Xavi Hernández

[Jay Jay]

[MENTION=4451]Birdy[/MENTION]

Regardless of the mistakes you pointed out, I don't think Inter did anything concrete.

The main problem is that we didn't manage to create anything. Inter pulled back and closed everything perfectly with 3 center backs + two fullbacks as well as 2 more defensive players.
Our main creators are wings, which has no logic. In addition, there is a huge distance between the wings, Lewandowski and the forward midfielders. If we add Alonso and Roberto to the mix, we have too many players in a small space very far from the goal.

Something like this:



Terrible Passmap

 

[Devils]

Tactics don't matter when the team plays with 0 intensity.

Could be the most tactically advanced manager in the world, but without intensity it means nothing.

Xavi has these guys playing like they are on holiday cruise. No intensity or urgency.

 

[Iniesta Ultra]

 

[Raketa10]

Tactics don't matter when the team plays with 0 intensity.

Could be the most tactically advanced manager in the world, but without intensity it means nothing.

Xavi has these guys playing like they are on holiday cruise. No intensity or urgency.

That's also a responsibility of our manager. If we lack intensity during the crucial games in the beginning of October than what the hell can we expect in the reminder of the season?! Things look really bad at the moment.

IMHO playing Roberto and Alonso as full backs was the worst possible decision. Roberto proved many times that he is incapable of playing as a RB against physically strong teams and Alonso shouldn't have started to begin with. I understand that Balde is far from a finished product but FFS just play him as a LB and see what happens. At least he is fast and has lugs. On the other side we need to find some kind of a solution until Kounde and Bellerin are back since Roberto proved many times that he just can't bring anything to the team. Furthermore, why the hell is Busi playing every single minute of every single game? He was finished 3 years ago and Xavi keeps on playing him week in week out! In the end of the day Xavi is the most responsible for choosing players and he got it all wrong against Inter.

After this summer and millions we spent on players we will probably be back on starting Alba, Pique, Busi and Roberto against Inter on Camp Nou and that's just depressing.

 

[Barcilliant]

What is it with big name players and not wanting to pay their dues at the lower levels with regards to coaching???
These guys need to start off small and work their way up.
I said along Xavi was out of his depth and this wouldn't end up well.

 

[Raketa10]

What is it with big name players and not wanting to pay their dues at the lower levels with regards to coaching???
These guys need to start off small and work their way up.
I said along Xavi was out of his depth and this wouldn't end up well.

Because almost every top player thinks that he can be new Pep or Zidane while the truth is that they are rare exceptions. IMHO those former players/managers are not the problem but big clubs who support that nonsense. The truth is that 95% of managers who were rushed into coaching big clubs without having any experience failed miserably.

 

[fergus90]

What is it with big name players and not wanting to pay their dues at the lower levels with regards to coaching???
These guys need to start off small and work their way up.
I said along Xavi was out of his depth and this wouldn't end up well.

How is it the big name players fault though exactly? They aren't exactly forcing clubs to hire them at gunpoint are they. It should be on the owners/ chairmans / presidents to identify who they want and have a DOF in place that knows what he's doing.

In fairness to Laporta, there were rumours that he wanted Tuchel or Hansi Flick but by the time it came to appointing them, they were already aligned with different jobs and the situation at Barca was bleak.

When Barca appointed Xavi it was 3 months into the season and Barca didn't have a pot to piss in, you aren't getting any top manager with that. Plus some of the names that people said like Conte, Allegri etc have done no better than Xavi since he took over Barca.

 

[Temptation]

Instances of our BAD defensive shape last night:

XAvi insisted in a 4-4-2ish defending against Inter, despite amending our offensive structure.
The result was that Inter could easily find the free man out on the flank, or straight Infront of Eric and Christensen.
The play that led to Chalganoglu's goal started from a long pass of DiMarco to the unmarked Darmian far on the right:

Good posts. You're starting to grow on me as a poster. Decent analysis and not afraid to voice your opinions.

Keep going.

About Dembele, I think the quality of crosses were poor. Atleast in the highlights many of his crosses were complete duds and not even close. He dribbled well though.

 

[Porque]

I don't think (right now) it would have made a differance if Xavi managed Barca B or not prior like Pep. He's had a year almost in the first team. And at a time where he can "learn" as last season there was no pressure for ajything bar the minimal (4th in League).

By comparison Xabi Alonso has now signed for Leverkusen after a good stage with Sociedad B. Let's see how he does over there.

 

[Birdy]

[MENTION=4451]Birdy[/MENTION]


View attachment 9535

I think it looked like this when on the ball:

3-box-3, with the width held not by rAphnia on the left but by ALonso

The avg position diagram merges defensive and offensive structure into an average.
But off the ball Xavi played more of a 4-4-2/4-5-1 which was terrible as shown above

 

[Birdy]

This is a possible lineup and formation I found on the web for the return leg:

It would make much more sense to play Raphinia on the right (and not the left) half-space, and Ansu on the left half space, with orders for both to attack the box when the ball goes to wingbacks/wingers
(of course no De Jong, Xavi will play Busi there)

I think Xavi should grow a pair and become more daring in his selection as well.

 

[Kul_z]

This is a possible lineup and formation I found on the web for the return leg:

It would make much more sense to play Raphinia on the right (and not the left) half-space, and Ansu on the left half space, with orders for both to attack the box when the ball goes to wingbacks/wingers
(of course no De Jong, Xavi will play Busi there)

I think Xavi should grow a pair and become more daring in his selection as well.

I was thinking of something similar. That left side looks good with fati and balde bombing, but that right one worries me because of roberto. If kounde was available i'd go all out like that, but with roberto and pique in the back, and most likely with ancient one in front of them thats a hell of a risk. Inter would park the bus heavily, so maybe ancient one could come handy with his interceptions tho. We need to unlock them early

 

[JohnN]

This is a possible lineup and formation I found on the web for the return leg:

It would make much more sense to play Raphinia on the right (and not the left) half-space, and Ansu on the left half space, with orders for both to attack the box when the ball goes to wingbacks/wingers
(of course no De Jong, Xavi will play Busi there)

I think Xavi should grow a pair and become more daring in his selection as well.

This is pretty good, but both dembele and raphinia on what in reality, is the same space, would be no good. They make the same movements with different technique, so they would hinder each other.
One of them dropped for kessie and it would be my go to lineup for the return leg.

P.S. Amazing how we still rely on sergi fucking Roberto as he is the only fit guy for RB. Shame for Barca.

 

[Birdy]

Kessi won't be available midweek, he is injured.
Prob out for the classico as well

 

[Kul_z]

This is pretty good, but both dembele and raphinia on what in reality, is the same space, would be no good. They make the same movements with different technique, so they would hinder each other.
One of them dropped for kessie and it would be my go to lineup for the return leg.

P.S. Amazing how we still rely on sergi fucking Roberto as he is the only fit guy for RB. Shame for Barca.

I think with raphinha and dembele on the same side against parked bus we might get something out of it. Raphinha would shoot in 20m radius, dembele would cross. I think that might work actually. But again, im afraid of what is in the back. Both of them should be heavily involved in defense also. Those two bums of roberto and pique behind them plus busi and lautaro looks like usain bolt between them.