Following a demoralizing 4-1 loss to Actual Madrid within the Spanish Tremendous Cup ultimate on Sunday, Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez may very well be on the rocks. The membership legend is dropping help within the locker room, according to ESPN. Already eight factors off the tempo of Girona atop La Liga, the Copa Del Rey and Champions League may very well be Barcelona’s solely routes to success on this season however with poor ends in every massive sport that they’ve performed this season, it is laborious to have religion that Barca will flip issues round when it issues as they face the chance of a trophy-less season.
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Accidents have been a difficulty as goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is sidelined alongside Gavi, Marcos Alonso, Raphinha, Inigo Martinez, and Joao Cancelo, however a lot of the outcomes level to the protection. Regardless of solely enjoying 19 video games this season, Barcelona have already allowed two extra objectives than they did all of final season in La Liga. Defensive regression is anticipated after a historic season however when that additionally comes with Barcelona underperforming their workforce anticipated objectives of 43.89 by solely scoring 36 objectives this season, that is how the autumn can change into so drastic virtually in a single day.
Relying primarily on youth, curler coaster performances may be anticipated however that is the place Xavi has to steer the workforce in the correct route particularly having gone by this as a Barcelona legend on the pitch himself. Following the Spanish Tremendous Cup ultimate versus Actual Madrid, Xavi mentioned the match that he gave his harshest ever half time discuss but it surely wasn’t sufficient to show across the match regardless of Barcelona’s enchancment in place.
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Sporting director Deco has come out in help of Xavi following the match stating that it would not make sense to query Xavi’s future as he is below contract till 2025 and in addition retains the membership’s help. However there is a sure kiss of dying that comes with a membership’s director needing to reply these questions. It is much like the state of affairs of Jose Mourinho’s sacking at Roma the place whereas it was a shock, Roma’s underlying metrics confirmed that the workforce ought to’ve been performing higher. Let’s take a look at the place it has gone mistaken for Barcelona:
Ending hasn’t been there
In years previous, if Barcelona scored a number of objectives, victory was virtually assured. This season, it hasn’t been the case. Taking a look at their prime 5 xG performances this season, three of these matches did not see Barcelona safe all three factors with a loss to Girona and attracts to Granada and Valencia. Every match noticed a special member of the entrance three together with Robert Lewandowski, Joao Felix, and Raphinha fail to take their possibilities. When it comes all the way down to totally different gamers like that, it is a systemic situation not one in relation to only the underperformance of a person.
Lewandowski has been somebody known as out for not hitting the highs that we’re used to seeing from him however he additionally has 9 objectives and 5 assists in La Liga and Champions League play. He is underperforming his purpose output however he is additionally overperforming his 1.73 xG so it balances out to be a fairly customary season for the Polish striker. It is s comparable story for Felix and Raphinha who wen assists are included are the place they must be however in relation to the depth gamers who make Barcelona tick, that is the place the struggles may be seen.
Fermin Lopez (two objectives from 4.15 xG), Lamine Yamal (one purpose from 3.37 xG), and Ilkay Gundogan (three objectives from 4.53 xG) are all underperforming their xG with out elevating the extent of the workforce by offering extra assists. In the case of Gundogan as a deep-lying midfielder, outdoors of penalties, he should not be capturing as a lot as he has been and that is additionally the place Barcelona’s reliance on youth begins to indicate. Each are 21 years previous or youthful and wish extra expertise to develop as finishers. With Barcelona’s monetary struggles, they’ve needed to depend on a lower than best squad and when issues aren’t performing precisely as anticipated, the holes within the squad start to indicate.
Not maintaining tempo with the title contenders
Dropping 4-1 in an El Clasico is unhealthy however permitting a primary half hat trick to Vinicius Junior may very well be sufficient to get most Barcelona managers fired, particularly when Barcelona additionally misplaced to Actual Madrid within the league in October. Add that to a 4-2 loss to Girona the place regardless of ripping off 31 photographs Barcelona solely scored two objectives, they simply have not been ok towards the highest groups which is a priority heading into the final 16 of Champions League. Already dropping to Royal Antwerp and Shakhtar Donetsk within the group stage, a tie with Napoli within the spherical of 16 will not be a simple activity. Getting knocked out by the hands of the struggling Italian facet is probably not sufficient to maneuver on from Xavi this season however it can add one other query to if he may be the supervisor to really deliver glory again to Barcelona.
