Xavi Hernández

[jamrock]

Yeah, and in that game we had both Araujo and Christensen out, and Bellerin had a mare.

People say other teams have injuries too. Indeed, they have injuries but much bigger squads. Bayern has Gnabry as Coman's sub . What do we even compare here?

Pavard is a sub there and we want him as a starter.

Yep a few details going our way against bayern away & the two legs vs inter and we are through to the last 16 and everyone would be happy happy happy.

Can't for the life of me understand the whine fest for basically being 2 games short, during a freaking rebuild.

We were in the group of death & a few details away from going through, almost any other group we're through, only to end up losing in the round of 16 most likely, has we have 0 shot of winning the CL this season.

 

[ajnotkeith]

We didn't lose to Frankfurt this season.

Lost to Bayern, Inter, United, in almost all of those games with several key players out, injured or suspended.

Bayern we didn't have any players out 1st game and 2nd game they had half their team out. Still lost 2-0 and 3-0, though 2nd game was meaningless so doesn't matter if it was affected by absences either way.

Inter we had first choice CBs out but they also missed 2 of their best players, Brozovic and Lukaku. 0-1/3-3.

United at Camp Nou missed Antony, Eriksen, Martial, Lisandro, we missed Dembele (and Busquets if you care). 2-2.

United 2nd leg missed Eriksen and Martial, Antony fit to play 2nd half - we missed Pedri, Dembele due to injury (Gavi due to suspension, which isn't bad luck, that is due to how he plays). 1-2.

Based on that above the only game where we have been negatively affected relative to opponents is probably Inter, who themselves had 2 key players injured. Bayern games weren't affected by injuries at all and United actually probably had worse luck with them, and still arguably outplayed us in the first leg.

No doubt I will receive a response that 'it's not the same because those teams have much better backups' but I implore you to look, they really don't, like I said above for United, and that much is underlined by the fact Inter are still chasing us for Kessie despite how shite we all seem to think he is, lol.

 

[serghei]

Bayern we didn't have any players out 1st game and 2nd game they had half their team out. Still lost 2-0 and 3-0.

Inter we had first choice CBs out but they also missed 2 of their best players, Brozovic and Lukaku. 0-1/3-3.

United at Camp Nou missed Antony, Eriksen, Martial, Lisandro, we missed Dembele (and Busquets if you care). 2-2.

United 2nd leg missed Eriksen and Martial, Antony fit to play 2nd half - we missed Pedri, Dembele due to injury (Gavi due to suspension, which isn't bad luck, that is due to how he plays). 1-2.

Based on that above the only game where we have been negatively affected relative to opponents is probably Inter, who themselves had 2 key players injured. Bayern games weren't affected by injuries at all and United actually probably had worse luck with them, and still arguably outplayed us in the first leg.

No doubt I will receive a response that 'it's not the same because those teams have much better backups' but I implore you to look, they really don't, like I said above for United, and that much is underlined by the fact Inter are still chasing us for Kessie despite how shite we all seem to think he is, lol.

Come on, their backline in the return leg was Upamecano, De Ligt, Alphonso Davies, Mazraoui. Do you see any Bellerin, Alonso, Garcia, there? Gnabry, Musiala, Mane, Goretzka, Kimmich in midfield and attack.

If that is with half their team out, then it fucking proves the huge difference in squads.

Of course you will receive that response when it's so plain obvious.

But... but... we spend 200m? You think with 200m you build a whole squad? Try 3 times that.

 

[Horatio]

Come on, their backline in the return leg was Upamecano, De Ligt, Alphonso Davies, Mazraoui. Do you see any Bellerin, Alonso, Garcia, there? Gnabry, Musiala, Mane, Goretzka, Kimmich in midfield and attack.

If that is with half their team out, then it fucking proves the huge difference in squads.

De Ligt still getting adjusted and should not be rated that highly. Mazraoui...wasn't rated at time and first or second game to play for Bayern?

But what's the point then of you saying we were hampered by injuries and absences if they were not playing with their strongest XI either?

 

[ajnotkeith]

Yeah, and in that game we had both Araujo and Christensen out, and Bellerin had a mare.

People say other teams have injuries too. Indeed, they have injuries but much bigger squads. Bayern has Gnabry as Coman's sub . What do we even compare here?

Pavard is a sub there and we want him as a starter.

They also have Stoke reject Choupo-Moting up front... There is no such thing as a perfect team, you can find holes in any team and injuries and suspensions happen to everyone. Having 2 or 3 starters out is pretty common and happens to every team in large parts of the season.

Guys like Kessie/Raphinha/Roberto are the best backups you will find for the most part in any team, because again, top class players don't want to be backups. Maybe this means Xavi should stop relying on a gala 11 and try to integrate some subs into the team better.

 

[mc_lovin]

The 3-3 game against Inter was Pique on a mission to sink us.

Anyway, the results in Europe are certainly something to analyze, but personally not a death sentence for Xavi. The League is a massive achievement whichever way you want to put it (there are basically just two titles that really count) - especially for a bunch of teenage starters (Gavi, Pedri and Balde, who surprisingly played ~80% of minutes!).

My dream is catching Real up in La Liga titles. CL has sailed.

