The coach’s stats in domestic competition are very impressive, but there’s still plenty of work to be done
Xavi Hernández has had his ups and downs as Barcelona coach since taking over 14 months ago, with failures in European competition and quite a few poor performances in key matches, but the one thing that is undeniable is that Xavi knows how to win La Liga matches.
In fact, the coach had a very dominant 2022 from a strictly statistical perspective.
34 wins and only 4 losses in 43 games is truly impressive, and a clean sheet every other game also shows a remarkable improvement from the Ronald Koeman days. Barça were 9th in the table before Xavi took over last season, but they flirted with the title in 2022 and are top of the table entering 2023.
La Liga isn’t as strong as it used to be, and Barça still don’t play a consistently strong brand of football. But any coach, of any team, in any league, with these kinds of numbers would be given a real chance to build something over several seasons.
But this is Barcelona, and the pressure is big to win every game playing very well. If the dominance over the league doesn’t translate to a title in 2023 and the Europa League performance is once again a disappointment, he won’t be able to make a good enough argument on stats alone.
There is a danger of lowering the bar of expectations based on just how awful 2021 was under Koeman. But this is Barcelona, and huge risk was taken to invest in the squad over the summer. Results are good so far, but the dominance of 2022 was mostly statistical. 2023 needs to come with great football, great wins and trophies. If not, it’s totally okay to question the coach.
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Seven players are facing uncertain futures
Barcelona have seven players who are out of contract in 2023 and therefore able to negotiate with other teams from today.
The most high-profile of course is captain Sergio Busquets. The midfielder’s future remains uncertain and we do not yet know what he will decide to do next.
What we do know is that Barcelona want him to stay. Both Xavi and president Joan Laporta have said as much which suggests there is an offer on table.
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But the big question is whether Busquets wants to continue? He’s already seen Gerard Pique call it a day, has hung up his international boots and has admitted he’s tempted by MLS football.
Sergi Roberto is another player who has admitted he’d like to play in the United States in the future. However, he’s also said he wants to stay at Barcelona for now and claims the coaching staff agree. Another one-year deal looks likely for Roberto.
Two other players look like being handed extensions. Marcos Alonso has been tipped to sign a two-year deal after apparently impressing Xavi since his move from Chelsea in the summer. Back-up goalkeeper Inaki Pena is also thought to be ready to sign on again.
Barcelona also have a decision to make with Arnau Tenas. The 21-year-old is also out of contract and will struggle for game time with both Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Pena ahead of him in the pecking order.
And then there’s Memphis Depay and Hector Bellerin. Memphis has been linked with a January exit but it looks like he’s going to hang tight and walk away on a free at the end of the season.
Bellerin is also likely to join him in leaving Barcelona. The right-back has only started one La Liga game since moving in the summer on a one-year deal and doesn’t seem part of Xavi’s plans despite his lack of options in the position.
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Diario Sport reckon Xavi was left pretty angry after the result and has cancelled a planned day off in favor of an evening training session.
There’s a slightly different story from AS who reckon Xavi had agreed the players could have the day off if they beat Espanyol. The draw means that’s off the table and they must train instead.
Barcelona are heading into a pretty hectic few weeks after finally returning to action after World Cup 2022.
The Catalans play Intercity in midweek in the Copa del Rey, head to Atletico on Sunday in La Liga and then fly out to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup and a game with Betis.
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Barcelona signed off a chaotic 2022 with a chaotic draw against Espanyol, in part thanks to the one and only Mateu Lahoz (more on him later).
It’s a disappointing end to the calendar year for Xavi’s side, who saw their five-game La Liga winning streak ended by their local rivals.
Espanyol also became the first team to score at the Camp Nou in the league this season, with Joselu’s penalty rescuing a point for Diego Martinez’s side.
Lahoz will unfortunately steal all the headlines, but the simple truth was that Barca weren’t good enough for the win, something Xavi admitted after the match.
The good news is that Barca head into 2023 still on top of the table, although they will know they have an awful lot of work to do if they are finish the campaign in first place.
Lahoz steals the show
When Mateu Lahoz was confirmed as the match referee for this fixture I wrote in the newser “let’s just hope it’s the players who take center stage against Espanyol and not Lahoz.”
Unfortunately that wasn’t the case as Lahoz went full Lahoz, setting a new personal record for bookings and turning the game into a bit of a farce.
Mateu Lahoz gave out 14 bookings, three red cards and overturned one of those sendings off during Barcelona vs. Espanyol.
He was the referee who gave out 17 yellow cards during Argentina vs. Netherlands at the World Cup.
“He was giving out cards without any reason,” moaned Xavi after the game and he also blasted the referee for losing control of the match.
Lahoz also came up with a bizarre mid-match hug for Xavi in a fixture that will surely (hopefully?) have ramifications for the controversial match offical.
The ref was sent home from the World Cup after handing out 17 yellow cards in the game between Argentina and the Netherlands. What will happen after his latest disasterclass?
Alonso goes from hero to zero
Marcos Alonso gave Barcelona the perfect start to the game by opening the scoring after just seven minutes. The goal was made in Chelsea as Andreas Christensen headed back across goal for Alonso to nod past goalkeeper Alvaro Fernandez.
The scene was set for Barcelona to go on and win the game but the Catalans missed chances to extend their lead and you always got the feeling that Espanyol might just nick one.
1 - Marcos Alonso is the first FC Barcelona's player to score an concede a penalty both in a same LaLiga game since Ronald Araújo against Getafe in April 2021. Poles. pic.twitter.com/XXmqMQkvVG
Barcelona were undone on 73 minutes when Alonso conceded a penalty, and Joselu stepped up to secure a precious point for Espanyol. It was a pretty soft penalty but with Lahoz around you just knew it would be given.
Alonso blamed the penalty on “bad luck” after the game and he’s got a point.
Yet Barca’s makeshift backline of Sergi Roberto, Christensen, Alonso and Jordi Alba had more than a whiff of vulnerability about it and so it proved.
Barca’s attack misfires
Barcelona did have enough chances to win the game but lacked quality in the final third despite all the talent at Xavi’s disposal.
Robert Lewandowski was twice denied by good saves from Fernadez, and the stopper also did well to keep out Christensen. Lewandowski hadn’t been expecting to play for a while and it showed, while Ansu Fati and Raphinha also really struggled. Again.
21 - FC Barcelona have failed to win a game when thay have attempted 20+ shots in LaLiga 2022/23 (21) for the second time after in the last August v Rayo Vallecano (21). Jam. pic.twitter.com/Kn7tt20Xfr
Xavi sent on Ousmane Dembele and Ferran Torres just after the hour but neither player ever really looked like scoring. A certain amount of rustiness is to be expected given Barca haven’t played competitively together since November but the attack must sharpen up quickly.
Alba ban gives Balde another chance
Jordi Alba made his 300th league appearance against Espanyol but didn’t finish the match as he talked himself into an early bath.
The left-back insisted he was baffled by the decision to send him off, but if the 33-year-old hasn’t yet learned to keep quiet when Lahoz is around then he never will.
300 - Jordi Alba has made his 300th LaLiga game with FC Barcelona (277 as starter). Only 11 players had previously reached this figure with the Catalan team in the competition. Milestone.
Alba’s dismissal means he won’t feature against Atletico Madrid next weekend which is good news for Alejandro Balde. The teenager has been a real highlight of the season for Barca but only came only for the last 10 minutes or so against Espanyol.
Balde will surely start at the Wanda Metropolitano next Sunday and has a chance to force his way back into the team if he can impress against Diego Simeone’s side.
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FC Barcelona 1-1 RCD Espanyol: Tense derby ends all square - FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona have been held to a 1-1 draw in the first game back after the World Cup break. After taking an early lead and dominating Espanyol for over an hour, it was natural to suspect that these were going to be a routine three points for the league leaders.
Sergi Roberto: "Mateu Lahoz forgot Alba already had a yellow card" - SPORT
Sergi Roberto was put forward to make the first comments after Barcelona drew with Espanyol and, of course, Mateu Lahoz was the focus of the questions. The Barça defender said that the Valencian referee had been detrimental in the game, with his continuous interventions and controversial decisions.
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The turn of the year is a time for reflection, and for Barcelona there’s plenty to look back on.
2022 was a true contrast of ups and down as the Xavi era began.
