Xavi Hernández

[Porque]

Nah squad is good. Has obvious holes and none of the depth of the oil clubs, but look at the CL quarters or round of 16 and it should be there.

The fallacy of the CL is that it is a knockout competition that appears open to everyone but realistically only 3 or 4 teams really have a chance of winning it. But to say we can't be competitive in the knockout rounds is a cop out.

Injuries played their part and Xavi short career showing thus far he doesn't excel in KO competitions (here and All Sad)

 

[Birdy]

Squad currently has huge holes in the attacking department.
Lewa is good for the easy games nowadays, and with Dembele gone with have 0 players who are able to make things happen, let alone having 0 players who can make offensive transitions for us

With Dembele gone, Madrid are now favorites to win LL, despite having poor Carlo who is trying antiquated tactics. Mind you, that is without Mbape.
If Mbape joins and plays upfront instead of Rodrygo, well....
It's gonna be fun

 

[Porque]

Dembele was gone last season and we won LaLiga.

Onus is on Xavi to make our underperforming attackers have a system that suits them and not Dembele.

Squads biggest hole [now] is offensive RB and a backup DMC.

In a perfect world Roque is here already as an offensive option, while we have the financial muscle for Frimpong.

But Cancelo on loan should be feasible and make sense for the squad. Even if I would prefer a long term high potential solution like Fresneda, or the Lyon kid who replaced Malo Gusto and is even better.

 

[Birdy]

Dembele was gone last season and we won LaLiga.

Onus is on Xavi to make our underperforming attackers have a system that suits them and not Dembele.

Squads biggest hole [now] is offensive RB and a backup DMC.

In a perfect world Roque is here already as an offensive option, while we have the financial muscle for Frimpong.

But Cancelo on loan should be feasible and make sense for the squad. Even if I would prefer a long term high potential solution like Fresneda, or the Lyon kid who replaced Malo Gusto and is even better.

Roque is a bet, let's see about that

Fresneda is super meh IMO, I don't see the hype
Cancelo has attitude problems and huge wages

I like Frimpong, but he is expensive and the same playing style as Dest that Xavi rejected.

The whole idea that we need an RB running up and down the flank like Balde on the other side is fallacious IMO.
Yes, it might suit underperforming Raphina, but our whole structure at md needs to also change

a dribbling winger, even if it is Bernardo who is not a winger per se, is a priority now IMO

 

[jamrock]

A offensive FB off the bench is a yes, but one to start is a no, it doesn't fit in what we are trying to do.

 

[Porque]

Roque is a bet, let's see about that

Fresneda is super meh IMO, I don't see the hype
Cancelo has attitude problems and huge wages

I like Frimpong, but he is expensive and the same playing style as Dest that Xavi rejected.

The whole idea that we need an RB running up and down the flank like Balde on the other side is fallacious IMO.
Yes, it might suit underperforming Raphina, but our whole structure at md needs to also change

a dribbling winger, even if it is Bernardo who is not a winger per se, is a priority now IMO

Fair point. And that brings us back to where we are but without Dembele.

I think we should amend the system with what we have rather than try to replicate what we had, with an inferior but more reliable player.

If we do want someone to hold width and take the outside, could we use Abde when needed?

While to take the inside with a fullback giving width there is Raphinha and then Lamine.

I get what you mean with the balance of the system even if the midfield quartet is a bit rigid and lacking in offensive power.

But couldn't we make that midfield quartet narrower with both fullbacks offering the width, and the striker (Lewa) with a support striker (Ansu or Roque) taking the inside forward space on either and both sides.

Or even Raphinha taking that role.

Basically not replacing Dembele (unless we have budget for a high end option) but getting a quality fullback would give us more tactical variations.

 

[JamDav1982]

Squad currently has huge holes in the attacking department.
Lewa is good for the easy games nowadays, and with Dembele gone with have 0 players who are able to make things happen, let alone having 0 players who can make offensive transitions for us

With Dembele gone, Madrid are now favorites to win LL, despite having poor Carlo who is trying antiquated tactics. Mind you, that is without Mbape.
If Mbape joins and plays upfront instead of Rodrygo, well....
It's gonna be fun

Fairly sure you claimed Barca/Xavi would lose the league as soon as Dembele got injured also.

They ended up extending their lead and won by double digits.

But just ignore that and keep predicting will go wrong... be right eventually.

Talk shite constantly.

