Xavi (Spanish Lego Pep) | Manager watch

That's an odd pick

In the last Sir Alex team Rio has had a lot of the spirit of the club about him in my opinion. He clearly loves the club, he's a massive fan, he was extremely passionate and is one of our greatest ever CB's and was a mainstay during one of our best ever periods. In that last great Sir Alex era, outside of Giggs and Scholes, Rio, Evra and Rooney embodied the spirit of the club more than most of the other players that were around then.

Giggs and Scholes would have been too easy a choice to mention.
 
From what I understand from the sources close to the club, the reason for the showing up early is so that Xavi can have more individual 1-on-1 time with players prior to the group practice starting and was something that Guardiola insisted on in his time there. It's obviously something he implemented at Al-Sadd, to some effect.
But that doesn't answer the point berbatrick brought up, and why those rules are idiotic. If training time is 10am, and everyone has to "arrive 90mns early to practice", you're just effectively saying the meeting time is 8h30. It sounds like a rule out of the David Brent school of management.
 
But that doesn't answer the point berbatrick brought up, and why those rules are idiotic. If training time is 10am, and everyone has to "arrive 90mns early to practice", you're just effectively saying the meeting time is 8h30. It sounds like a rule out of the David Brent school of management.

So, perhaps Xavi is saying to the players that meeting time is at 8:30? Just because an infographic states "arrive 90 mins early to practice", doesn't mean that is precisely how Xavi is verbalising it to his players. It's no doubt unhelpful to take the '10 rules' phraseology verbatim.

Who is to say that Xavi isn't saying, "training is at 10am as normal, but, I want you there from 8:30am for team general meeting."?
 
I hate unclear rules. Just say "the training will start exactly at 10 am", meaning I should be there 30 minutes earlier (parking the car, dressing up for training, etc.).

Some players will arrive at 9.30, others at 8.42, etc., unless there is an official meeting at 8.30.
 
So, perhaps Xavi is saying to the players that meeting time is at 8:30? Just because an infographic states "arrive 90 mins early to practice", doesn't mean that is precisely how Xavi is verbalising it to his players. It's no doubt unhelpful to take the '10 rules' phraseology verbatim.

Who is to say that Xavi isn't saying, "training is at 10am as normal, but, I want you there from 8:30am for team general meeting."?
The document that was released? :lol:

I mean I don't really care, but it just comes across as really stupid to set a time for practice and request as a rule that people should be there earlier. It's not earlier if it's a rule for all, I was just agreeing with @berbatrick's initial message
 
I mean 1 and 2 are stupid but “7. Meritocracy” is personally my favourite. :lol:
 
The document that was released? :lol:

I mean I don't really care, but it just comes across as really stupid to set a time for practice and request as a rule that people should be there earlier. It's not earlier if it's a rule for all, I was just agreeing with @berbatrick's initial message

I don't think that a document was released, it's seems that it's a discovery from AS.
 
I don't think that a document was released, it's seems that it's a discovery from AS.

That's the confusion. Xavi's "rules" aren't official, nor should they be analysed verbatim since it's likely an interpretation of a journalist and not a leak of a document from the club internally.

Plus, it's important to know that any critique of any of the "rules" would also be a retrospective critique against Guardiola and Luis Enrique since every principle in that list was already in place during Xavi's time playing under both of those managers. What Xavi is doing is restoring pre-existing standards during Barca's most successful period under Pep and Enrique, not creating new ones.

Steve Nicol said it was silly, but it wasn't silly under Guardiola and Luis Enrique, so, why is it different now? It's just a winning mentality.
 
Note that these are not Xavi's 10 Rules, but the same rules that were already in place at Barca from Pep and all the way through until Luis Enrique left. After Enrique left, Valverde did away with them.

gsq4omscwny71.jpg

Like Ole :lol:
 
They probably do have written rules very similar to the leak.

I remember Lampards Chelsea rules and fines got leaked. Draconian :lol:!
 
At least 7 of those 10 rules are things I'd expect at any top side.
 
3-10 just seem like.... normal elite club rules? When they disappear seemingly so does the clubs success. Forget elite, I'd expect those kind of rules in the Championship at this point, maybe even lower.

1-2 is essentially changing the start time without technically changing it, so hardly a rule.
 
At least 7 of those 10 rules are things I'd expect at any top side.


After leaving L. Enrique the players took over the dressing room. And the club's managers didn't even dare to tell them anything. Cowards without ethics and morals. And so they began to train fewer days, less time, less intensity, nor was there punctuality, they ate what they wanted, they did not rest as required to be a football professional and so the decline began.
 
3-10 just seem like.... normal elite club rules? When they disappear seemingly so does the clubs success. Forget elite, I'd expect those kind of rules in the Championship at this point, maybe even lower.

1-2 is essentially changing the start time without technically changing it, so hardly a rule.

Before the players arrived 20 minutes before starting to train, now Xavi sends to be 90 minutes, among other things to have breakfast together, control the food, make group and prepare things
 
Resigned Dani Alves.

Hell Xavi should come out of retirement and play for a season or two. I don't think he would be that bad in this current team.
 
But that doesn't answer the point berbatrick brought up, and why those rules are idiotic. If training time is 10am, and everyone has to "arrive 90mns early to practice", you're just effectively saying the meeting time is 8h30. It sounds like a rule out of the David Brent school of management.

This is what Aguero said

“At City we arrived an hour and a half before training and here (Barcelona) half an hour before,” he said. “I said, well, I’ll come in at least an hour before and try and go to the gym or do some things, but nobody was there, it was all shut, dammit.”

