U for Barca.

Top coaches want to be in EPL better sides and will have more freedom there and blank canvas to implement their ideas.

Xavi is doubling down on the Barca DNA and also using it as an excuse. Win win.
 
Birdy

Birdy

Senior Member
Watched both Cadiz and Rayo losses that I missed back to back, and I am on the verge of depression...

What I saw is that Xavi is not 'listening' enough to what the games tell him.
Both games had an IDENTICAL image, where the team struggled massively for 70-80 min to even get a touch in the opposition's box, let alone giving good chances (vs CAdiz) on the break...
->He is persisting with the specific 4-3-3 with advanced interiors that NEVER worked against deep blocks. Everyone is static, and the only player that creates attacking plays for Barca is Dembele through his sheer talent.
It is depressing that team looked better for 10-20 min at the end of both games when Xavi out of desperation threw all attackers in and played Adama-Dembele as wide wingers to cross for Luuk, Auba or whoever, in an unorthodox 3-4-3. That was the first time in both games that the oppositions defense 'felt' our presence.
-> Let alone that neither FDJ (who was atrocious in both these games) nor Gavi are such players. The former is not and would never become that player.
The latter is still a kid but IMO despite all his tenacity (he played well against Rayo) he doesn't have the required technique to control the ball in tight spaces, and his positioning is never where it should be between the lines

The problem IMO comes down to the fact that Xavi STOPPED experimenting after the 4-2 against Atleti.
Whereas until then, we saw all different kinds of formations and tactics, and experimentation, from then on it was all rigidity.
He thought that - after that system worked against Atleti - 'I found it' and now with the new signings everything is done.
And it was not only form: if you look at the teams we beat at that good run almost all of them (Atleti, Valencia, Napoli, RM) are not teams that play 10 men in the box (even Atleti didn't do that in the 4-2) but try to either mildly or fully press us at the back.
The first sign that that formation might have problems we saw against Galatasaray, and the qualification masked the problems. vs Elche away he had problems...
The real wake-up call was against Frankfurt 1st game.

Xavi should start experimenting and thinking again...
He cannot become a great coach without trying different things.
Let's hope that we secure CL, and in the summer with whole preseason to play and experiment, he will get a lot of ideas and DIFFERENT approaches for different opponents as all great coaches do
 
B

Barcilliant

Senior Member
He is basically turning out to be the coach I thought he would always be. Sterile and one dimensional. He looks depressed and in need of a holiday. I remember Rijkaard looking like this at the end of his tenure.
Next season will be wasted too. God help us.
 
Iniesta Ultra

Iniesta Ultra

Senior Member
I can't watch Xavi's match interviews anymore they're too depressing. My biggest wish now is for us to get Pep back, worth paying him whatever he wants.
 
F

freetocan

Member
For me it's clear. Xavi proved that he does not have the necessary experience to drive Barca to success. Period. We need a couch with a proved experience.
 
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