When does Dest become world class? That was another supposed huge error from Xavi..

 

[khaled_a_d]

Don't see how teams like Milan or Inter had better attack than ours when they made it to CL SF.

Squad is good enough for current standards of teams outside City. There is a lot of space for improvement for sure especially on the bench.

What we need is more dynamic attack, but that is on the coach to figure out IMO. This isn't just an issue of the current players but the system too.

 

[Birdy]

I get what you mean with the balance of the system even if the midfield quartet is a bit rigid and lacking in offensive power.

But couldn't we make that midfield quartet narrower with both fullbacks offering the width, and the striker (Lewa) with a support striker (Ansu or Roque) taking the inside forward space on either and both sides.

Or even Raphinha taking that role.

Basically not replacing Dembele (unless we have budget for a high end option) but getting a quality fullback would give us more tactical variations.

Abde on the right is half the player he is.

The big problem is that Xavi had this plan in mind, which he found out after long and painstaking trial and error from the moment he took over until the SuperCopa win against Madrid.
Now he was ready to take it to the next level by transforming the box into a diamond at the third stage of build up (which we saw at the US tour), prob to give more movement to the attacking players.
By removing the width-ancor on the right, who was on paper the most dangerous 1-1 of our system, everything falls apart and needs rethinking.

Theoretically, yes there is the possibility to not replace Dembele and think of something new that involves both fullbacks wide.
Realistically, I think it will take Xavi at least 6 months, and most likely close to year, to find the right balance for such a system and the right use of the right players to play it.
It is a tragic event that completely messes up the tactical development of the team.

That's why squad planning is essential. If you don't know whether Dembele stays in this project, you don't build on him

 

[JamDav1982]

Aye and Birdy predicted Barca would lose the league when Dembele went down injured and all Xavis fault.

They extended lead in league without Dembele was the reality even if Xavi does like him and his style.

'Squad planning'.... like keeping Dest as he is on way to being world class and dumping FDJ who is one of if not best player in team.

Likes of FDJ was far more crucial to Barca last season than Dembele.

Moan about 'squad planning' when would have had Dest as starting RB, FDJ punted and Dembele punted on a free.

 

[Porque]

Abde on the right is half the player he is.

The big problem is that Xavi had this plan in mind, which he found out after long and painstaking trial and error from the moment he took over until the SuperCopa win against Madrid.
Now he was ready to take it to the next level by transforming the box into a diamond at the third stage of build up (which we saw at the US tour), prob to give more movement to the attacking players.
By removing the width-ancor on the right, who was on paper the most dangerous 1-1 of our system, everything falls apart and needs rethinking.

Theoretically, yes there is the possibility to not replace Dembele and think of something new that involves both fullbacks wide.
Realistically, I think it will take Xavi at least 6 months, and most likely close to year, to find the right balance for such a system and the right use of the right players to play it.
It is a tragic event that completely messes up the tactical development of the team.

That's why squad planning is essential. If you don't know whether Dembele stays in this project, you don't build on him

But Xavi would have been completely naive building a system around Dembele specifically.

21/22 minutes (attacking players)
1. Depay - 2.495'
2. Ferran Torres - 2.062' (Jan signing)
3. Dembele - 1.942'
4. Auba - 1.514' (Jan signing)
5. Adama - 735'
5. Auba - 1.514'

22/23 minutes (attacking players)
1. Lewy - 3.954'
2. Raphinha - 2.924'
3. Dembele - 2.169'
4. Ferran - 1.884'
5. Ansu - 1.824'

Sure it worked best with Dembele, but Raphinha is the one who played more minutes, and thus should have already established the tweaks for him holding the right.

 

[BJJ]

What metrics do we apply to Xavi? What are the expectations this season?
If he doesn't win the league but makes the Cl last 16 or 8, do we keep him?
If we exit Europe early again and wins league, than what?
Are we happy to just wing it in Europe and makes excuses for our continuous failures??

 

[CatalinR10]

PSG offered Neymar to Barcelona during discussions for the transfer of Ousmane Dembélé. 🇧🇷 The French club recommended a loan but Barça rejected it because Xavi does not want the player. ❌ (Source: @GoalEspana )


@Messigician

 

[iniestaGOAT]

We need this record before I die.

Which means we have at least 40-50 years to go.

Lets do it XAVI, LAPORTA.

 

[jamrock]

10 of those don't count anyways