Xavi Hernández

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Xavi: "It's a very important match, it's vital. If we win we would be assured of finishing in the top two, after two years without being able to qualify for the last 16," Xavi said at Monday's pre-match news conference.

"Lately, things have not been going the way we want but we are on the right path. We believe in what we are doing," said Xavi, who has faced heavy criticism in Spain for the nature of his team's displays.

"We need to be very demanding of our ourselves and be self-critical, because we're no longer at the same level we were a month and a half or two months ago.

"Tomorrow is a great opportunity. We can confirm our place in the round of 16 after five matches. It could be a turning point."

 

[serghei]

Compared to who?

LaLiga - Transfer income and expenditures

This statistic shows, which clubs of the LaLiga in the seasons 21/22 to 23/24 had the highest transfer expenditures and/or transfer incomes.

www.transfermarkt.com

It's huge in the league that we are playing like dogcrap this season in.

Agree or disagree?

Can't take this argument seriously considering the team won the league months ago.

 

[Porque]

Can't take this argument seriously considering the team won the league months ago.

Agreed. Only been 14 games.

 

[mc_lovin]

Compared to who?

LaLiga - Transfer income and expenditures

This statistic shows, which clubs of the LaLiga in the seasons 21/22 to 23/24 had the highest transfer expenditures and/or transfer incomes.

www.transfermarkt.com

It's huge in the league that we are playing like dogcrap this season in.

Agree or disagree?

Wrong metric. More interesting is how many players in the squad were bought for X million. Made a post on that, but not too bothered to search it. Essentially we have like 5 more expensive players in the squad, Real ~13 and City something like 20+ (40m+ transfers).

Also the comparison to other teams is not that easy. The floor level is pretty high and then you pay fortunes to improve on that. A good team will get 80 points, a great one 85 points and an all time one 90 points+. Which are basically two draws more or less in a League season between tiers.

 

[serghei]

The argument about money spend being a lot is based on some inflated expectations of La Masia youngsters. Immediate expectations in the present.

These expectations are not valid at all. Pedri, Gavi, Balde etc. are not top tier players.

Only De Jong is top tier here. And possibly Araujo.

 

[serghei]

But it is true that the team is playing poorly vs inferior teams at the moment. If this doesn't get fixed... the manager is gonna be in trouble. Maybe not this year, but patience is going to run out eventually.

 

[Porque]

Wrong metric. More interesting is how many players in the squad were bought for X million. Made a post on that, but not too bothered to search it. Essentially we have like 5 more expensive players in the squad, Real ~13 and City something like 20+ (40m+ transfers).

Also the comparison to other teams is not that easy. The floor level is pretty high and then you pay fortunes to improve on that. A good team will get 80 points, a great one 85 points and an all time one 90 points+. Which are basically two draws more or less in a League season between tiers.

Well, again, why are we bringing up Man City and how much they spend? Or EPL teams.

We're Barcelona and the mission is always to win and to win playing well. In Europe against the team with matching or bigger budgets then the expectation is to have tighter games. But then again, we haven't got to those games (bar Utd in the Europa League) because we failed to escape the group stage.

So the comparison is always going to be how much we spend on wage and transfers relative to the rest of LaLiga, and how good we perform compared to these many smaller budget teams.

And that's something that you Charly Herb smokers can't answer and ignore answering.

Last season, the football was accepted because it was a big spending transition season aimed at getting back to winning ways, which to Xavi credit, he achieved.

This year the expectation is to grow, and after 2 years working with the squad and understanding it, improving the entertainment of the product, while maintaining results. We haven't done that thus far, and I'm not ruling out that it won't happen. But you guys are as I say, smoking the Charly Herb too much.

 

[serghei]

But the team already delivered a La Liga title, so your position doesn't make sense.

 

[JamDav1982]

Wrong metric. More interesting is how many players in the squad were bought for X million. Made a post on that, but not too bothered to search it. Essentially we have like 5 more expensive players in the squad, Real ~13 and City something like 20+ (40m+ transfers).

Also the comparison to other teams is not that easy. The floor level is pretty high and then you pay fortunes to improve on that. A good team will get 80 points, a great one 85 points and an all time one 90 points+. Which are basically two draws more or less in a League season between tiers.

Yes and asked you how long you go back on those tranfers for Real and didnt answer.

 

[Porque]

But the team already delivered a La Liga title, so your position doesn't make sense.

Yes it does.

You enjoy watching us play this season? Or last season for that matter?

 

[serghei]

Yes it does.

You enjoy watching us play this season? Or last season for that matter?

Last season? Very much.

You can't enjoy the team without some all time greats putting on a show 3 times a month?

 

[Porque]

Last season? Very much.

Well that's progress. So you admit we are playing below par this season.

 

[serghei]

So you admit we are playing below par this season.

Of course.

 

[mc_lovin]

Well, again, why are we bringing up Man City and how much they spend? Or EPL teams.

We're Barcelona and the mission is always to win and to win playing well. In Europe against the team with matching or bigger budgets then the expectation is to have tighter games. But then again, we haven't got to those games (bar Utd in the Europa League) because we failed to escape the group stage.

So the comparison is always going to be how much we spend on wage and transfers relative to the rest of LaLiga, and how good we perform compared to these many smaller budget teams.

And that's something that you Charly Herb smokers can't answer and ignore answering.

Last season, the football was accepted because it was a big spending transition season aimed at getting back to winning ways, which to Xavi credit, he achieved.

This year the expectation is to grow, and after 2 years working with the squad and understanding it, improving the entertainment of the product, while maintaining results. We haven't done that thus far, and I'm not ruling out that it won't happen. But you guys are as I say, smoking the Charly Herb too much.

City matters as they are the benchmark on how well you can play right now. And again, 2nd paragraph is applicable here. Comparing our resources to midtable is nonsense. We spend vastly more (and won the League) and generally get top4, but at the peak improving performances gets vastly more expensive. It's not a linear function.

Anyway, everyone agrees we play like shit at the moment.

 

[Porque]

Of course.

And who is it on?

Because if we are playing below par, and the results are also below par then we have regressed. Which is on the players, management or both.