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xaviniesta
Guest
and again and again.
does it mean that when xavi scores this thread will be empty and all the people are in the messi thread as well?
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and again and again.
does it mean that when xavi scores this thread will be empty and all the people are in the messi thread as well?
Me55i D105
New member
He has become too slow, and insist on keeping the ball. Saw two opportunities for great attack but Xavi kept the ball instead of passing it elsewhere. He has become to passive and not a risktaker, which doesn't work nowadays. HE has skill, I will give him that but he goalscoring passes are a thing of the past judging from the latest games he has played. Hope he finds his old self, don't want slow football, I want the old fast football which won us titles.
He doesn't like having Song in the build up for an attack, he didn't want to pass back Song.
He doesn't like having Song in the build up for an attack, he didn't want to pass back Song.
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Flavia
Guest
Did he tell you that, or you're assuming things? I really dont get how people think they know what's going on, based on what they see on a game.
Paganinisrvnge
New member
Much, much better today from Xavi. Personally, I think that perhaps he was reluctant in previous matches to try through balls or run at the defense because of our makeshift backline. I don't like when he slows play down unnecessarily.
BerkeleyBernie
Senior Member
Xavi would beg to differ with you.
Yes, he may pass up on some opportunities, but it's hard to put yourself in the place of the man on the field without the skyview we have on TV. Xavi doesn't look just for a single open player/pass. In his own words, he looks for "space." Sometimes that means a through ball, other times it looks too risky from his perspective (i.e. low chance of success).
Take Messi's horrible movement to receive passes centrally, for instance. Today, a couple of Barça players gave Messi perfectly good passes when he was standing static between the lines. Yes, a good opportunity to attack, had Messi met the passes and turned. However, Messi didn't move to the passes, and he was poached by defenders both times. Xavi has a good feel for what his teammates do and don't do. What may look to you like a good pass may look to Xavi like an interception or dispossession.
I thought his game today was near flawless. I saw one run by the forwards where he decided not to drop the ball over the top to try to beat the defenders, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Messi's contributions to the team outweigh his flaws; Xavi, even more so.
Me55i D105
New member
I agree that I formulated that wrong, but I as a spectator can see things which show me how they are as a person and their relations to other players by their expressions. A little like the show "Lie to me". I have seen Xavi not wanting to pass Song on several occasions in several matches which make me draw that conclusion, yes that is my opinion from what I have seen and I might of course be wrong, but you can't deny the fact that it has occurred.
Me55i D105
New member
Xavi would beg to differ with you.
Yes, he may pass up on some opportunities, but it's hard to put yourself in the place of the man on the field without the skyview we have on TV. Xavi doesn't look just for a single open player/pass. In his own words, he looks for "space." Sometimes that means a through ball, other times it looks too risky from his perspective (i.e. low chance of success).
Take Messi's horrible movement to receive passes centrally, for instance. Today, a couple of Barça players gave Messi perfectly good passes when he was standing static between the lines. Yes, a good opportunity to attack, had Messi met the passes and turned. However, Messi didn't move to the passes, and he was poached by defenders both times. Xavi has a good feel for what his teammates do and don't do. What may look to you like a good pass may look to Xavi like an interception or dispossession.
I thought his game today was near flawless. I saw one run by the forwards where he decided not to drop the ball over the top to try to beat the defenders, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Messi's contributions to the team outweigh his flaws; Xavi, even more so.
I agree, on some occasions there were no forwards and that made it impossible to pass, but also there were opportunities to pass to start an attack but he hesitates. I am assuming that some things are still in his head from the last season with Guardiola, the whatever you do just keep the ball and don't lose it.
Xavi is a god in controlling midfield, keeping the ball and establishing control and going from there. But it seems to me that he has lost his ability or hasn't needed it yet to pick up the pace and dissect the defense. This can of course be because the forwards are not moving like before or that the tactic has change, but we are losing the extra gear we had before. We are winning games however and that is the most important thing, but sooner or later we might hit a wall, like the one with celtic where we are going to need excellence from before, I just hope we will see it.
