Xavi Hernández

[BBZ8800]

Pique : 85kg
Depay : 78kg
Nico : 86kg
Araujo : 79kg
Lenglet : 81kg
Mingueza : 75kg
Garcia : 76kg
Busquets : 76kg
FDJ : 75kg
Depay : 78kg

And those are all guys who have started most games this season, convieniently missing from BBZ's lists, for some reason.


Don't think the problem is weight, or height.

Again, I lost tons of hours making my stats in the past (not the ones from today).
Take one hour and list 11 players or 15 players (a few squad players) of any top team: Barca, Chelsea, Bayern, Liverpool, City, Barca women team (lol).
And check the average height and weight of the starting 11.

You'll realize what I am talking about.
Barca is the worst in all areas among all top clubs:
Pace, stamina, height, weight, muscles.

++ Also, Pique and Busi are raising the height of our team.
Imagine our average in 1 year without Busi and Pique. = Gavi, Pedri, Puig, Fati, Alba, Dest, Sterling, Olmo, Abde, Illias, Balde, Eric
We will be probably 5-8 cm shorter than other teams.

 

[soul24rage]

ngl, they have a beautiful voice.

 

[ajnotkeith]

Again, I lost tons of hours making my stats in the past (not the ones from today).
Take one hour and list 11 players or 15 players (a few squad players) of any top team: Barca, Chelsea, Bayern, Liverpool, City, Barca women team (lol).
And check the average height and weight of the starting 11.

You'll realize what I am talking about.
Barca is the worst in all areas among all top clubs:
Pace, stamina, height, weight, muscles.

++ Also, Pique and Busi are raising the height of our team.
Imagine our average in 1 year without Busi and Pique. = Gavi, Pedri, Puig, Fati, Alba, Dest, Sterling, Olmo, Abde, Illias, Balde, Eric
We will be probably 5-8 cm shorter than other teams.

I think, specifically talking in physicality, our conditioning is very poor.

Our XI compared to other top teams can be a bit shorter or lighter but nothing you don't expect because we are just worse in quality at the moment. However, the proportion of our players physiques is very poor in terms of muscle and their stamina is awful.

For example Garcia is 76kg and only 5'10 but not toned at all and has a very light frame. At that weight you'd expect him to be quite toned and big for his height but no, he looks really small.

Or Pique who despite being 85kg looks like a rake. These guys probably have a really high BF% (skinny fat) and it's pushing up their weight. Which shouldn't be the case in any top club.

The conditioning is an aspect we really suffer in and one I hope will be improved. Though as I said above, there are plenty of technical aspects we suffer in also, we don't have any strong points when comparing us to a top club like Bayern.

 

[serghei]

I think, specifically talking in physicality, our conditioning is very poor.

Our XI compared to other top teams can be a bit shorter or lighter but nothing you don't expect because we are just worse in quality at the moment. However, the proportion of our players physiques is very poor in terms of muscle and their stamina is awful.

For example Garcia is 76kg and only 5'10 but not toned at all and has a very light frame. At that weight you'd expect him to be quite toned and big for his height but no, he looks really small.

Or Pique who despite being 85kg looks like a rake. These guys probably have a really high BF% (skinny fat) and it's pushing up their weight. Which shouldn't be the case in any top club.

The conditioning is an aspect we really suffer in and one I hope will be improved. Though as I said above, there are plenty of technical aspects we suffer in also, we don't have any strong points when comparing us to a top club like Bayern.

Conditioning and management are the problems, not 4-5 cm more or less in height. BBZ has his own cult with judging players based on height as if between 1.77 and 1.81m there's any meaningful difference.

Players look and are skinny because they don't work hard enough. Look at Goretzka before and after photos with Bayern. In some rare cases, like Puig's, genetics play a big role too, but it's not common.

 

[BBZ8800]

Conditioning and management are the problems, not 4-5 cm more or less in height. BBZ has his own cult with judging players based on height as if between 1.77 and 1.81m there's any meaningful difference.

If 175cm vs 180 is irrelevant, then why are all big clubs leaning towards 180cm?
Try to find more than 2-3 players at the range lower than 175 cm at Chelsea or Bayern.
Then go to Barca, half of the team is in 168-175cm range.

On the first 15 World cups from 1930 to 1994, South Americans, who are gentically shorter than Europeans = won 8 out of 15 titles.
But in the last 25 years when physique started to be more and more important, South Americans won 1 world cup out of 6 and they aren't looking as if they'll win it anytime soon.

1. on one hand, you might reply = they aren't winning because they don't have quality anymore
2. on the other hand, in the past it was enough to have 1 star player and a technical team would easily triumph over Europeans.
In 1950, Neymar-Coutinho-Jesus trio would probably win a world cup or two.
Today, they probably won't win another WC during our lifetime, and it is not a coincidence.

Barca's football is in a somewhat similar category to Brazil's and it might see the same fate as long as you, fans, media, the club are totally neglecting the importance of all physical aspects.
Let's make a bet, in 10 years time, football will be a robotic sport with top athletes and it will be close to NBA and NFL.
Magic alone will never again work without robot-athletic-physique.
And height also counts. Not in La Liga where teams are playing Latino-based football with Spanish and South American players, but it counts in Europe.

 

[Morten]

If 175cm vs 180 is irrelevant, then why are all big clubs leaning towards 180cm?
Try to find more than 2-3 players at the range lower than 175 cm at Chelsea or Bayern.
Then go to Barca, half of the team is in 168-175cm range.

On the first 15 World cups from 1930 to 1994, South Americans, who are gentically shorter than Europeans = won 8 out of 15 titles.
But in the last 25 years when physique started to be more and more important, South Americans won 1 world cup out of 6 and they aren't looking as if they'll win it anytime soon.

1. on one hand, you might reply = they aren't winning because they don't have quality anymore
2. on the other hand, in the past it was enough to have 1 star player and a technical team would easily triumph over Europeans.
In 1950, Neymar-Coutinho-Jesus trio would probably win a world cup or two.
Today, they probably won't win another WC during our lifetime, and it is not a coincidence.

Barca's football is in a somewhat similar category to Brazil's and it might see the same fate as long as you, fans, media, the club are totally neglecting the importance of all physical aspects.
Let's make a bet, in 10 years time, football will be a robotic sport with top athletes and it will be close to NBA and NFL.
Magic alone will never again work without robot-athletic-physique.
And height also counts. Not in La Liga where teams are playing Latino-based football with Spanish and South American players, but it counts in Europe.

As for height during the more recent world cups, does Italy 2006 or Spain 2010 remind you of teams full of tall beings? Not to me, to put it lightly.

Not sure about Germany or France though.

 

[jairzinho]

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

As for height during the more recent world cups, does Italy 2006 or Spain 2010 remind you of teams full of tall beings? Not to me, to put it lightly.

Not sure about Germany or France though.

Didn't Italy just win Euro. They dont look big.

 

[jairzinho]

Didn't Italy just win Euro. They dont look big.

imo i've never seen Italy as necessarily a 'big' team, but they have always been very solid defensively, organized, compact, difficult to break down like traditional Italian teams. Very strong in set pieces, penalties, strong mentally etc.

 

[Devils]

Xavi: "We need to reset. Barcelona cannot be accustomed to defeat" [sport]

I'm panicking. Xavi cannot be held accountable for thus pathetic team full of losers.

He's so right on what he says

 

[JohnN]

Long post to follow:

Xavi will have to break relationships with friends to make the reset work. Pique and busquets can't play on this level anymore and they need to be benched / used as subs.
Also, we have to have patience because if the trainings get harder than before, the team will have low performance in games until they reach the required level and trainings return to lower intensity.
I understand his decisions for the lineup and subs, but it's evident they didn't work, it wasn't his fault though.
Miguenza was a let down and we crumbled when alba left, he got better later on, but still he can't play LB.
Dest was bad attacking but also didn't help Araujo with Davies at all, which left our whole right side dead. On top of it, Araujo, who is not technically great, was left with the task to play from the back.
Dembele operates like an amateur on the left, so even though he avoided Davies, he couldn't do much against pavard either.
Then we have depay, who cannot keep possession or pass correctly under any pressing. He has a heavy touch and is slow on reaction. A lower level player.
Busquets couldn't cope with the speed of Bayern players as per usual. Put a cone instead of him and it's the same. And ofcourse Mats dropped another disaster class.
Those are the weakest links for me.

