Xavi, next Barca manager

futbol wrote:Are we really comparing 2008 to 2022 Barca? One is Einstein who got bored and got into booze and hookers and then returned back to work after a short sabbatical.

The other is a college student who fails the undergraduate exam 3 times in a row.

well said.

Again, I'm not comparing the squads, just asserting that no one in the very beginning of the pep era thought barca had a "CL winning squad"

BarrileteCosmico wrote:Again, I'm not comparing the squads, just asserting that no one in the very beginning of the pep era thought barca had a "CL winning squad"

Hindsight being 20/20, Barca did actually win the CL that year as you are aware. Which by definition, means Barca was already a squad capable of winning it. They wouldn't have won it without Pep, but he had the raw material to work with. That's not the case with this current Barca team.

Its also revisionist history to claim no one thought Barca had a CL Winning squad when the the squad reached the Semi-Finals the year before, and won it in 2005-2006.

So, while it is true that they imploded in the league in 2007-2008, they still had a similar core to the squad that won everything in 2005-2006 and were the same points in the 2006-2007 La Liga as the winner.

Anyone with some footballing knowledge could immediately identify the fact that a team that has WC players, and just added one of the best RBs in the league, would be possible CL contenders. I didn't mean that it was obvious that they were going to win the CL, but that it was obvious that they had the potential and the players to do so.

Xavi needs more time, and it’s clear to see that his team plays far better then Koeman’s did. He is playing with kids right now + Luuk de jong.

Pep inherited an underperforming team of players who were on the verge of entering their peak years.

Xavi has inherited a team of kids + old guard who shouldn't be starting week in and week out anymore. You can't compare the players they've been dealt with.

One got to start with Messi, Henry, and Eto'o as his forward line while the other is relying on Abde, De Jong/Jutgla, and Dembele so far.

Every midfield Xavi has had to play involved Nico or Gavi. Another thing with these La Masia players is that they aren't even 22 they're like 18. Not only do they lack experience, but they lack physical maturity. Pep himself didn't want to give Foden a run of games until he was 21 because he thought he lacked the frame. Can you imagine what he thinks of Gavi?

Pep didn't inherit a super team like some people think, but what he inherited was 10x superior to what Xavi is using right now.

Elite scouting ID. Buy pace merchant runners as your forwards then fill up your midfield with press resistant passing midgets.

Even if the player quality is questionable due to lack of finances, he's still signing the right profiles. Barca haven't had a sporting strategy when it comes to signings for years.

I noticed that. With the addition of Aubameyang and Adama, while keeping Dembele, this is a very quick frontline and good dribblers too. Naturally Auba is past his prime but La Liga is also less demanding than PL

Great breakdown on the importance of 3rd man runs. Thanks for sharing.

Rather impressive.

Looking like the real deal.

Another positional play disciple. Pretty much copied and paste what City do and has Barca playing like that. Though Xavi is more offensive compared to present-day Pep.

Pep's gone psycho with control. He plays high 8s, but still chooses to play a false 9 despite having two players already in between the lines. He binned 1v1 pacy wingers in Sterling and Sane for slower attacking midfielders who don't lose the ball in Mahrez and Foden. He wants players who mainly walk with the ball instead of those who always want to run with it. Even when City is losing he doesn't want to make substitutes until after the 75th minute because he's worried the team will attack too much with plenty of the game still left to play.

Then there's Xavi who played a 3-2-4-1 against Madrid when they were losing 1-0 in the Super Cup. His front five was Dembele, Fati, LDJ, Ferran, and Abde.

Even now with Barca, he wants his 9 to be a runner, and his wingers to be 1v1 wingers. Although Barca is still a work in progress and doesn't always look too controlled out there, it definitely makes them look more exciting especially when you add in the young core's own exuberance with Xavi's coaching inexperience.

If he ends up being a success at Barca it'll be interesting to see how his coaching style will change over time.

A lot of doubters, not necessarily here, with Xavi and Barca's recent play is the best it's been for quite a while. Early days too. Let's see if it can be sustained

Big victories against the big Spanish teams this season

Doing a wonderful job so far.

impressed

Not being funny but are we really that surprised? Dude was probably the best in game manager I've ever seen plus one of the most intelligent.

To me it would have been more of a surprise if he sucked. Obviously being a good coach is deeper than that but still.

Legit proud

Brendan Rodgers of the La Liga

Certainly has restored Barca style now. RM couldn't do squat after the 1st goal.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:Not being funny but are we really that surprised? Dude was probably the best in game manager I've ever seen plus one of the most intelligent.

To me it would have been more of a surprise if he sucked. Obviously being a good coach is deeper than that but still.

I've been posting his quotes since he retired bro. He had all the right ideas since then. Showed more tactical nous in one sentence than I've ever heard from Fergie's disciples.

Considering he got some Qatari team to play like 2010 Barca it showed he was able to apply his ideas. Even if there were growing pains at the start of his tenure over there.

The question then became whether he'd be supported in the market and if he was good at man managing. Both of those things happened. The team is far from perfect but at least they have their identity back now. My biggest concern with him was if he was obsessed with his philosophy. Would that mean him bringing on an extra midfielder when needing a goal? That was quickly dispelled. He has no problem lumping balls into the box for someone like Luuk De Jong.

Agreed. I'd say he's actually more mature as a coach compared to when Pep started coaching.

This man needs all the credit he's getting.

Even if Madrid are dreadful. Even if Carlo is not up to the task.

When you dominate Madrid in such a brutal way on their own turf, it's proof that you clearly know what you're doing.

I missed the old days when Barça was so good, it forced Florentino to do a major squad overhaul to keep up.

I hope this will be no different.

Congats on an amazing win and for exposing and embarrassing Madrid in their own City.

Suddenly koeman is gone and sun is out again. Positioning, movement. Even subtle changes can make a difference, always make sure that the receiver of the ball has 2 passing options every time to keep the ball flowing. So simple yet so satisfying

didn't watch the game, but i've been keeping up with highlights here and there. Happy for him, i echo what Mole said, he was such a smart player so it really shouldn't come as a surprise.

I have a new friend who hates Barca and the style of football they played during their dominant era, but i just told him a few nights ago Xavi is doing things a bit different (because he kinda has to adapt to what is the best kind of football in the world atm) on top of the possession-based style of football.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:Not being funny but are we really that surprised? Dude was probably the best in game manager I've ever seen plus one of the most intelligent.

To me it would have been more of a surprise if he sucked. Obviously being a good coach is deeper than that but still.

If he turned out a genuine top manager it would be surprising already only for the fact that those are so rare.