Xavi Hernández

[mc_lovin]

This squad is at the very least good enough to compete at a top level. Everything else is down to management and its tactics.

?

 

[Horatio]

This squad is at the very least good enough to compete at a top level. Everything else is down to management and its tactics.

Not sure if true. Enough teams that will beat us even when they are tactically inferior just because they beat us on individual quality or physicality.

 

[serghei]

Been following Barca since 98 and this easily the worst squad we've had. Even in the early 00's we had Rivaldo, Kluivert who were capable of magic. But certainly for this season anyway, we have no one with that ability to create magic.

Plus the players who look like they will be top class are too young to shoulder that burden to carry the club right now.

Spot on. Not to mention we also had the money to buy fecking world-cup winner Ronaldinho, Eto'o. We had more buying power than now.

 

[BBZ8800]

What he and other people are trying to tell you is no matter what system you play with these players the results aren't going to change.

And what I am trying to say:
Even with far better players, you won't get too far with Barca DNA tactics from 2010.

1. it worked 10+ years ago. Times have changed
2. and even then, that was our best team ever in terms of talent. You can't measure whether tactics/system/DNA is good based on your BEST generation ever. That's like saying: La Masia is good, we created Messi.
2. football evolved
3. oil teams emerged

 

[Barcaman]

Honeymoon over.

 

[Luftstalag14]

We heavily lack in attack and defense is underwhelming. Not too mention we do not have a world class keeper. We need to get one promising CB and hope Ansu returns and stays fit and build from there.

I trust Xavi to recognize players that are not good enough or need to be phased out. But we do not have money or good second options. So yeah, he will play whatever seems best but is still not good enough.

I think it starts with training. mueller is right, we lack intensity, and probably because physically we are not at the level to sustain that kind of intensity to play against good teams today. Why is that? Several ex-players have commented on how lacking our training sessions were. I think Xavi?s rules are a good start, but we need to have more physical preparations and introduce more intensity to our training regimen, I feel. Not that we need to have Felix Magath type of approach but we are just so? weak overall.

 

[te amo barca]

M?ller: "I think Bar?a can't cope with the intensity. Technically, they have it all, they are great players tactically and technically. But they can't cope with the intensity in top football."

Even Muller is pitying us LOL, tough times

 

[serghei]

And what I am trying to say:
Even with far better players, you won't get too far with Barca DNA tactics from 2010.

1. it worked 10+ years ago. Times have changed
2. and even then, that was our best team ever in terms of talent. You can't measure whether tactics/system/DNA is good based on your BEST generation ever. That's like saying: La Masia is good, we created Messi.
2. football evolved
3. oil teams emerged

What do you mean by Barca DNA tactics in specific? It became a term you just never define.

Don't tell me 4-3-3 is Barca DNA or some half-baked idea like that. All the best teams play it almost.

 

[KingLeo10]

M?ller: "I think Bar?a can't cope with the intensity. Technically, they have it all, they are great players tactically and technically. But they can't cope with the intensity in top football."

I gotta give my guy [MENTION=4451]Birdy[/MENTION] props.

I don't always agree with his xG takes BUT he's been driving this train of thought on here for 2+ years now (that I can remember at least). One of the first posters to systematically outline why we're obsolete in modern football, even AFTER accounting for the absolutely barren talent.

It's more than talent IMO. Random Bundesliga teams give Bayern a harder game than us, and our players are at worst as bad as those random Bundesliga teams. So it's systemic. A problem with inability to understand modern football at Barcelona itself.

 

[Sailor Mars]

Cannot see this team playing in Champions League next year.

Prepare for this Barca team to be raided by other CL clubs.
And no, those clubs won't be going after the likes of Pique,Lenglet,Alba,Busi etc.

