Barcelona manager Xavi has admitted his team do not have the quality of the Barca side that conquered Europe under Pep Guardiola. He also asserted that the Catalans needed to show more “soul” and aggression to get out of the rut they were in.
Barcelona Barely Scraped To A Win Against Almeria
La Liga holders Barcelona have not been at their best this season. They have dropped 16 points in 18 league matches so far and currently find themselves in third place in the La Liga rankings, despite playing one game more than other top-four teams.
On Wednesday (December 20), the Blaugrana welcomed bottom-placed Almeria to the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. Looking to return to winning ways after suffering two defeats and a draw in their last three games in all competitions, Xavi’s side needed to make a statement of intent against Gaizka Garitano’s men. However, things did not go quite as planned.
Barcelona created a slew of chances, but their finishing let them down. They somehow got on the right side of a 3-2 scoreline, but Cules were audibly disappointed with their display.
Xavi Wants His Players To Show Soul And Aggression
In his post-match press conference, Xavi acknowledged his team were struggling to take their chances, which is why he challenged his players to show more aggression and determination on the pitch.
The Spanish tactician said (via The Star):
“If we aren’t going to take our chances, at least we need to be aggressive and show some soul.
“Unless we run like animals we won’t get anywhere. Unless we leave our skin out there we won’t win anything. We need to wake up. It’s not a football issue, it’s about soul.”
He also admitted that his current team could not be compared to the Barca side of 2010, which featured superstars like Lionel Messi, David Villa, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, and, of course, Xavi himself.
Xavi continued:
“We are not the Barça from 2010, we don’t have the quality of the Barça from 2010.
“We just don’t have that, forget about it. We don’t have that quality or that individual capability. We don’t have that.”
Barcelona won it all under Guardiola between 2008 and 2012, including two UEFA Champions League trophies, three La Liga titles, and two Copas del Rey, amongst others.
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