All in all:

GK: need a starter ASAP. Mats is done.
LB: Need a backup for Alba. He is getting old, but is serviceable still. Not first priority to replace.
CB: I don't think the biggest issue is there. Just don't use Pique.
RB: Dani is a temp solution. Need a starter. Dest is a backup at most.
DM: Need a starter. Busi is done.
CM: would keep Pedri and sell fdj in all honesty. We need another starter. I don't think Gavi, Nico, demir are on the required level yet, and don't know if they will ever reach it. Keep them as subs for now.
CF: All are useless. Need starters. Fati could be sub level, injured all the time or a starter. No one knows.
RWembele is our only threat due to speed but only from the right side. He is serviceable in our current state but only if he doesn't demand a "B'Dor salary".
LW: do we have anyone? Perhaps fati should play here and not cf, I don't know.

Hard times ahead..

 

[Neymessi]

I know BBZ is into height/weight and all but this is borderline obsessive and funny

 

[serghei]

If 175cm vs 180 is irrelevant, then why are all big clubs leaning towards 180cm?
Try to find more than 2-3 players at the range lower than 175 cm at Chelsea or Bayern.
Then go to Barca, half of the team is in 168-175cm range.

On the first 15 World cups from 1930 to 1994, South Americans, who are gentically shorter than Europeans = won 8 out of 15 titles.
But in the last 25 years when physique started to be more and more important, South Americans won 1 world cup out of 6 and they aren't looking as if they'll win it anytime soon.

1. on one hand, you might reply = they aren't winning because they don't have quality anymore
2. on the other hand, in the past it was enough to have 1 star player and a technical team would easily triumph over Europeans.
In 1950, Neymar-Coutinho-Jesus trio would probably win a world cup or two.
Today, they probably won't win another WC during our lifetime, and it is not a coincidence.

Barca's football is in a somewhat similar category to Brazil's and it might see the same fate as long as you, fans, media, the club are totally neglecting the importance of all physical aspects.
Let's make a bet, in 10 years time, football will be a robotic sport with top athletes and it will be close to NBA and NFL.
Magic alone will never again work without robot-athletic-physique.
And height also counts. Not in La Liga where teams are playing Latino-based football with Spanish and South American players, but it counts in Europe.

Your examples are selective as hell. You pick and choose what supports your theory, and disregard anything else.

City and Liverpool attacks:

Mane - 1.75m
Salah - 1.75m
Jota - 1.78m
Foden - 1.71m
Bernardo - 1.73m
Sterling - 1.70m

Do these teams sound weak physically to you? They are dominating the world's best and most physical league by a mile atm. Clubs aren't basing their decisions on 4-5cm more or less from a player, but based on how good that player is.

I get your argument about physicality being important, I think so too, but it's crazy just how much disproportionate emphasis you put on genetics (and height in particular, when it's speed & intensity that are most key), in favor of training and conditioning. Training and conditioning are what turned Goretzka from a skinny dude into a tank.

Height brings you an advantage in aerial duels that's clear, not much else. This is why it's very important in positions that deal with these situations, most notably goalkeeper, central defenders, and defensive midfielders (Rodri and Fabinho are both tall). The best teams play overwhelmingly on the ground. Height in itself doesn't make you stronger on ground level, since there are many 1.7-1.75m players that are very hard to push around because they are strong and bulky. And chances are 1.75m players are gonna be a good bit quicker than taller dudes. If you go a lot over 1.8m you tend to be on the slower side, again, unless you are some fitness freak like Cristiano.

You make a mistake in thinking every 1.75m player looks like Puig. When in fact they are short, or average in height, but strong as hell on their feet. I don't see anyone in EPL dominating 1.75m Salah and Mane physically. Quite the other way around. Also true for Foden, Sterling, Bernardo, etc. It's speed, quick feet, stamina >> height in most positions. Virtually all 4 wide positions (fullbacks and wingers), often even for "9", the best managers these days use quicker mobile players (see Foden/Jesus and Jota) that are able to press a lot. A big guy at 9 will never be able to put in as much running as a shorter guy. Will tire out quicker and slack off at pressuring the other team's CBs.

 

[mc_lovin]

Picking Puig alone disqualified his argument. He has next to zero relevance for Barcelona.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

There's some benefit of being shorter too, look at Messi for example. Good luck doing those turns when you are 180cm+ or have that balance.

Especially for attackers, being smaller and quicker can be a huge advantage. Tough for tall CBs to follow that quick movement. (Pique for example haha, he turns like a boat and loses every 1vs1, because his lack of movement).


Of course, if you could make Messis abilities in a 190cm person, that would be better, so in a sense, BBZ is right but in a sense wrong.

It depends what's your job on the pitch. Some jobs height is useful, some things no. Also depends on how the team is built, if everyone's very short, then it might be an issue.