Xavi gets desperate: Barça manager criticises his players after Antwerp defeat

Barcelona boss Xavi Hernández was both critical and encouraging of his side after their 3-2 loss in the Champions League to Antwerp. The manager spoke after the game about being “worried” about the performance, while still maintaining that he is “excited for the season”.

As soon as the match against Antwerp was over, Xavi warned that he was leaving the stadium with a very bad feeling in his stomach given what he had just seen on the pitch, where many players performed well below their level, showing in some cases rather alarming lack of confidence.

When speaking to the press, despite opening up on his feelings, the coach did not want to point out any player in particular: “I don’t like saying anything bad about the players in public. They’re better than what they’re showing. Individual errors are costing us goals and it’s a question of confidence.”

Xavi criticised his side’s lack of intensity against Antwerp

AS understands that the Barcelona boss was indeed upset with his players at half-time, and criticised them for their performance. The coach, together with his staff, saw a series of errors and shortcomings that were subsequently transmitted to the dressing room, with the lack of intensity in individual battles being one of the main issues.

The dire situation on the pitch was aggravated as the team played with an incorrect structure, one that kept the lines of defence, midfield and attack all far apart from each other, breaking down the team’s cohesion and turning the game into a basketball match, one in which Antwerp felt comfortable.

There was also a sluggishness to the way the ball was being circulated, making the game predictable and therefore very easy for the opponent to defend in a low block due to the lack of sharpness in the pass. Finally, the coach emphasised that the team once again had problems in the build-up from the back due to lack of support, playing difficult passes that had allowed for high risk situations to occur, as happened in the first two goals of the game.

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Individual errors costing Barcelona

In addition to these tactical errors there were also individual ones, something which worry coaches just as much or more. For example, a stark lack of confidence and mental block are clear to see, and are all things which make players incapable of performing at their maximum output. “The pressure of playing for Barça weighs heavily” said a dismayed Xavi at the end of the game.

The fundamental problem is that Xavi has just over 48 hours to recover the spirits of a damaged dressing room. The coach trusts that his players will react and recover their confidence, saying after the defeat that “I’ll try to speak to the players to get their confidence back”.

But now, Mestalla, the home of Valencia CF, awaits as the next stop on Barcelona’s journey through the season. The game between Los Che and the blaugrana will be played on Saturday, December 16, with kick-off at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT.