Barcelona: A Work in Progress or a Victim of Nostalgia?

Do the good old days ever come back in the same way they leave us? Are we truly reliving those moments, or desperately clinging onto strands of a coveted past? 

After another embarrassing exit from Europe, Barcelona's fourth in fourteen months under Xavi, questions about the midfield maestro's managerial abilities have been raised again. For some, his poor in game management has been the primary cause of concern, while others seem to be worried about La Blaugrana's future in European competitions under Xavi. The latter stems from his abysmal track record in continental tournaments(with Al Sadd & FC Barcelona). Critics of his term claim Xavi's appointment is nothing more than nostalgia at play & it is time to terminate ties. With the rising echoes of criticism, it is time to answer the question on everybody's mind: Barcelona: A work in progress or a victim of nostalgia?

2021-22 SEASON:

When Xavi took over from Ronald Koeman, Barcelona was in shambles. On the brink of elimination from the Champions League & 10th in the league. Furthermore, the deviation from Barcelona's traditional style of play, the lack of quality options in each department, injuries, lack of structure, poor training & financial limitations were all issues which plagued La Azulgrana. Add to that, Barcelona's crumbling mentality. To turn the situation around was a herculean task, but Xavi did it.

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Soon after his takeover, Xavi implemented several changes. Emphasis on unity in the dressing room & increase in intense training sessions were seen. For Barcelona to break out of its circle of mediocrity, Xavi deemed it necessary for us to practice football close to our roots. His structural changes saw La Blaugrana start soaring high once again. Under him, rising stars like Gavi, Pedri & Nico found consistency. A herculean task in itself, Xavi even managed to unleash Dembele and extract his near best. Despite the shackles of financial instability, injuries & lack of depth, Barcelona's impressive run from January to April saw Barcelona climb to second spot in LaLiga. 

However, much was left to be desired, too. Xavi's rigidity & tactical inflexibility were some of the reasons for Barcelona's elimination against Frankfurt in the Europa League. 

2022-23 SEASON:

As the 22-23 season came close to its inception, Barca made more changes. Acquiring the likes of Christensen, Kounde, Kessie, Raphinha, Lewandowski & the budding prospect Pablo Torre, Xavi's side now had replenished itself. A solid start to the league saw Barcelona cruise to the top. Slashing defences open at will, creating a plethora of chances and finishing them, a resurgent Barca greeted cules after years. Xavi's system & development of profiles had not only revived a dying team, but also veterans like Ter Stegen. Powered by the  presence of Araujo, Kounde, Christensen & Balde, the defence looked impenetrable. Clean sheets aplenty, we seemed ready to take on Europe. 

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Yet, Champions League victory alluded us. Injuries played their part in hindering Barca from fielding its best side & lack of clinical finishing against Inter Milan & Bayern hurt us. Once again, we were thrown into the darkness of the Europa League. Many felt it was Xavi's rigidity again hurting Barca while others opined it was just bad luck & lack of profiles. We moved on. 

As Barcelona continued facing challenges in the league, Xavi realized that his new structure had its own flaws. Starting Raphinha & Dembele on the wings together made the Azulgrana static. Creativity took a hit against low block teams. Furthermore, the flaws of Busquets could no longer be masked. Operating as the lone pivot, he struggled as the game proceeded & lacked defensive cover. It was time to change. So, he did.

 With the introduction of the false winger, Xavi enabled Barcelona to be more attacking while providing Busquets with extra cover in a double pivot. This helped Barcelona utilize Gavi & Pedri's attacking capabilities, while De Jong gained additional freedom. Revitalization of the system not only proved beneficial for Barca in winning the Super Cup against Real Madrid, but also served as proof of Xavi's ability to be flexible & evolve. Just as the system seemed to explode & Barca seemed prepared to take on Manchester, another injury crisis hit. 

Over the two legged tie in Europa, Barcelona fought valiantly, but lost to Erik ten Hag's Manchester United. Fragility in Europe this time to many fans seems unforgivable. If Barcelona were truly making progress, then why wasn't it visible on the grandest stage? Don't continuous defeats faced against Bayern, Inter, Benfica & now United  mean the manager has his limitations? Is Xavi the face to lead us to  European glory? Surrounded by these questions, it is easy for one to lose confidence in the gaffer.

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 In reality, the defeat against United and the elimination from Europa League don't have a singular reason as these questions demand. Undoubtedly,  some of Xavi's decisions have been questionable. The atrocious decision of starting Alonso over arguably Barcelona's best defender Christensen in the first leg, the poor in game management while trailing in the second leg & the general attitude on display by Xavi has been unsatisfactory to say the least. But, to nail the blame only on Xavi is ludicrous. 

While Xavi should've done much better in these aspects, it is undeniable that Ten Hag was the better manager. His experience in Europe & ability to manipulate the game are far superior to Xavi's. For Barcelona to compete toe to toe against one of Europe's best under this pressure and in the absence of critical profiles like Pedri & Gavi is commendable. One can't take blame away from Xavi for the subpar management of the first game which invariably affected the result, but to discredit his work in the last fourteen months is ridiculous. From languishing in 10th place to climbing to the top of LaLiga with an 8 point advantage is no easy task. 

On numerous occasions Xavi has made questionable choices, but he has shown the ability to reflect. His increasing flexibility is evidence of his ability to learn from mistakes. Like his team, Xavi is still young & inexperienced. To achieve stability, the team & Xavi need to evolve. For him to work his magic on the grandest level, patience is requisite. 

Trust in Xavi, trust in the process. Visca Barca!