 

[serghei]

They also have Stoke reject Choupo-Moting up front... There is no such thing as a perfect team, you can find holes in any team and injuries and suspensions happen to everyone. Having 2 or 3 starters out is pretty common and happens to every team in large parts of the season.

Guys like Kessie/Raphinha/Roberto are the best backups you will find for the most part in any team, because again, top class players don't want to be backups. Maybe this means Xavi should stop relying on a gala 11 and try to integrate some subs into the team better.

Even Choupo Moting is different level than likes of Bellerin and Garcia. And that's just one player. Rest of the team they put in had several treble winners and star players in. That team probably beats us even with our main 11 on, let alone us with multiple injuries.

This is something that you shouldn't even attempt to argue against. Bayern squad and our squad are levels apart. We can only do something against these teams if we absolutely play with our best 11. That's it. We can improve on that by investing money and being smarter with transfers.

 

[jamrock]

Inter missing out on Brozovic & lukaku who basically hasn't played a game this season is world's apart from us messing our two starting CB, not even close really & it showed it that game at the camp Nou, were we literally gave them two goals.

If they had there two missing players & we ours, I'm putting big money on his winning that game, our loses at CB had a much bigger impact.

The two games against inter is what cost us the CL, glorious round of 16 and but for bad calls & injuries, the 4 points would have been for us, not Them.

Fine margins.

 

[jamrock]

The 3-3 game against Inter was Pique on a mission to sink us.

Anyway, the results in Europe are certainly something to analyze, but personally not a death sentence for Xavi. The League is a massive achievement whichever way you want to put it (there are basically just two titles that really count) - especially for a bunch of teenage starters (Gavi, Pedri and Balde, who surprisingly played ~80% of minutes!).

My dream is catching Real up in La Liga titles. CL has sailed.

At least he had the grace to resign after & saving us some money on the books, he knew he cost us big time.

When we were on 5 and they were on I think 9, I thought we could get close, when we played Roma, I was already counting 6 lol, Jesus Christ.

But yea now that ship has sailed it's impossible to get close now, I just want 1 in the next 3 years, if we can get back to winning one every 3 are so years like we did from 05-15, I'd be over the moon with that, Madrid's voodoo magic won't work for us.

 

[serghei]

De Ligt still getting adjusted and should not be rated that highly. Mazraoui...wasn't rated at time and first or second game to play for Bayern?

But what's the point then of you saying we were hampered by injuries and absences if they were not playing with their strongest XI either?

Not rated compared to what? The 80m they paid for him? Sure, not as good as the sum paid for him. Compared with fucking freebies like Alonso or Bellerin, different league.

Mazraoui is a good player. Rated at 30m. Again, different level. He's probably a better RB than Kounde, let alone that Bellerin joke, who's more a fashionista wannabe than a reliable rightback.

 

[ajnotkeith]

Even Choupo Moting is different level than likes of Bellerin and Garcia. And that's just one player. Rest of the team they put in had several treble winners and star players in. That team probably beats us even with our main 11 on, let alone us with multiple injuries.

This is something that you shouldn't even attempt to argue against. Bayern squad and our squad are levels apart. We can only do something against these teams if we absolutely play with our best 11. That's it. We can improve on that by investing money and being smarter with transfers.

Have you seen how Bayern are doing in Bundesliga? They don't even have a lead anymore. They've dropped points 9 times in 21 games, in that so-called farmer's league.

I'm not seriously convinced they are so many levels above that we lose 5-0 to them over 2 games.

Even if they have a better squad, I think we could've done more against them and it's not impossible to get a result from a team that has a better squad than you (that's what the manager is for).How boring would it be if we lived in a football world like that.

 

[serghei]

Have you seen how Bayern are doing in Bundesliga? They don't even have a lead anymore. They've dropped points 9 times in 21 games, in that so-called farmer's league.

I'm not seriously convinced they are so many levels above that we lose 5-0 to them over 2 games.

They are not levels above our main 11. They are levels above a team that has filler Spanish players like Bellerin, Garcia, Alonso, players we got for free to play against Elche and Valladolid.

Because the players from their bench are World Cup or CL winners like Pavard, Coman, and Gnabry. First 11 is close, a bit of an edge for Bayern, squad quality is levels apart though.

 

[Devils]

No excuse for those trash performances in CL/EL at Camp Nou.

The game against United at Camp Nou was self-sabotage by Xavi. Absolute ridiculous decision to rotate our defensive line when it's been our strongest asset all season.

 

[jamrock]

No excuse for those trash performances in CL/EL at Camp Nou.

The game against United at Camp Nou was self-sabotage by Xavi. Absolute ridiculous decision to rotate our defensive line, when it's been our strongest asset all season.

This is true, that rotation didn't make sense.

 

[Windhook]

No excuse for those trash performances in CL/EL at Camp Nou.

I agree about the weird rotations, but nowhere near the label "trash". Xavi said, a couple of times, the focus this season is La Liga. Sounds like an excuse now, but he's not spoken yet of CdR being the focus this season.

People are still under the spell of that Busi-Xavi-Iniesta midfield that controlled 80% of the game flow and demand the same. I'm sorry, guys, but wake the fuck up, you won't see those days in the next 10-15 years, Xavi and Iniesta were phenomenal much as near as Messi.