Xavi facing early criticism is premature and counterproductive given Barca's situation
Xavi could not escape criticism and the elimination from the Champions League is fertile ground for doubts to flourish, often expressed by the 'Bartomeu-Rosell' wing of Barcelona president Joan Laporta. However, the Blaugrana coach is not a miracle worker, even with such a summer recruitment. Success is not instantaneous and this latest setback as they drop into the Europa League proves that it is not just a matter of signing big names to win
A decimated defence, a mindset to recover
Barcelona's record at the start of the season has been good. In 11 La Liga matches, they have 9 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat, 28 points, 28 goals scored (tied for best attack with Real Madrid) and 4 conceded (best defence). It is even the best from a statistical point of view since 2017, a time when Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were still scoring every weekend. After the defeat in the Clasico (3-1), the Cules crushed Villarreal (3-0) and Athletic (4-0) at the Camp Nou, and remain three points behind the Casa Blanca.
In the Champions League, there have been inconsistencies, especially when the defence has been decimated and Xavi has to tinker. It would be unfair to forget about the injuries to Jules Kounde for three weeks, Hector Bellerín for a month, Andreas Christensen for three weeks and Ronald Araujo, who will only be able to don the Barca shirt again after the World Cup.
The consequences have been enormous. Alex Balde played at right-back to leave Jordi Alba on the left, Sergi Roberto came back to the team, but realistically, he can only be a substitute at the highest level. And that's without mentioning Gerard Pique, who was the sixth choice after Marcos Alonso was used as a centre-back. His performance against Inter Milan was probably one of the worst games of his career.
The problem lies mainly in the youth of the team. When the tension rises, the young players aren't currently able to shift the relentless momentum and resist and find the resources to get through without damage. In Munich, after a great first half against Bayern Munich, they didn't recover from the penalty that was not given to Ousmane Dembele.
In Milan against Inter, they did not find the physical and mental resources to thwart the Nerazzurri plans in midfield. In the return leg, they were unable to maintain their level for 90 minutes. Barça simply do not inspire fear anymore, and when there is no fear, opponents have fewer complications to deal with.
Excessive expectations on all sides
Xavi is not only under pressure from the fans, who demand everything immediately, but his higher-ups have also set the bar very high, mainly for economic reasons. The board lacked discernment as they budgeted for a Champions League quarter-final.
It will be necessary to compensate for this elimination. But given the Europa League field and the route of eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt last season, the €8.5m promised to the finalists is unsatisfactory. The club is expected to announce the arrival of a sponsor to sit on the sleeve of their shirt in the near future. A rumour in Catalonia has mentioned a crypto-currency brand, although Laporta himself did not want to talk about it recently. But the current situation prevents any procrastination.
Xavi is thus being pushed around from both sides. Perhaps he is paying for a poorly planned recruitment. The signing of Ferran Torres for €55m last winter probably facilitated Pedri's extension, with both players sharing the same representatives. The signing of Raphinha for a prohibitive fee (€48m + 12m in bonuses) in such a context seems superfluous, but the influence of Deco - an ex-Blaugrana player turned agent - weighed heavy.
Urgency where there is none
It would be premature to remove Xavi from the bench. It is a good thing that he is the guarantor of a model that has long been overlooked, with Messi often masking his tactical failings with genius. On the other hand, it would be good to remember that 11 months ago, he took over a lost team in mid-table, which had also fallen through in the Champions League and was looking up at the teams above them in La Liga. Finishing second in the league was far from a given at that time, given the forces at work.
At present, "El Pelopo" has to find the right balance. Is the presence of two wingers necessary? When Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Gavi lined up together, Athletic sank in their half, overwhelmed by the tactical flexibility that could be implemented. Less imbalance, but more control with an extra inside man rather than a pure out-and-out winger. Time will tell if this is the path that the coach wants to take.
Finally, can Joan Laporta afford to be wrong? He may have mocked his rival Víctor Font, who was the first to campaign for Xavi's arrival, but the president did make the bold move to revive the Blaugrana game. And even if he were to be sacked, who would be cut out to fit the mould and at what price? Time does not exist in football, even for a legend like Xavi. But to judge him so quickly, after so many sporting disappointments and financial problems, would be a mistake. Reconstruction is not achieved in a few weeks and it is not by changing the architect every year that the work will happen faster.