These last games have not been perfect in gameplay like the ones with Guardiola from my point of view, I guess it's only natural that it's happening because Villanova is running it, but we are going to need in for the titles.
footyfan
Calma, calma
Xavi would beg to differ with you.
Yes, he may pass up on some opportunities, but it's hard to put yourself in the place of the man on the field without the skyview we have on TV. Xavi doesn't look just for a single open player/pass. In his own words, he looks for "space." Sometimes that means a through ball, other times it looks too risky from his perspective (i.e. low chance of success).
Take Messi's horrible movement to receive passes centrally, for instance. Today, a couple of Barça players gave Messi perfectly good passes when he was standing static between the lines. Yes, a good opportunity to attack, had Messi met the passes and turned. However, Messi didn't move to the passes, and he was poached by defenders both times. Xavi has a good feel for what his teammates do and don't do. What may look to you like a good pass may look to Xavi like an interception or dispossession.
I thought his game today was near flawless. I saw one run by the forwards where he decided not to drop the ball over the top to try to beat the defenders, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Messi's contributions to the team outweigh his flaws; Xavi, even more so.
+1 for bold part. With regards to Messi, I remember the situations you're talking about. I think he was just trying his feint where he acts as if he is going towards the ball but lets it roll past so that he has space behind him to turn without a defender's attention. It's difficult to explain, but it's a move I often use as well. The defenders did well not to fall for it.
That being said, I agree that in general, his movement is terrible unless he's going on one of those one-touch passing sprees with team-mates. Honestly, that seems to the only way he creates space. That, and just delaying his runs for crosses so that he's at the edge of the box. The two wingers do excellently to pull the defenders closer to goal.
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Flavia
Guest
Song has played few matches as a dm for Barça. And If Xavi doesnt pass the ball to Song (or any other player, for that matter), is just because he thinks he should pass it elsewhere. Not because he doesnt like him.
As for the show analogy, it's pointless, as you're watching games on a tv, not interacting with the players.
Me55i D105
New member
On that occasion he didn't have anyone else to pass it too, Song would've been the right choice. Like is probably the wrong word but more he doesn't have faith in him which is understandable as he is new, but I think it's uncalled for. Song is a good player, and he did good in Arsenal when they attacked, and in a game against Zaragoza where he gets a rare chance to show his abilities he gets denied by Xavi.
I don't need to interact with people to see things, I just need to observe them and see how they react on certain occasions to get a read. On a pitch peoples true colours show, I speak of this from experience so it's definitely not pointless.
I don't need to interact with people to see things, I just need to observe them and see how they react on certain occasions to get a read. On a pitch peoples true colours show, I speak of this from experience so it's definitely not pointless.
e28makaveli
New member
Like this. I think the older we get, the more conservative we also get.Xavi would beg to differ with you.
Yes, he may pass up on some opportunities, but it's hard to put yourself in the place of the man on the field without the skyview we have on TV. Xavi doesn't look just for a single open player/pass. In his own words, he looks for "space." Sometimes that means a through ball, other times it looks too risky from his perspective (i.e. low chance of success).
Take Messi's horrible movement to receive passes centrally, for instance. Today, a couple of Barça players gave Messi perfectly good passes when he was standing static between the lines. Yes, a good opportunity to attack, had Messi met the passes and turned. However, Messi didn't move to the passes, and he was poached by defenders both times. Xavi has a good feel for what his teammates do and don't do. What may look to you like a good pass may look to Xavi like an interception or dispossession.
I thought his game today was near flawless. I saw one run by the forwards where he decided not to drop the ball over the top to try to beat the defenders, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Messi's contributions to the team outweigh his flaws; Xavi, even more so.
e28makaveli
New member
I also agree that Xavi may not have the kind of faith in Song as he does in Busquets, which does affect his decisioning a bit. Maybe this all ties to being more conservative the older we get.
BerkeleyBernie
Senior Member
Yeah, that was fantastic, and the crowd thought so, too.
And it's *exactly* that brilliant kind of possession that led directly to the goal. Some people would prefer Xavi do a "Cesc", and launch a long direct pass as soon as he was facing upfield. Me, I'd rather have him protect the ball to set up a goal like this one. You give up one kind of opportunity for another that has a better chance of success.
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