 

[Porque]

I think it starts with training. mueller is right, we lack intensity, and probably because physically we are not at the level to sustain that kind of intensity to play against good teams today. Why is that? Several ex-players have commented on how lacking our training sessions were. I think Xavi?s rules are a good start, but we need to have more physical preparations and introduce more intensity to our training regimen, I feel. Not that we need to have Felix Magath type of approach but we are just so? weak overall.

Your right, and we need to get rid of the whole culture and/or individuals that are a roadblock to this. Even when Koeman come there were the same talks of how the players training was underwelming and this was changing under Koeman. At the start it looked to be changing and then it reverted back.

 

[mc_lovin]

And what I am trying to say:
Even with far better players, you won't get too far with Barca DNA tactics from 2010.

1. it worked 10+ years ago. Times have changed
2. and even then, that was our best team ever in terms of talent. You can't measure whether tactics/system/DNA is good based on your BEST generation ever. That's like saying: La Masia is good, we created Messi.
2. football evolved
3. oil teams emerged

?Who says we don't need to evolve? That has nothing to do with 'Barca DNA' though.

 

[serghei]

I gotta give my guy [MENTION=4451]Birdy[/MENTION] props.

I don't always agree with his xG takes BUT he's bee driving this train of thought on here for 2+ years now (that I can remember at least). One of the first posters to systematically outline why we're obsolete in modern football, even AFTER accounting for the absolutely barren talent.

It's more than talent IMO. Random Bundesliga teams give Bayern a harder game than us, and our players are at worst as bad as those random Bundesliga team. So it's systemic. A problem with modern football itself.

It's a product of training and fitness methodology. And dieting. And treatment of workouts in the gym. Basically the athlete element of the game. We had it, it was key for our game, and we lost it more and more gradually. Tell me which players in this team can compare with the speed and fitness of players like Pedro, Alves, Eto'o, Yaya Toure, Henry, Puyol, Marquez, Mascherano, Abidal, Adriano, David Villa.

All those stories about Spalletti saying they'd lose 18-0 if they prepared the match like we do, Aguero saying lights were out in the gym or whatever, all those ex-players saying the training at their new teams are harder etc.

 

[BBZ8800]

The man is insufferable, but he's spot on. Ditch the wannabe stars who play on their tiptoes like Depay. Ditch the oldies who are just old. Ditch the proven imposters like Stegen.

Put De Jong on the market if the finances continue to be terrible. We'll not be able to get the best years out of him if we won't make 2-3 good transfers for a start.

Again, I see too much hope and scapegoating here.
As if we will be better without oldies Busi, Pique etc.

Ok, fine. We will be somewhat faster.
But: Eric is still weakish and slowish and fits Muller's comments.
Puig, the same.
Gavi is a fighter, but still physically looks like a kid playing vs men.
Nico is tall and strong but slowish and his technique is questionable for the top level.
Pedri is weakish and slowish also.
Dest the same.

So, after reading some posts here, it sounds as if: when we get rid of old amigos, we will be way better.
But imo, when you dig deeper: when you get rid of Busi and oldies, you get the same shit except that they are 10 years younger. They are as equally as slow, weak and similar. The only difference is that they are younger.

Why?
1. we don't rely on strength and similar skills in La Masia. I posted some numbers a few weeks ago, Barca is by far the shortest top team in the world. If there were some numbers regarding top speed and stamina, we would probably also be the top team with the slowest acceleration and stamina in the world.
And if there were a test about an amount of aerial duels won, we would again be at the bottom.

Do they teach kids in our academy to win aerial duels, to run 12 kms per match and similar?
No.
We play pig in the middle 24/7.
That's the core or our DNA. We don't rely on physicality, we rely on brains, IQ, movement and how we'll outsmart those physical teams with smart movement and smart passing.
It worked once with our best generation ever, paired with Pep and the best footballer ever, Messi.
Without the best generation ever, you know my opinion = those tactics are the ultimate shit in 2022.

 

[mc_lovin]

Okay, I am oot.

Wasted enough time with BBZ today.