A run of underwhelming performances has led to some fans to call for the coach's head, with crucial fixtures to come after the international break
After Barcelona's 2-1 win over Alaves on Sunday, Xavi immediately had to defend himself. His team, not for this first time in recent weeks, leaned on individual excellence to redeem a dour performance. This time around, it was Robert Lewandowski who saved face for the Blaugrana, but the striker's second-half double did little to hide the fact that Barca, once again, had been poor.
This has now become an annual tradition for Xavi. Just over a year into his Barca tenure, the boss faced similar questions. At that time, the Blaugrana were slumping in the Champions League and had suffered a demoralising Clasico loss, leading to some tough questions. Could this club legend, without top-class managerial experience, really handle the job?
Of course, Xavi survived — but only after publicly admitting that he would understand if Barca sacked him. A Liga trophy followed eight months later, one that restored winning ways but papered over some clear cracks in his side. Yes, Barca were good enough defensively to win the league, but their attacking quality was lacking. This was not the La Masia-bred, Cruyffian, Pep Guardiola football that Xavi had promised. This was a Jose Mourinho-esque side that grinded out results.
One year on, and while the situations are somewhat similar, things have also changed. On the field, the same defensive unit that carried the Blaugrana to the league title is markedly worse. At the other end, the litany of big-name signings that were supposed to make Barca an attacking force haven't really had the desired effect. They are third in La Liga, but if a surging Atletico Madrid can win their game in hand, the Blaugrana will slip down to fourth.
The press has, inevitably, snatched onto the narrative, and the usually calm manager took the bait after Sunday's victory, proclaiming that his players are feeling the pressure of an overeager local media — a remark that only fuelled the flames of scepticism.
And so just past his two-year anniversary in the job, Xavi finds himself under the spotlight again. But with a crucial run of games to come almost immediately after the international break, he must find the answers quickly to ensure Barca's season – and his future – isn't defined before the turn of the year.
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Unfair criticism
The term Xavi used to describe the recent coverage of his team was "not fair" following the Alaves win. He said that his side was "more tense than normal", and admitted that they weren't "at their best." It was his job, Xavi conceded, to turn things around, revive the mood, and inspire a comeback win, but the manager also claimed that he wouldn't have to if those covering the team wer more positive.
"Without doubt what the media say affects how the team plays," he said. "The [media] create situations and scenarios that, for me, are not real. And it affects, without any doubt, the team."
Stories and opinions around Barcelona are nothing new. Xavi himself admitted that media scrutiny affected him as a player, and set expectations for the of great teams he played in. It has, however, only grown in intensity in recent years.
Barca have borne the brunt of criticism from Spanish media, in particular, for their enumerate controversies off the pitch. Club president Joan Laporta's obsession with so-called "levers" to revive their fledgling finances, the ongoing investigation into their payments of a high-ranking refereeing official, and their inability to register academy products to first-team contracts have all added to what is already a frenzy for press both local and afar. His youngsters, Xavi admitted, were struggling with all of the scrutiny.
And in a sense, Xavi has a point here. Sixteen-year-old Lamine Yamal still goes to school, while 19-year-old Gavi only just learned how to drive. Fermin Lopez, practically ancient at 20, has only made five La Liga starts. But this is also Barcelona, and this is a manager who should know not only what the media pressures are, but also how to control them.
Xavi cannot snatch his players' phones away, or censor what they hear on the street. But he can control what comes out of his own mouth. Calling out members of the press who don't need any excuses to heighten their criticism has only increased the scrutiny on him and his team.
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Injury impact
Xavi is correct, though, in his summation that there are real reasons for the Blaugrana's struggles. In the same interview, he referred to "injuries and players coming back." Certainly, the manager cannot be blamed for how crowded his medical room has become in 2023-24.
At various points this season, Barca have been without the following players: Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, Pedri, Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ronald Araujo. Gavi was also suspended for Sunday night's fixture. No team, regardless of quality, competition or level of self-inflicted media scrutiny, can survive without six players who would undoubtedly make the first XI every week when fit.
