He’ll hit a bad blip with his young team and free transfer army and will be lucky to see the season out. Hopefully he survives and we get to see what he’s actually like when he has some money behind him. Great choice to develop their youngsters though.
Xavi (Spanish Lego Pep) | Manager watch
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Can't wait for people arguing in 10 years how success was guaranteed for Xavi because he had all this talent waiting to be utilized at Barcelona
Paul Ince would be proudHe's OK but the bar is pretty low at Barcelona regarding defenders.
Also, Pedri is not a La Masia graduate.
it is the perfect time and situation for him to join barca. I fully expect him to do well
And how he cant win CL if he isn't in Barcelona.
It won't end well.
Let’s go through this process once again:
- Xavi is appointed as Barca's new coach
- Xavi proceeds to win 3 games +-
- Comments start. “Taka tiki is back” “Xavi has revolutionized Barca” “Spanish Cryuff”
- “Don’t blame Xavi guys, we’re missing Messi, it’s unfair to blame Xavi” “We never expected a revolution in 3 months”
- “Xavi Out!” “Xavi is a total flop guys, we should’ve hired a more experienced manager”
- Xavi slander will continue for 6 more months
- Xavi finally gets fired in 12 months
For what it's worth, I think he'll do well.
They're as stupid as we are. Ten Haag is the obvious choice and a guarantee of success while playing the Barca way and instead they hire a club legend who has achieved nothing as a manager. Ridiculous really.
They have no money, why would Ten Hag go to Barca now? And even if he'd agree, they can't afford to buy him out of his Ajex contract.
They are in a different situation to United and kinda need a club legend to come on board during this shitty period, because I don't think many managers would want the gig, it's something of a hiding to nothing. The hope will be that Xavi can calm the waters, get them 4th, and most importantly will grant the club time and vice versa.
PE Teache.r (i liked what happened)
PE Teacher
PE Teacher
It really is incredible, isn't it? Barcelona are in much the same situation as we've been - not financially and such, but in terms of a huge club now floundering and trying to rebuild - and they do the exact same thing. Maybe they hope that Xavi will pull a Zidane, but when he took over at Real Madrid, he had already been working at the club as an assistant coach for years. Xavi will be going in blind and almost no one who was there when he played will be there anymore. I have no notion how he did in Qatar, but at the risk of being crude, I think it's fair to say that it probably didn't teach him much that will be applicable to a club like Barcelona. Given their current turmoil, it seems clear that they needed an experienced manager.
Or maybe they're convinced Xavi knows what he's doing. Not every ex player is a bad coach, the same way not every ex player is a good coach. So far Xavi shows many signs of being tactically very adept, having a clear philosophy, etc. All the things Solskjaer is lacking.
Well that clears the path for Utd to go for Ten Hag if Xavi goes to Barcelona.
But knowing our board, they probably hear Ten Hag and think it’s some company they can get commercial sponsorship deals from.
But knowing our board, they probably hear Ten Hag and think it’s some company they can get commercial sponsorship deals from.
Don't really much similarities with Pep's squad in 08 when he came into be honest...assuming that is the point of this post? Not knocking anything about his achievements but two very different scenarios.
Key players in 07/08 were (in order of mins played): Valdes (25), Xavi (27), Iniesta (23), Puyol (29), Abidal (27), Milito (26), Henry (29), Zambrotta (30), Toure (24), Messi (20), Marquez (28), Eto'o (26), Krkic(16), Thuram (35), Deco (29)
Key players in 08/09 were (in order of mins played): Alves (25), Valdes (26), Xavi (28), Eto'o(27), Pique (21), Messi(21), Puyol (30), Toure (25), Iniesta (24), Henry (30), Marquez (29), Busquets (19), Keita (28), Abidal (28), Sylvinho (34)
Pep's core was inherited establish mid twenties/older players who were deemed elite (Valdes, Xavi, Eto'o, Puyol, Toure, Iniesta, Henry, Marquez, Abidal, Sylvinho) & established bigger money signings (Alves & Keita), plus Messi getting more mins and Pique (who was highly rated but they stole from us
) and Busquets. Essentially 3 highly rated youngsters joining an established team, the core of which had won the CL 2 season previously.Xavi will be coming into this...
Depay (27), Busquets (33), Ter Stegen (29), Dest (21), DeJong (24), Pique (34), Garcia (20), Alba (32), Gavi (17), Araujo (22), Mingueza 922), Roberto (29), Coutinho (29), Gonzalez (19), de Jong (31), Fati (19), Pedri (18)
Of those there is what 1 (?) world class player in Ter Stegen, some might argue De Jong is or will be (the good De Jong!), 3 old veterans of the glory years (Busquets, Pique and Alba who are near enough retired) a few good but not great players like Coutinho, Depay, Roberto and then an absolute avalanche of highly rated youngsters. If he can achieve anything near what Pep did in 10 years, given we assume they won't have money to go buy massive names, it will have been unlike anything we've seen before (LVG at Ajax, class of 92 maybe?) because it's essentially, no exaggeration, an entire outfield team coming through between the ages of 16-22.
Barcelona rarely hire high profile managers, their MO is to hire a former player or someone that has a link to the way Cruijff imagined ideal Football. And ten Hag isn't moving in the middle of the season, the guy extended his contract after rejecting teams with summer.
When you say so far, assume you see his team play regularly?
nope
So how would you have the slightest clue that Xavi is better than Ole?
They have a better midfield than us- De Jong, Pedro, Gavi, Biscuits and Puig are excellent options.
They have a better keeper than us.
They have a comparable defence to us.
And while they are a bit light up top, Dembele, Fati, Kun, Depay and Coutinho are all top players with the right guidance (and luck with injuries)
For all the doom and gloom surrounding them, a top coach could definitely work with what they have to mount a title challenge. Similar to us really.
Their midfield (albeit inexperienced) and GK are good but their defenders are absolute garbage.
Araujo is their only good CB. The others are shite. Dest is shite and Alba and Pique are finished.
Dembele is a croc, Kun is finished, hasnt played consistently for more than a year and was mostly bought for his buddy Messi. All they have is Memphis and Fati.
Title challenge my black arse. Conte would struggle to get them top 4.
A bit light up top is generous to say the least, and how the feck is Depay a top player? How are Coutinho and Dembele despite being utter shite for years?
Is Mata still a top player in your eyes?
Their defence is absolute trash, no idea where you’re getting that from. And most importantly, the new manager will have no budget at all to work with in Jan or the Summer.
They have plenty to piss top 4, but where a new manager takes them from there with no money I have no clue. Hence why Ten Hag will have steered well clear, it’s a job for later in his career once they are in better shape financially.
he has a clear idea how he wants his team play in Al-Sadd. he will be a success in Barca. First couple season focusing on developing the young players and build the foundation.
They don't believe in building. The fans are super entitled expecting a title challenge and trophies every season and the club's president has to go along with that narrative to get reelected.
It will be an entertaining watch from a neutral's perspective. I'll enjoy both a shitshow and a good Tiki taka team with youngsters.
1000 passes per game Barca is soon back
I reckon he’s going to do very well.
What’s the chances of Barca ending up in their own club legend managerial nightmare?
He's not like Ole. He has a clear style and defined way he wants his teams to play. I can see him doing fine there. The only problem would be if the Barca board are not patient enough to see the results because Barca at the moment are a mess. It'll take time to get things in order.
xavi is beating loads of qatari teams and winning stuff year on year. ole has consistently finished behind the only, single qatari side he has to face, year in year out.
I have no idea if he is better than Ole, and how to measure "better".
I know they are just youtube video, but they still give you some idea his team's playing style.
He’s going to do good, I believe that.
I watch Al Sadd because of Andre Ayew (I’m Ghanaian) and he has them playing some great football for a club like Al Sadd, they play like prime Barcelona in their league.
Not saying he will make this current Barcelona squad world class but I believe he could.
I watch Al Sadd because of Andre Ayew (I’m Ghanaian) and he has them playing some great football for a club like Al Sadd, they play like prime Barcelona in their league.
Not saying he will make this current Barcelona squad world class but I believe he could.
Is he crying? He looks very Sadd to be leaving them.
They're Al Sadd to be fair.