Xavi Hernández

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delancey

delancey

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This is spot on. Xavi commands respect from his squad, which goes a long way in ensuring that he keeps the locker room motivated, and believing in him as a manager. Same can be said for Zidane, who commanded so much respect that he carried his team to 3 CL titles, which is actually quite incredible, considering how the best managers in the world struggle to win it more than once over an entire career.

I would argue that Setien losing the locker room had more to do with some influential players voicing their disappointment with Valverde getting axed.

ajnotkeith said:
The thing is that management is not only tactics.
In terms of pure tactics Xavi isn't that strong. His main qualities are man management/motivation/discipline, the social skills, which is half of being a manager.
Having a manager who the players believe in and will work for is important. Someone like Setien knows a lot about tactics but unluckily for him he commanded no authority due to reputation so nobody would listen to him.
Xavi having those management skills and his reputation has helped significantly in getting us the LaLiga title.
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Porque

Senior Member
Xavi has been the best manager for the phase that he has been managing in. It has been incredibly important to wrestleback back the player power from the dressing room and few would have the respect and long term media backing to for this cleansing phase.

We saw how the dressing room ate up Setien and how the papers destroyed Koeman despite his xG, his youth integrations and speaking solid truths of the kind of investment that the team has now been given under Xavi.

Only Pep, and possibly LE, would have had this all around support. No foreign coach would.

When Xavi goes we can go for a manager with a little more tactical ability and offensive quality, and they will have a little less pressure as barring something extreme like being relegating through the Noruega case, the squad quality will be easy to work with (and less veterans with power).

Xabi is doing incredible things with Leverkusen and is the obvious one to watch for all of Europe for example. I don't think his Madrid past matters much given his heritage is Barcelona and it had been an oversight of the past not to sign him, but it might work against him for the common Cule and sports rags.
 
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mc_lovin

Senior Member
Porque said:
When Xavi goes we can go for a manager with a little more tactical ability and offensive quality, and they will have a little less pressure as barring something extreme like being relegating through the Noruega case, the squad quality will be easy to work with (and less veterans with power).
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We top all the offensive metrics, mate. We have our fair share of issues, but nothing that won't improve with time (and more money spend). Shamelessly stolen from reddit:

Barca
-68% Possesion
-6.5 shots on target per game
-3.62 shots on target conceded per game
-26 big chances created
-15 big chances conceded
-18.4 xG
-8.6 xGA

Man City
-66% Possesion
-7.6 shots on target
-2.14 shots on target conceded per game
-15 big chances created
-8 big chances conceded
-14.8 xG
-5.2 xGA

Arsenal
-62% Possesion
-6.3 shots on target per game
-2.14 shots on target conceded per game
-10 big chances created
-7 big chances conceded
-14.8 xG
-6.2 xGA

Bayern
-62% Possesion
-8.7 shots on target per game
-2.33 shots on target conceded per game
-19 big chances created
-7 big chances conceded
-17.7 xG
-4.5 xGA

In short: Xavi's the man!


Edit: Also forget Xabi :lol:
 
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jamrock

jamrock

Senior Member
mc_lovin said:
We top all the offensive metrics, mate. We have our fair share of issues, but nothing that won't improve with time (and more money spend). Shamelessly stolen from reddit:

Barca
-68% Possesion
-6.5 shots on target per game
-3.62 shots on target conceded per game
-26 big chances created
-15 big chances conceded
-18.4 xG
-8.6 xGA

Man City
-66% Possesion
-7.6 shots on target
-2.14 shots on target conceded per game
-15 big chances created
-8 big chances conceded
-14.8 xG
-5.2 xGA

Arsenal
-62% Possesion
-6.3 shots on target per game
-2.14 shots on target conceded per game
-10 big chances created
-7 big chances conceded
-14.8 xG
-6.2 xGA

Bayern
-62% Possesion
-8.7 shots on target per game
-2.33 shots on target conceded per game
-19 big chances created
-7 big chances conceded
-17.7 xG
-4.5 xGA

In short: Xavi's the man!


Edit: Also forget Xabi :lol:
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Birdy is gonna both love & hate this.
 
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ajnotkeith

Senior Member
mc_lovin said:
He has, but Xavi would have been crucified if we imploded like Arsenal last season. You can (and arguably will) lose the League to City, but like that? Damn.

Only coach I would take over Xavi right now is Pep.
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Xavi doesnt manage Arsenal and he doesnt manage in the Prem either.
Liverpool have put up two 97 point seasons in which they did not win the title.

Competing with Pep's City is not the same as any other challenge in the world right now. Its almost impossible to beat them to a title.

For sure, nobody would be expecting even current Barcelona to do it let alone Arsenal.
 
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mc_lovin

Senior Member
ajnotkeith said:
Xavi doesnt manage Arsenal and he doesnt manage in the Prem either.
Liverpool have put up two 97 point seasons in which they did not win the title.

Competing with Pep's City is not the same as any other challenge in the world right now. Its almost impossible to beat them to a title.

For sure, nobody would be expecting even current Barcelona to do it let alone Arsenal.
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I acknowledged that and it wasn’t my point either.

They imploded (even at home) in winning positions against lesser teams.
 
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ajnotkeith

Senior Member
mc_lovin said:
I acknowledged that and it wasn’t my point either.

They imploded (even at home) in winning positions against lesser teams.
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This idea of managers 'not handling pressure' is an overused trope. Unless its theorised how Arteta cracked under pressure, for example by bad tactical changes, it doesnt really mean anything. Most likely, Arsenal just fell apart due to having a worse less experienced squad, not because of Arteta.

By and large this idea of 'bottling' or 'imploded' is directly related to the strength of the squad. Better players handle pressure better.

City can 'handle the pressure' because they have the best team in the league. Just like how when Barca won all our titles we had insane squads, Madrid the same, City the same, Liverpool the same.
 
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mc_lovin

Senior Member
Soooo, can you spare some of these excuses for Xavi? Thanks.

For one I am pretty sure Xavi had a younger, less experienced squad than Arteta :lol:
 
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ajnotkeith

Senior Member
mc_lovin said:
Soooo, can you spare some of these excuses for Xavi? Thanks.

For one I am pretty sure Xavi had a younger, less experienced squad than Arteta :lol:
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Thats absolutely untrue. The squad last year was 100x more experienced than Arsenal's.

Xavi is doing a good job though and gets too much flak at times.
 
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mc_lovin

Senior Member
Pretty sure Xavi gave the 2nd most minutes to u21 players (and by far the most of any top club). First was Benfica iirc.
 
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ajnotkeith

Senior Member
mc_lovin said:
Pretty sure Xavi gave the 2nd most minutes to u21 players (and by far the most of any top club). First was Benfica iirc.
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Barca had players like Ter Stegen, Kounde, Alba, De Jong, Christensen, Lewandowski, Dembele, Kessie, Busquets etc that they have more top level experience in their pinky fingers than the whole Arsenal team.

A lot of young players were there but also a lot of experience.
 
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