Xavi Hernández

[KingLeo10]

His insistence on building this team around an old, washed up Busquets to "play to his strengths" will cost us a shot at the league trophy this season and ruin both his coaching career and our rebuild.

I hope for his and our sake he realizes this soon. He also risks tarnishing his legendary status as a player if he, as the coach, keeps being the reason we are utterly useless. We have a top 6ish squad in Europe, and he should be able to deliver more than 0 goals at home vs. some mid table teams.

 

[Raketa10]

He has to work harder in midfield, because at the moment we are playing with two kids who are talented, but far from top players. Also needs to understand De Jong is our best midfielder and make him the key player in midfield.

Stop fucking around with Busi and Gavi.

Gavi in particular is starting to get rushed. Let the kid be a squad player which is a good role for his current level. If we get Bernardo it would be criminal if he doesn't play Pedri - De Jong - Bernardo Silva.

Based on Xavi's comments he has failed to instruct the players properly in midfield, since it is without any doubt that he knows what to do in this area of the pitch.

He needs to sort out the midfield fast, because if not, all pressure will be on the attackers to make stuff happen on their own more or less. This is what happened vs Rayo, and they were pretty uninspired on the night, all of them frankly.

This!

 

[jamrock]

All our midfielders will look poor, even Pedri while our midfield structure has them basically never speaking to each other on the pitch, that's how far apart they car.

Biggest issue of our midfield is that all of our 3 up & coming mids.

Pedri
Gavi
De Jong.

Advances the ball though carried more than passing, they all almost want to dribble the ball to the feet of their team mates before releasing it, which also makes interplay more difficult.

Kessie & panic is really the only passers in our midfield.

Xavi needs to coach them all up on the fact that they don't need to run with the vall 15 yards and pass is much faster.

We need someone who is able to net the different areas of the team together through passing, which will help to bring our lines closer together.

 

[ajnotkeith]

A side note on yesterday's game : Rayo's grit and fight and commitment is so impressive. Their guys fight for every ball, they don't switch off for a second and they don't have any lazy players.

A strong and durable team with fight and togetherness. We could do with some of their values.

They don't have much technical ability but their mental and physical qualities were strong.

 

[Gari]

A side note on yesterday's game : Rayo's grit and fight and commitment is so impressive. Their guys fight for every ball, they don't switch off for a second and they don't have any lazy players.

A strong and durable team with fight and togetherness. We could do with some of their values.

They don't have much technical ability but their mental and physical qualities were strong.

They played the square quickly, then folded back and immediately forward. The merit of the coach?

 

[Horatio]

threw the game because he did not let Frenkie start.

 

[khaled_a_d]

He has to work harder in midfield, because at the moment we are playing with two kids who are talented, but far from top players. Also needs to understand De Jong is our best midfielder and make him the key player in midfield.

Based on Xavi's comments he has failed to instruct the players properly in midfield, since it is without any doubt that he knows what to do in this area of the pitch.

Midfield issues aren't about who tbh, because we see those issues with different players on consistent basis in last few months.

You talk about Frenkie being better than the rest, but he himself positioned same way like the rest once the team was in opponents own half: way too close to penalty area. De Jong looked good because we struggled taking the ball out of our half against average opponent, and this is what he strive in.

Not saying that changing the "who" isn't an issue. But bigger issue is how we set it up.

We have wingers hogging the line, midfielders moving to penalty area, fullbacks covering for the interiors.

Seems just like Xavi has revolutionary methods for our midfield, but on pitch it looks more like chaos.

He doesn't let midfielder doing midfielder things, he doesn't allow fullbacks to be fullbacks etc.

And while upgrades is always welcome, it cannot be our go to move to go in the market and buy him better tool.

First game of the season, and all, but frustrating part is how stubborn he is.

 

[serghei]

You talk about Frenkie being better than the rest, but he himself positioned same way like the rest once the team was in opponents own half: way too close to penalty area. De Jong looked good because we struggled taking the ball out of our half against average opponent, and this is what he strive in.

