The beleaguered Blaugrana boss will need to make major changes if he is to turn his tenure around
Xavi is lucky to be here. Many managers, at clubs of equal or greater stature, would have lost their job by now. Barcelona are third in La Liga, out of the Copa del Rey, and face a tricky round of 16 Champions League tie with Napoli next month. With no clear pathway to silverware, and poor performances on the pitch to boot, it would make sense if Barca were to sack their manager.
But the Blaugrana are reportedly determined to stick with him, eager to let the manager who won them La Liga last season play out the rest of the campaign. It's something of a risk – even if you subscribe to the holy footballing doctrine that 'all managers deserve time and patience'.
There doesn't seem like much to fight for here. Barca are riddled with injuries. Their tactics have gone stale. They are too easy to play against, and don't look particularly fun to play for, either. They would probably be better off with a more skilled tactician at the helm.
Still, despite all of those concerns – and they are all legitimate – there are ways in which this thing can be turned around. But it is time for overhaul and significant change, not for minor tweaks. Xavi must reconsider how this Barca team functions, call upon some key personnel and keep faith in one key ageing player to make sure that the Blaugrana don't waste away for the remainder of the campaign.
Silverware may be all but out of the question, but if Xavi can generate enough momentum, he could at least see out the season. GOAL takes a look at how Xavi could save Barca's season – and his job…
(C)GettyImagesDitch the formation
Xavi received praise for his inventive 4-4-2 formation deployed for the second half of last season. And rightly so, the system made Barca a more compact presence, a team harder to play through, while also keeping them fluid enough in attack. It was the perfectly balanced system to get the most out of an imperfect squad. But that was a year ago, and Barca aren't the same unit. These days, they lack confidence, and miss the influence of Sergio Busquets in the middle.
However, while they're thinner in the middle, they are blessed with more creative talent on either wing. For Xavi, that might mean a switch of system to get the best out of his squad. Perhaps a 4-2-3-1, or even a more classic Cruyff-ian 4-3-3 could make the most out of his attacking talent. Right now, there are a lot of imperfect fits in a system that is looking more flawed by the game. It's time for the manager to switch it up.
AdvertisementGettyStop experimenting with the backline
Barca's biggest strength last season was their ability to keep the ball out of their own net. Yes, Robert Lewandowskiu's goals made a difference, while the influence of Ousmane Dembele can't be ignored. But it was their water-tight rearguard unit that carried them to an admittedly ugly La Liga title.
There was a sense, at the end of the campaign, that the Blaugrana had been lucky. Marc-Andre ter Stegen's league MVP-winning season was a statistical anomaly, while there were certain areas of overperformance all over the pitch.
Still, that fearsome back four of Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen and Alejandro Balde was by some distance the most effective in the league . Yet, curiously, Xavi has been reluctant to put all four on the pitch at the same time in optimal appearances.
Kounde has been swapped with Araujo, likely to keep the former happy. Christensen has been in and out of the line=up. Injuries have been a mitigating factor here and will continue to be with Balde's hamstring tear. But it's time to stop messing around with his side's biggest strength.
Getty ImagesRestore Robert Lewandowski's confidence
Lewandowski had basically won the Pichichi by January last season, the former Bayern Munich man proving in emphatic fashion that he could do it in another league. Since the second half of last campaign, though, Lewandowski looks a different player. He's a languid presence, a player who touches the ball less and doesn't look comfortable when he has it.
Lewandowski still has eight goals to his name in La Liga but that's not enough for a player who will feel he could have doubled that number at this point in the season. Perhaps these are the signs of a player declining. Maybe those "LewanWASHEDski" tweets are true.
But it's more likely that this is a player who has dropped off slightly and doesn't quite have the usual swagger about him to get back to his normal levels. Even the elite finishers sometimes lack confidence. It will require a rethink in structure – and solid man-management – to get him back to where he can be. Xavi simply has to trust a player who can still be one of the best in the world.
GettyMake Lamine Yamal the star man
There was a genuine argument to be made, for some time, that Yamal should be protected. With Barca on a roll – or, at least, not in total crisis – the teenager seemed to have the luxury to grow into the side. But now, there isn't room for a rest. Yamal, quite simply makes Barca better. Although Raphinha has scored and assisted at a better rate, Yamal's creative chops, and inherent sense of unpredictability, make him a must-play entity.
The Lionel Messi comparisons are both hasty and unfair (if inevitable.) But here is a young player who can, as Xavi said "mark an era" in Catalunya. He needs to be trusted to do just that. How that looks isn't quite clear. Yamal can't start every game, but he simply has to be in the starting XI for the big ones. He's arguably the only match-winning talent that Xavi has at his disposal right now.