Xavi Hernández

[serghei]

You say 'driven away by problems' as if it was his choice to leave and the mess of the club is why he's going.

Reality is he was due to be sacked for bad results and devised this plan to leave at the end of the season to take a moral victory.

Lol. Teams have shit seasons all the time, much better teams than us also.

The fuck is Ten Hag still doing at United after getting his ass spanked by Galatasaray and Copenhaggen in CL by your logic?

You still need to value that the guy won a league title last season. Against a superior team by all metrics.

 

[ajnotkeith]

Lol. Teams have shit seasons all the time, much better teams than us also.

The fuck is Ten Hag still doing at United after getting his ass spanked by Galatasaray and Copenhaggen in CL by your logic?

United isnt a much better team than us as is being shown.. they haven't competed for their league title in like a decade... the reality is they aren't a top club anymore and will require a lot of work to get back to that level.

Ten Hag will likely be sacked at the end of the season if results don't improve, the reason they are not making any change right now is because they have an impending takeover ongoing.

 

[serghei]

As said, you need to value that Xavi led the team to a big title. And give him time. This is not possible at a club this infected by delusion. The rot goes deep.

Just a look at the team that played vs Bilbao, Pena, Fort, Cubarsi, Yamal, Fermin, Balde... ffs most of these guys are complete rookies at this level. Out of their depth.

 

[ajnotkeith]

As said, you need to value that Xavi led the team to a big title. And give him time. This is not possible at a club this infected by delusion. The rot goes deep.

Thats the question. Do you trust him to make the situation right and do you think that title is an indicator of his potential? I don't, that's the problem for me, I don't think it would improve if we gave him a lot of time because I don't believe in his ability right now.

Cracking under the pressure and throwing a tantrum at perceived media oppression rather than trying to fight till the end just further justifies he wasn't cut out for it, he will face this pressure at every big club, if he can't handle it here he will not handle it anywhere else either. You don't really get time at clubs like this unless you've proven you deserve it.

 

[serghei]

Thats the question. Do you trust him to make the situation right and do you think that title is an indicator of his potential? I don't, that's the problem for me, I don't think it would improve if we gave him a lot of time because I don't believe in his ability right now.

Of course the team would improve lol.

Title win was a massive overachievement. The level of the team is not the best in Spain. They got the title because the team overachieved. Much like Napoli vs Inter in Italy.

 

[ajnotkeith]

Of course the team would improve lol.

Title win was a massive overachievement.

Massive overachievement? Really? How do you come to that conclusion?

 

[serghei]

Massive overachievement? Really? How do you come to that conclusion?

Because the team is clearly not as good as Madrid. They just played better. Happens all the time for a brief period. Examples are numerous. It's the definition of a surprise win.

It is not uncommon for a drop-off to happen in the following season.

 

[ajnotkeith]

Of course the team would improve lol.

Title win was a massive overachievement. The level of the team is not the best in Spain. They got the title because the team overachieved. Much like Napoli vs Inter in Italy.

Inter are the ones actually massively overachieving, they have a negative net spend under their current manager and nobody in their team cost serious money except for Lautaro Martinez. In spite of this they're probably the best performing team in Europe right now (40 GD at the midpoint of the season...).

That's what I would class as massive overachievement, and I would really like to have Simone Inzaghi here.

I don't think the squad from last season was significantly worse than Madrid's or worse at all. I think this season it has been worse mainly due to injury of MATS and playing Romeu for so much time, whilst they added Bellingham, probably the best player in the world on current form.

Madrid, clearly, is a much stronger opponent this season. Their performance last season was untypical of them and we had a good opportunity.

 

[El Gato]

More excellent soundbite bits in interviews highlighting just how off his rocker he's gone
Unhinged FC

Would be embarrassed as a fan of institution employing these types of people as president and manager NGL

 

[Iniesta Ultra]

Hope Alaves wins today so serghei stops posting for a couple days again, at least Xavi's crybabying provides some entertainment however sick.

 

[serghei]

Inter are the ones actually massively overachieving, they have a negative net spend under their current manager and nobody in their team cost serious money except for Lautaro Martinez. In spite of this they're probably the best performing team in Europe right now (40 GD at the midpoint of the season...).

They were elite in Serie A before Inzaghi too. Champions in 2021 and finished 2 points off Juve in 2020. Better team than Napoli almost all the time really except last season.

Inter underachieved in Serie A last season big time. They simply have a better team than Napoli, and that been the case for many years already.

 

[ajnotkeith]

They were elite in Serie A before Inzaghi too. Champions in 2021 and finished 2 points off Juve in 2020. Better team than Napoli almost all the time really except last season.

Inter underachieved in Serie A last season big time.

Yes, look at the offseason of 2021 and what happened after that on Transfermarkt, their board started a demolition of their squad because the team was in huge debt, continued even last season where multiple important players were lost (Onana, Skriniar, Brozovic etc.)

Thats why what he's doing is still so impressive whilst most of his key players have been sold and more will be after this season. Basically all their important players from 2021 have left whilst little has been signed but he has managed to construct one of the best teams in Europe out of backups.

 

[Messigician]

sometimes ex-players like Xavi can't connect as much with players because football came easy and intuitively to them. Going through difficulties is not always a stain, it's also a growth opportunity.

 

[serghei]

sometimes ex-players like Xavi can't connect as much with players because football came easy and intuitively to them. Going through difficulties is not always a stain, it's also a growth opportunity.

True. Good post. Former legends can be too demanding.

 

[Porque]

I think the key point that is being missed by some Xavista's on Xavi, is that if there was a progress in our attacking play over the past 18 months then having an "under achieving" period would have been accepted.

We spent alot of money and took huge risk to give some rocketfuel with levers to progress after what Bartomeu financially left.

In the end the league win is a great achievement, but the football to achieve it was difficult to watch grinding 1-0s.

So we started with a defensive first approach last season, moved to be more attacking this year, and whatever defensive system we were supposed to build on, completely collapsed in the process.

Simply put, that's called a regression.