Is Xavi Still the Right Man?
Xavi Hernandez is a man under pressure! The Barcelona head coach faces one of the toughest moments in his coaching career as fans globally demand his sacking after a series of poor performances. Barca’s recent losses to Girona and Antwerp have seen them settle for fourth place on the La Liga table. Besides that, they have limped into the Knockout Stage of the Champions League, leading many to question whether he is still the right man to take Barca back to the glory days.
Dressing Room Tensions
There are reports about tensions between management and leaders of the dressing room. When such reports start surfacing, you can’t help but feel like they are one bad loss away from the coach’s job being in danger.
Football betting fans would easily bet on Xavi being the next big manager to lose his job, probably after Manchester United’s Erik Ten Hag, who’s another coach under immense pressure. If you have just started wagering on sports, consider reading a betting glossary for beginners to have a better understanding of the basics. Would you wager on Xavi losing his job soon?
Xavi Remains Confident He’s the Right Man for the Job
This would not be the ideal time for Barcelona to lose their coach because it is the time of the year with the toughest L Liga matches. Also, in a recent pre-match press conference, Xavi stated that he is confident that he is the right man to lead the team out of the current crisis and lead them to a successful second half of the season. He also reiterated that he is not thinking about quitting his job.
Xavi told the media that he still believes in the project the players, and he enjoys a great relationship with the president and the rest of the management. According to the legendary midfielder, they are halfway through the rebuilding project, and he was surprised that people are turning against the team after their first slump.
He called on fans, players, directors, and coaches to unite during this tough time. The Barca coach also called on the media to stop sounding the alarm bells each time something does not go well. Xavi reminded everyone that Barca are still in all competitions and that, compared to last season, they are experiencing some improvement. His rallying call is – “...we have to be positive.”
Final Thoughts
It is an open secret that Xavi is great at numerous things as a manager. For example, he does an excellent job managing young and experienced players; he is great at motivating his players and is flexible in his tactics.
However, fans are calling for the return of tiki-taka, solutions for attacking, and generally have an identity. Xavi should find a way of addressing the issues raised by everyone and register good results on the pitch. At the moment, the coach should be given until at least the end of the season to show Barca fans that he is the right man for the job. Do you still believe in Xavi, or should Barca hit the reset button now?