- Status
Pre and Post Messi are two different worlds to be fair, and should not be compared. The way we have played under Xavi (and Koeman this season to be fair) has been lacking end product, which Messi salvaged. So we can't harshly compare.
Also there has been no money to replace not only Messi, but Suarez and Griezmann too. So it is hard times.
Back to Xavi, too early to judge. Todays performance was poor, but one thing you can see is his loyalty to the gameplan and no willingless to change to an alternative plan in game. His subs are logical, sometimes delayed even, and looking to tweak the game to our advantage- compared to Koeman who would go gung-ho destroying the midfield with forwards or even Tito who done similarly. Sometimes that works, and perhaps Xavi will have to learn when to go for broke and when to tweak.
So you can see he has an idea of how he wants to play, and requires the players to adapt to it. We don't really have the quality for heroics, but you would expect players like Busquets, Nico, Dest and Depay to perform better than they did today.
Also there has been no money to replace not only Messi, but Suarez and Griezmann too. So it is hard times.
Back to Xavi, too early to judge. Todays performance was poor, but one thing you can see is his loyalty to the gameplan and no willingless to change to an alternative plan in game. His subs are logical, sometimes delayed even, and looking to tweak the game to our advantage- compared to Koeman who would go gung-ho destroying the midfield with forwards or even Tito who done similarly. Sometimes that works, and perhaps Xavi will have to learn when to go for broke and when to tweak.
So you can see he has an idea of how he wants to play, and requires the players to adapt to it. We don't really have the quality for heroics, but you would expect players like Busquets, Nico, Dest and Depay to perform better than they did today.
Fati_Future_BallonDor
Well-known member
True.
KingLeo10
Senior Member
He also has NO excuses to start Busquets every game once Pedri, Nico, Gavi, and FDJ are all available at once.
Do this and it's immediately Xavi GTFO for me. The lack of an athletic/young DM is one of the main reasons we absolutely get shat on in midfield even by random LL teams.
Do this and it's immediately Xavi GTFO for me. The lack of an athletic/young DM is one of the main reasons we absolutely get shat on in midfield even by random LL teams.
te amo barca
Blaugrana al vent
We were unable to build up from the back if the opponent played a high line in every game under Xavi so far. Just passing it around until lumping it forward and losing the ball. And we are obviously not set up to play on second balls to capitalize on that sort of game like the modern gegenpressing teams do. I expected him to be better in this playing out of the back regard given his background in juego de posicion blah-blah-blah. We are just not creating any chances through those long phases with the ball like possession-based teams are supposed to. It looks like teams in Qatar always parked the bus so he didn't have to work on passing patterns while pressed in our own half.
He needs time but I am alarmed.
He needs time but I am alarmed.
Fati_Future_BallonDor
Well-known member
Top4 or not isnt important but at least i want to see good football.
Horatio
You're welcome
Even that will take time. Xavi can have the ideas but players need time to adapt. Also new injury every game does not help.
serghei
Senior Member
Agreed. But I also think it is not as much down to tactic as it's down to not enough speed. We need to build that speed to help us move quicker. If we don't improve our fitness level, we won't be able to deal with high press situations.
Also, I saw Nico and especially Gavi pressing upfront because Memphis and Coutinho were slacking off. Cut that shit. If they don't press, you can't burden the midfielders with that as well. Just ditch aggressive pressing until you sign better forwards, not flops like Coutinho, or guys like Abde, or even Depay.
Both Koeman and now Xavi are using the freshness and legs of your younger midfielders to compensate for the slackers up front. Don't want to see Coutinho playing LW again and using Gavi as his water carrier.
Last edited:
DonAK
President of FC Barcelona
For me it's clear that our priority next summer should be getting in at least two new starters(Ferran Torres & Adeyemi) in attack and a LB like Gaya. If we can get in a CB and a CF too then that's just a bonus.
I cannot stand watching this Levante level attack.
I cannot stand watching this Levante level attack.
BBZ8800
Senior Member
There is also the elephant in the room, that our build up and speed out of the back suffers massively when Araujo starts. Dest also didn't help, which can be somewhat understood having only returned from injury and played 4 minutes over the previous 4 games.
Respekt_III
Anti-everything
If anything the decision to sack koeman should of been done before the season started. I take issue with people saying the players aren't good enough but then blaming koeman for our issues. Koeman has the same issues xavi has; our lack of goals and our defensive frailty. If people want to use excuses saying the squad isn't good enough and we want to wait till it's xavis team then we should of saved paying out both koeman and xavis club and brought him in at the end of the season.
Secondly this is the ev situation all over again we want to sack managers to upgrade on them not downgrade. Xavi for all his legendary status managed in a league below segunda level. A majority of teams are absolutely pathetic and he had by far the best team in that league. There were better options available that we could of brought instead however no barca DNA.
So far in the games under xavi I haven't been impressed I haven't seen any improvement what so ever granted it's still early days.
Having said that I'm not into giving managers years if I don't see improvement in our play. Results are important but performances more so.
So far xavi has wanted us to renew Roberto
Played busquets in every single game regardless of opponent
Relys on pique
Has brought back a past it dani Alves (as much as I love him he's no longer good enough)
With some of these decisions you can see why people would start questioning his decisions.
Secondly this is the ev situation all over again we want to sack managers to upgrade on them not downgrade. Xavi for all his legendary status managed in a league below segunda level. A majority of teams are absolutely pathetic and he had by far the best team in that league. There were better options available that we could of brought instead however no barca DNA.
So far in the games under xavi I haven't been impressed I haven't seen any improvement what so ever granted it's still early days.
Having said that I'm not into giving managers years if I don't see improvement in our play. Results are important but performances more so.
So far xavi has wanted us to renew Roberto
Played busquets in every single game regardless of opponent
Relys on pique
Has brought back a past it dani Alves (as much as I love him he's no longer good enough)
With some of these decisions you can see why people would start questioning his decisions.
Last edited:
Luftstalag14
Culé de Celestial Empire
I don't know if the problem of lacking speed is due to the fitness level or physical preparedness, the players we have or our innate style. I think it is everything but the last one is a decisive one. Even speedy wingers slow down when they come here, I feel.
- Status
Home of Barca Fans