Against a parked bus like how Vallecano set up later in the game, midfielders stayed up because the fullbacks basically were at halfway line or even higher. So why exactly would you have a midfielder droping low when you already have 2 CBs for 1 striker of Valecano? It deprives you from having options up front.

The problem was that the movement of the midfielders was poor and chaotic, and that the CBs had a very bad night and were afraid to take any risks on the ball. They kept passing over the responsibility, also because midfielders weren't showing up well for passes.

I think in this case, it is better to work on the CBs simply being better on the ball. Which Araujo sadly is not and why I doubt he has a big future at our team since he doesn't seem to fit us when we have the ball so much in these games. You basically have him for set pieces largely and that's about it. In terms of participating in build-up and passing he is mediocre if not worse.

For me the problem is Busquets' speed and mobility which is lacking big time. Xavi needs to drop him and see Gavi as a very young kid with lots to learn still. I can see now why he wants Bernardo and I agree now with the posters who think he is needed. Gavi is very raw and chaotic. One youngster in midfield is the most we can use at this point. Two is an overkill of inexperience and chaos.

 

[vegitot]

Xavi demands a right back now. Why not promote some lads from Masia though? Does he neglect youth training???

 

[serghei]

Overall, Busquets was most disappointing in movement upon rewatching the first half. Constantly jogged around as the defenders were basically passing to each other or to fullbacks with few options. And when Gavi did show up to provide another option for build-up his touches were bad and chaotic.

Also use more long balls when nothing is working. Barely used Leawandowski well.

 

[Devils]

WE may soon have a midfield with Bernardo Silva/FDJ/Pedri/Gavi/Kessie and this cat will still play Busi over them!

 

[BBZ8800]

It was probably posted already, I have read that he is the worst Barca coach in the last 20 years in terms of % of wins.

 

[khaled_a_d]

The problem was that the movement of the midfielders was poor and chaotic,

And this is on the coach instructions, especially when it has been the case for half of Xavi career as a coach here.

Against a parked bus like how Vallecano set up later in the game, midfielders stayed up because the fullbacks basically were at halfway line or even higher.

Midfielders should always show up for their teammates and not wait for the ball like an attacker, it isn't about being ahead of DM problem, it was because they were closer to Lewa than Busquets for many occasions. Which is stupidity in itself, they can't make things happen while waiting the ball, we are expecting our interiors to play like Thomas Muller.

that the CBs had a very bad night and were afraid to take any risks on the ball. They kept passing over the responsibility, also because midfielders weren't showing up well for passes.

I think in this case, it is better to work on the CBs simply being better on the ball. Which Araujo sadly is not and why I doubt he has a big future at our team since he doesn't seem to fit us when we have the ball so much in these games.

If you don't provide players with outlets, you can't blame them for their poor passing. That is what Xavi himself said before he joined this club as a coach.
Players simply were positioned badly and were outcoached against a vastly inferior squad.
Never in history of Barca our CB had successfully overcome a midfield that doesn't fuckin show up for them. You can put prime Xaviesta as CB for a midfield and fullbacks that don't provide an out and they will struggle.

For me the problem is Busquets' speed and mobility which is lacking big time. Xavi needs to drop him and see Gavi as a very young kid with lots to learn still. I can see now why he wants Bernardo and I agree now with the posters who think he is needed. Gavi is very raw and chaotic. One youngster in midfield is the most we can use at this point. Two is an overkill of inexperience and chaos.

Busquets and Gavi are sure problems, but neither of them were put in a position to do their best either and it is because of the tactics more than anything.
Just changing the entire midfield and it is still a problem if they are instructed to do the same tbh.

His most successful period was the time he kept it simple rather than "innovative" and it was the time even our weak links like Dest performed their best.

 

[Messigician]

No way this cat worse than Setien

 

[vegitot]

No way this cat worse than Setien

But can Xavi play chess against Kasparov??