Xavi Hernández

[JamDav1982]

Yes and your point is Xavi is not spending big and all these other teams spend more.

Which is not the case.

I have said have Bayern as better side than Barca currently.

Again you are only looking at transfer fees.

Heres type of players Xavi has had and not paid a fee for.

MATS
Araujo Christensen Inigo Balde
FDJ Gundogan
Pedri Gavi
Yamal Felix Fati

Can add Cancelo, Fermin etc on to that this season.

Then spent 200m+ on attacking players as that is clear weakness.

As said already Barca have a front line that has cost x2 of Reals ... do you think that is reflected in ability?

 

[ajnotkeith]

Mate, Bayern pulverized us in 2021 right? Let's take that season.

Since then, look at the sums invested by Barca vs Bayern in transfers. And Bayern aren't even among the biggest spenders.

2021/22 transfers in:
Bayern - 57.8m
Barca - 69.5m

2022/23 transfers in:
Bayern - 146.5m
Barca - 158m

2023/24 transfers in:
Bayern - 150m
Barca - 3.4m.

So, fucking Bayern, that already had a much sperior team than us in 2021 by a huge margin, outspent us by some 120m over the last 3 seasons.

Interesting that you avoided giving net spend (which is much more accurate as it also accounts for what a team had to sell to buy, as you know with Barca very well).

Note that one for future arguments.

 

[serghei]

Yes and your point is Xavi is not spending big and all these other teams spend more.

Which is not the case.

I have said have Bayern as better side than Barca currently.

Again you are only looking at transfer fees.

Heres type of players Xavi has had and not paid a fee for.

MATS
Araujo Christensen Inigo Balde
FDJ Gundogan
Pedri Gavi
Yamal ?? Fati

Then spent 200m+ on attacking players.

That line-up is supposed to impress me?

Fati and Yamal?

 

[JamDav1982]

That line-up is supposed to impress me?

Fati and Yamal?

Yes.. hence why said spent 200m on front line as clear area of weakness.

That is a hugely impressive team for not a penny spent by Xavi from mid back.

Indeed it it is very impressive.

Yamal would get big big money and top teams after him if available dont worry about that.

 

[DonAK]

People need to stop using the money and squad excuse.

Sure our situation could be better, our signings could be better, our squad could be better and have more quality depth. All of that is true, but some of the poor transfers have been Xavi's personal requests and a good manager is also supposed to elevate the level of the players he has.

Xavi is not doing that, in fact it seem to be going in the opposite direction. If things don't change drastically soon it's time to write him off like Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Pirlo.

We cannot afford to keep him around just because we won the league last season. That's insanity. The Arteta excuse is shit too because you saw clear signs of progress under Arteta from year-to-year which we're not doing under Xavi.

If the team had poor results, but kept showing a clear style of play with players gradually improving and the product on the pitch growing and becoming entertaining despite the inconsistent results then sure in that case you could argue that Xavi need to be persisted with because there's signs of progress despite the growing pains.

If this club is ever serious about becoming a European titan again they need to strive for improvement, greatness, something better and a manager is a really important part of that equation.

You do not persist with mediocrity just because you're hoping to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. You need to have signs showing there's a chance it could happen, and not blindly live in hope it miraculously will despite everything showing you the opposite.

 

[serghei]

Yes.. hence why said spent 200m on front line as clear area of weakness.

That is a hugely impressive team for not a penny spent by Xavi from mid back.

Indeed it it is very impressive.

True, it's a good budget team.

I thought the topic is building a top side though.

 

[JamDav1982]

True, it's a good budget team.

I thought the topic is building a top side though.

It is a brilliant set of players to then spend hundreds of millions on to improve further.

That team is worth hundreds of millions and not a fee spent by Xavi.

If Barca cant be a top side.. what is the limit before any coach can spend 500m? What is most we can expect?

 

[serghei]

It is a brilliant set of players to then spend hundreds of millions on to improve further.

OK.

I don't agree. Fati doesn't even make the team at Brighton lol.

 

[JamDav1982]

OK.

I don't agree. Fati doesn't even make the team at Brighton lol.

Again... I said 200m+ spent on front line as area of weakness. Far and away more than Real spent on theirs. In reality probably by 250m+ on front line by end of January.

If Barca cant be a top side.. what is the limit before any coach can spend 500m? What is most we can expect?

 

[serghei]

I'd say the team needs about 400m in players in the next 2 transfer windows.

About 3 clear starters and some 2 solid back-ups. But not rejects from other teams or oldies obviously. Signings like De Jong was.

 

[JamDav1982]

I'd say the team needs about 400m in players in the next 2 transfer windows.

About 3 clear starters and some 2 solid back-ups.

Aye ok... but what is most can expect from team currently and next season if cant spend 150m a summer any time soon?

Be impressive if on your list of players needed there are many attackers when would have spent 250m odd on front line in barely two years.

 

[serghei]

Aye ok... but what is most can expect from team currently and next season if cant spend 150m a summer any time soon?

I think with some solid signings the team can go as far as to challenge likes of City, Bayern, Pool, Arsenal, Madrid, PSG in CL.

These days, the first good opponent... lights out in CL. Possible beatdown even depending on opponent.

 

[JamDav1982]

I think with some solid signings the team can go as far as to challenge likes of City, Bayern, Pool, Arsenal, Madrid, PSG in CL.

These days, the first good opponent... lights out.

So what is it? Barca can challenge them without spending 400m or not?

Barely met a good opponent yet in Europe under Xavi. Best was a woefuly out of form Bayern who were there for taking.

Last few seasons City beet by an average Chelsea, Bayern out to Villareal, Arsenal out to Sporting etc and Barca beaten Real multiple times.

Yet made out impossibility for Barca to beat any of them when it comes to Barca.

 

[serghei]

So what is it? Barca can challenge them without spending 400m or not?

Highly unlikely imo. 400m if the club doesn't land another Coutinho and Dembele for 300m combined .

As United proved, 400m can go quickly if you spend like a shithead.

 

[JamDav1982]

Highly unlikely imo. 400m if the club doesn't land another Coutinho and Dembele for 300m combined .

As United proved, 400m can go quickly if you spend like a shithead.

You said cant be done unless spend big so what should we all temper expectations to if cant spend 150m a summer?

Bare in mind no one is claiming Barca should be CL favs.