It started with the melodrama of the Ousmane Dembele contract negotiation, and rough results on the pitch highlighted by an early knockout in the Copa del Rey.
Still, there were moments of hope with Barcelona giving Real Madrid a go in the Spanish Supercopa, showing that even while losing, they could put in a performance with the big boys again.
The winter transfer window saved the season, with Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Adama Traore infusing life into the squad, alongside a resurrected Ousmane Dembele.
Barca went on to a comfortable second place finish in La Liga that included a statement thumping of Real Madrid.
But it was more of an adrenaline shot than a structural fix.
Joan Laporta went big over the summer by bringing in Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, and Raphinha.
This Barcelona team is supposed to win now.
Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images
With the season set to resume, they sit first in La Liga. Fantastic.
But it’s overshadowed by the devastating Champions League knockout.
The pressure is on in 2023.
So time to set some resolutions to focus the minds, and have some goals to shoot for.
First, Xavi needs to win trophies. Multiple trophies.
One of those trophies needs to be La Liga now that European glory is no longer on the menu.
It’s going to be a two-way race between the historic Spanish rivals.
That pressurizes the situation even more. Barcelona will be playing to win as much as they will be playing to make sure Real Madrid loses. We’re talking about dethroning the reigning Spanish and European champions. They cannot be allowed to build a dynasty anew.
Photo by Silvestre Szpylma/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
But early on Barcelona can signal they are up to the task by winning the Spanish Supercopa, and making a serious run in the Copa del Rey and the Europa League. Silverware is silverware, and Barcelona needs to ruthlessly go after all of it again.
Real Madrid and Manchester United will be standing in their way in these competitions. Take them down and claim what’s yours.
A brace of trophies would be a huge success for Xavi so long as one of them is a domestic league title.
In Europe, a run to the finals would be a great gift to the fans after a dreadful capitulation to Frankfurt in the year prior. And the fans can give back to the team by actually showing up at the Camp Nou to support them.
When the new season begins, an essential resolution will be to make it out of the group stage of the Champions League. Apparently this is easier said than done, but there are absolutely no excuses here.
But Barcelona must also have an eye on the future, and the biggest agenda item here is replacing Sergio Busquets, assuming his contract won’t be renewed.
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This year, let’s honor the Barca legend by enjoying his singular genius in his last games with the club, and then giving the best defensive midfielder of all time a proper sendoff.
Time to move on, and it’s up to Xavi to show he has a plan to make it happen smoothly instead of continuing on with Busquets dependence.
Frenkie de Jong is a Barca player of the future, regardless of where you put him in the midfield. Xavi needs to decide how the Dutchman fits into his plans, and prove he can fit alongside the young and exciting Spanish midfield prodigies.
Speaking of being young and talented, this will be the year that Alejandro Balde becomes a star.
Photo by Silvestre Szpylma/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
We all know how difficult it is to find full-backs on the market, so lucky for Barca a homegrown baller has emerged. Xavi needs to seriously continue to cultivate this talent, and count on him against the biggest opponents.
In addition to that, this needs to be the year that Barcelona sees a return on its most expensive investments.
Ferran Torres and Raphinha will be living under intense scrutiny to prove their worth.
Ousmane Dembele will have a chance to silence his haters, and become a leader on the field for a manager who has had his back through thick and thin.
Ansu Fati could become a great feelgood story once again. This time of the comeback variety.
Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images
With Gerard Pique walking off into the sunset, the Barcelona backline of the future begins.
Will the Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo partnership flourish? For me, it’s hell yes. They could be the most dominant and dynamic tandem in Europe.
This could also be the year we finally solve the great challenge of finding a right full-back once and for all.
As hard as it will be to say goodbye to Sergi Roberto, we just have to be strong and do it.
You’ll always have your PSG remontada moment Sergi, and we will always be grateful for that. But the time has come for us to say a fond farewell nonetheless.
Because this club has no choice but to hold itself to the highest standards everywhere.
From the boardroom to the locker room, everyone must get it right, and this team must win now.
Whatever it takes.
The consequences are too high.
Will this be the year that Barcelona makes it back to the top?
Is Xavi the man to lead the way?
Time to get back to work.
Barcelona is back, and every game counts.
Let’s see what they’re made of.
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