And the manager himself, despite having depth at his disposal, hasn't found it easy to work those injured legs back into the team. Lewandowski was thrust back into action too early, and failed to find the net for six straight games after coming back from an ankle ailment. Pedri has been chucked into three consecutive midfield battles, and admitted himself that he isn't fully fit — even agreeing to sit out Spain's final Euro 2024 qualifiers.
The same goes for Kounde — a slight centre-back on the best of days — who was pushed around so badly in his return that he was forced to switch positions with right-back Araujo. Raphinha, meanwhile, has produced all of his signature moves — pretty dribbles, sharp cuts and angled passes — but is yet to score or assist since returning from injury in late October.
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Mistakes creeping in
One thing the injuries of those players cannot account for, though, is the form of the rest of Xavi's squad, and particularly those new faces who arrived during the summer.
A lot of Barcelona's transfer business was centred on experience. Oriol Romeu and Ilkay Gundogan, both brought in on cut-rate deals, are north of 30. Joao Cancelo, signed on loan, has won the Premier League three times. Joao Felix, although just 24, has played over 210 top-flight football matches, and certainly learned about dysfunction after spending four months at Chelsea at the start of 2023.
Those big names haven't lived up to the billing yet. Romeu enjoyed a few solid weeks when Barca played weaker teams, but has since been budged out of the line-up. Felix, after starting his Catalan career with three goals in three games, hasn't scored since mid-September. Cancelo has also failed to build on the praise heaped on him in the early goings of the campaign.
Last year's star performers have seen a drop, too. Alejandro Balde, once good enough to send Jordi Alba off to the Miami sun, hasn't been named to the most recent Spain squad. Marc-Andre ter Stegen is conceding at double the rate of last season. Lewandowski has experienced two goal droughts of at least five games. Perhaps only Gavi, who has plugged holes all over the midfield, can claim to have improved – even if he remains a walking yellow card.
And then there have been the mistakes. There were three that allowed Granada to take a 1-0 lead within 17 seconds last month. First, Andreas Christensen played the ball to a surrounded Gavi. Four seconds later, he stepped too early to make a tackle, and allowed Bryan Zaragoza to take up possession. The winger then fired a shot at goal that Ter Stegen of last year would have comfortably saved, but instead it found the back of the net. Gundogan got involved in the trend last weekend, first losing the ball in the centre circle, then failing to track runners as Alaves swept down the pitch to establish a 1-0 advantage after 18 seconds.
Other errors could have proved costly, too. Kounde made a litany of mistakes against Real Sociedad two weeks ago, and was fortunate to avoid a red card. Had it not been for some loose La Real finishing — and a late Araujo header — the France international would have been largely culpable in a damning loss.
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Time for changes?
Media angst aside, Xavi painted a positive picture following Sunday's win. While he admitted that Barca's disastrous start — going 1-0 down before the majority of their players had touched the ball — could certainly have been avoided, the manager praised his side for their "improvement at times".
Three points are, of course, little cause for complaint. This is a tight league, where every goal could could matter. It really doesn't matter how the wins come — something last year's title-winning side proved — but could the manager be doing anything more to make life easier?
Xavi has proven to be painfully married to his tactical principles. The manager first employed his lop-sided, morphing, Guardiola-lite 4-4-2 in January 2023, and hasn't strayed too far from it since. He still relies too heavily on his advanced midfielder to create, still asks Balde to run through two-on-ones and still can't quite find the right position for Kounde — who perhaps just doesn't fit into this team.
Asking for tactical flexibility, or a change of system, then, seems unrealistic. Instead, Barca will need to 'principle' their way out of this thing. Perhaps Cancelo moves to right-back, instead of being used on the wing? Maybe Yamal will come in for Raphinha full-time? There are personnel tweaks to be made here, but this is not a manager who will overhaul something outright.