The first time is attributed to chance. The second can be considered a specific accident. But when there is a third occasion it shows a dynamic. And, what is worse, he speaks and exposes some shortcomings. Hamburg, we have a problem.
Like the astronauts of Apollo XIII, Barcelona is in trouble and knows it. It's a delicate moment. So, the big priority was to bring the men who were on the moon alive. And decisions were made to achieve it successfully. It is up to Xavi to get to work to bring the season's mission to fruition.
“We are in a low moment of play, in a bad moment. We have played one of the worst games that I remember in these two years,” said the coach, who is experiencing a bitter second anniversary of his arrival on the Barça bench. Because his project is not moving forward. Far from having fun and having fun, he suffers. Fragile in defense and inert in attack, Real Sociedad, which has been under Imanol's orders for years, took the lead, and Shakhtar, where Pusic has been in charge for three weeks, surpassed him to the fullest extent of the law.
“It is a very clear step backwards. The Champions League demands the highest level and today we have not given it. We are angry,” the Terrassa coach said honestly. “It is very inopportune because we could qualify for the round of 16. “It is a lost opportunity, a very big mistake on our part,” he added, hurt.
Xavi needs a change of direction. The first year the great reaction came with the winter market and the reinforcements, especially from Aubameyang and Ferran Torres. Last season, the coach hit the key with the false winger as the fourth midfielder. Now he wanted to be more offensive and, with João Félix and the emergence of Lamine Yamal, return to both extremes but the team does not take off. The nine games without De Jong have felt long, it is taking forever. Barça is no longer recognizable.
And it's not intimidating either. And he won't do it if his forwards play like they did in Hamburg. Only one shot on goal, which had not happened since a year ago when Bayern won at the Camp Nou (0-3). Between the top three, they lost 29 balls in the first half with poor reading of the plays and lack of precision. Special mention for Raphinha, who lost 13 of the 30 balls he touched. While Lewandowski has gone 6 games (334 minutes) without scoring. In three games only Gündogan, a midfielder, and Araújo, a defender, have scored.
“It is my moment as a coach, to recover people and give them confidence. We are in a rut. Recently we were playing soccer well. We have to meet again,” he prescribed. Barça needs solutions to its problems.
