Xavi Hernández

[serghei]

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.

He is doing a great job this season. Let's see them vs Atletico though. Last season in CL they had a lot of luck vs Barca and an easy route in CL to the final.

 

[JamDav1982]

I think he does connect with players for most part and they are trying for him.

Just the tactics/fitness etc all look shambolic and the players look as anxious on pitch as Xavi does from sidelines.

 

[serghei]

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.

If this team can win big titles on short term playing the way fans want.

If a new guy comes and next season wins the title playing attacking football... then you have a case.

I assume injuries are gonna keep happening, that seems to be the norm in football these days. Not gonna get much transfers, so the next guy is gonna face the same conditions more or less.

The ideal is to win titles playing attractive football. This is the order at Barca. The total package, hardest to achieve for a manager.

 

[JamDav1982]

It is not even about winning the title it is about showing progress.

The new coach most likely comes in against a better Real and with less money to spend than Xavi had.

But progress towards where Barca need to be is what Xavi would have been allowed this season and next coach will.

If that coach fails then on to next one.

 

[serghei]

Lol. Progress from getting the title is getting the title playing better football. That is progress from Xavi to another manager. If the team plays better an doesn't win...

Nobody is gonna ask that in the first season... but in the 2nd... titles count. Arsenal and Tottenham play nice every season.

 

[JamDav1982]

Lol. Progress from getting the title is getting the title playing better football. That is progress from Xavi to another manager.

No it is progress from where they are now and Barca could have progressed this season with better football, better in cups and Europe and still not won the league to a better Real.

But that progress is not there it is the opposite. Xavi looks clueless.

Had Barca shown progress this season and not the shambles it has become Xavi would still be in a job after the summer.

 

[serghei]

No it is progress from where they are now and Barca could have progressed this season with better football, better in cups and Europe and still not won the league to a better Real.

But that progress is not there it is the opposite. Xavi looks clueless.

Had Barca shown progress this season and not the shambles it has become Xavi would still be in a job after the summer.

Yes, but Xavi got the team from 9th. So... he still has progress from the position he took the team from by your logic. This counts for jack shit.

The expectation is to match the performances this team already achieved and surpass them. That's dominating the league and winning it. If that can be done by playing offensive football, that's gonna be unanimously seen as improvement by all fans.

 

[JamDav1982]

He took over the team in 9th when league had barely settled and they had a game in hand over likes of Atletico who were a few points ahead.

The team had Pedri and Dembele out and hangover of Messi.

Did well to get second but not some miracle to do it and were heavy odds on for top four. He the got money to spend in the January and prior to that the results barely changed.

The team progressed..just to nowhere near the level it should and regressed this season badly.

All through that the club were fucking awful in Europe and the cups and that also counts.

 

[serghei]

The best Xavi could do as a manager is dominate the league and in win it by being on course for a 90+ points season. Style was often too defensive and focused on narrow wins most of the time.

The new manager is gonna face these expectations. One season he can fail slightly, but 2 seasons in a row he cannot. He also cannot fail by much even in his first season.

 

[JamDav1982]

Yes that was the best he could do.. and also was an embarrasment in Europe and the cups.

Then when it came to build on last season gets worse.

Barca did not look a top coached side last season either even if won league.

Next coach will have to unravel a lot of the mistakes Xavi has made with transfers etc and try to do that probably with little money and selling players.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

Not surviving the cl groups two times were Xavi's biggest fails and this time in a weak group with a lot of luck, next coach needs to do better in these matches 🤔

 

[serghei]

Yes that was the best he could do.. and also was an embarrasment in Europe and the cups.

Then when it came to build on last season gets worse.

Barca did not look a top coached side last season either even if won league.

The new manager needs to first achieve something important (title) to see if he can keep momentum in subsequent seasons.

 

[JamDav1982]

The new manager needs to first achieve something important (title) to see if he can keep momentum in subsequent seasons.

Not really that immediate.

If the new coach comes in and shows progress with style of play and transfers etc and loses to a much better Real side than Xavi beat then would be foolish to sack them any time soon.

If he is as bad as Xavi in cups and Europe than progress in league alone wont keep in job for years though.

If he drops to a level as low as Xavi this season then will be gone long before Xavi is this.

 

[serghei]

Not really that immediate.

If the new coach comes in and shows progress with style of play and transfers etc and loses to a much better Real side than Xavi beat then would be foolish to sack them any time soon.

If he is as bad as Xavi in cups and Europe than progress in league alone wont keep in job for years though.

The Madrid Xavi faced in his title season was La Liga and CL holders.

Progress is enough for short term, I agree.

Medium term, objective is title, make no mistake about it.

CL is bonus, unless somehow the new guy makes us a big contender. If that happens he is gonna get a lot of credit.

 

[JamDav1982]

The Madrid Xavi faced in his title season was La Liga and CL holders.

Progress is enough for short term.

Medium term, objective is title..

And the Barca that Madrid are facing are league title holders.. matters not all that much.

Real last season were not a good side. Lost league by double digits to Barca and scudded by first top team met in CL and said it would happen before that season started.

Always the objective is titles and doing it in a certain way.

Also Barca when dont win can never be allowed to drop to levels of this season and that is on top of repeated failures in Europe and cups etc.