I don’t know if this is just a Pep thing but this seem to be a staple at all the clubs he’s been at. It seems Xavi knows the benefits of this and wants the same rule applied.
 
Resigned Dani Alves.

Hell Xavi should come out of retirement and play for a season or two. I don't think he would be that bad in this current team.

Iniesta return announcement imminent. Btw, what's David Villa doing these days?
 
Imagine your employer telling you the working hours are 9-5, but you have to start at 7.30 and finish at 6.
 
Take 7 and 8 off the list and don't specify the 90 mins and 2h bits in 1 and 2 and it's a good list. Even monitoring off field stuff is something a good manager would do but it shouldn't be some sort of weird snooping network. When it's someone like Fergie doing it you know it's well intentioned, if it's someone paid to do it it's a bit fecking creepy.
 
Used to hate having to stay behind an hour after the store closed when i worked at Currys and JD Sports; to do 'standards'. They justified it by giving us an hour paid lunch break!
These players are on tens of thousands of Euros, and have been shite all season, reckon the employer has a right to instil a certain expected standard ironically.
 
Just sounds like practice field at 10 but he wants them there well before that for the other crap they have to do. Team meetings, video/data analysis, massage, chats with coaches/physios, getting changed time, commercial activities, maybe even breakfast together for team bonding/to make sure everyone is eating right.
 
He’s going to rack up more fines than minutes on the pitch
 
He’s going to rack up more fines than minutes on the pitch

:lol: Honestly, I like Dembele. When he’s healthy I think he’s really good for us. However, I can’t think of any other player whose club had to talk to him privately about cutting down on playing Mario Kart till 5 am every night.
 
Used to hate having to stay behind an hour after the store closed when i worked at Currys and JD Sports; to do 'standards'. They justified it by giving us an hour paid lunch break!
These players are on tens of thousands of Euros, and have been shite all season, reckon the employer has a right to instil a certain expected standard ironically.
Sounds like poor management. Your work shifts should be scheduled accordingly to cover the hour after closing. When I worked retail, the closing shifts were the best. We cranked up the speakers and played music from our phones.
 
Agree that top4 is minimum requirements to keep his job next year. Not that tricky, you can organize them better. It's not that other teams with the exception of Atlético and Real have it much better.

Barca are 10 points behind Sevilla and 11 behind Sociedad (1 game in hand) with 26 matches to go, so if those teams stay at their current rates that means Barca need about 80-82 points to sneak 4th, which is 63 points in 26 games. That's a 92 point pace. I think that's asking a bit much.

Europa league will be a humiliation for them next year, but if they end the season on 75 points that's still an 83 point pace which I feel like should be enough for him to keep the job if they play good Barca 4-3-3 football and he can make the case that they desperately need a RB, a replacement for Busquets, a replacement for Pique and a RW to compete with Dembele (though they can play Pedri-Memphis-Fati too).

Then a short leash next year, sure, but unless one of Sociedad or Sevilla drop off, it really is a lot to ask that he suddenly turns them into a 90+ point team, particularly if Fati misses any time at all.
 
Imagine your employer telling you the working hours are 9-5, but you have to start at 7.30 and finish at 6.


Well, if the additional 2.5 hours consist of breakfast, free massages and all that stuff, I think I'd be fine with it ;) Especially if I am paid millions for it and the employer basically looks after everything in my daily routine, like household, cooking etc.
 
Well, if the additional 2.5 hours consist of breakfast, free massages and all that stuff, I think I'd be fine with it ;) Especially if I am paid millions for it and the employer basically looks after everything in my daily routine, like household, cooking etc.

In which case I’d rather they’d not beat around the bush and just tell me my hours are 7.30 - 6.
 
In which case I’d rather they’d not beat around the bush and just tell me my hours are 7.30 - 6.

Keep in mind that AS mentioned the training session hour, the infographic is a bit misleading because it insinuates that players are generally only expected to be at the training ground for training session hours which is completely wrong. I suspect that it was on purpose by both AS and ESPN who wanted to create a bit of a talk around that "news".

I wouldn't be surprised if the actual schedule is for example 8.30 at the training ground and training session at 10.
 
But that doesn't answer the point berbatrick brought up, and why those rules are idiotic. If training time is 10am, and everyone has to "arrive 90mns early to practice", you're just effectively saying the meeting time is 8h30. It sounds like a rule out of the David Brent school of management.
It’s fairly straightforward in my opinion, the extra hour is to ensure everyone is absolutely ready to start work from the official time, not changing into their kit; messing about, doing their hair etc. they can get ready, eat some breakfast, catch up with each other and then ready to start on time.
 
In which case I’d rather they’d not beat around the bush and just tell me my hours are 7.30 - 6.

I doubt they're told anything like that at all. Footballers aren't regular employees and their job is hardly comparable.
 
Eh? They’re not told what time to show up for training? They just arrive when they sense the sun is rising, then?
 
Think a ban on sleeve tattoos could backfire if he ever implements one.
 
Don't see all the fuss. Coaches are always the first to arrive and the last to leave. Showing up at least 2 hours before training at that level is necessary.

As for the players, I assume they know they are expected in at a certain time, they have at least 90 mins for breakfast, fix their hair, take a shit, put on some kit and get out on the pitch.

Anyone who's ever played football knows that when training starts at a certain time that means you are on the pitch ready to go and not only showing up at that time. If you're gettimg paid millions every year to play football the very least you can do is be ready to go on time.