MADRID, 25 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of FC Barcelona, Xavi Hernández, reiterated this Saturday that, in his goal to “win titles this season”, he and his pupils will have to “change their mentality” to improve performances such as their gray draw (1-1) against Rayo Vallecano, in a match corresponding to matchday 14 of LaLiga EA Sports.
“What we lack is the mentality of going for the game. If in the end you have control, you make a good ball delivery and you have to set. We search very well inside, but we only generate two or three chances. I think we have “We have to change the mentality. If we want to win titles this season, we have to change the mentality,” said Xavi in the press conference after the duel in Vallecas.
“I think we have to be very self-critical, especially in the first half. In the second half, the team already has an identity and is recognizable, we are already going for the game, we are already aggressive. But of course, we are already going with emergencies, we already know They conceded a goal, we woke up when it was almost too late,” added the Blaugrana coach.
Thus, Xavi highlighted that his players had “been able to come back” thanks to a “good” second half. “But it is insufficient, it is insufficient and we have to understand that, from the first player to the last. As I am the coach, we have to demand much more, much more, because in these fields is where the Leagues are won, and we are tying in many areas and we are leaving points that for me are very important,” he warned.
“We have to do self-criticism and give continuity to the second part, to the second part of the other day, to the last half hour, to the last 20 minutes. I think it is the reliable point of this year for us and we have to give it a lot of continuity. But we have to wake up, we have to improve a lot,” insisted the Barça coach.
Xavi was asked again about the keys to his team. “In the second half the mentality is good, but because you have an urgency. When from the first minute you have to have this mentality. And we have talked about it many times; that is, we are going for the game, to show that we are to win. But no, it is in the second half where you can see that Barça wants to win the game, that they want to score,” he lamented in this regard.
“With the fact of having won LaLiga and the Super Cup last year, you somehow unconsciously lower that mentality a little, and this is what should not be allowed, neither I as a coach nor the footballers on a personal and individual level. We must give more, we have to give more. If we want to win the League, if we want to win titles this season, we have to give more, it is evident,” he repeated.
On the other hand, Xavi analyzed a controversial play on Raphinha. “Then you tell me that I’m looking for excuses, but it’s a clear penalty. Everyone tells me that, we’ve seen the image and in the end we’re not having any luck in these referee decisions. The ones they have to interpret are coming up with tails,” he alluded to the referees. .
“It happened to us in Getafe, it happened to us in Granada and it happens to us today, which does not cost us anything. Therefore, nothing more. It is not an excuse. In the end we tied because we were not good in the first half, we improved in the second and this is the result. But if you ask me exclusively about the penalty, for me it is a clear penalty,” Xavi remarked.
He then praised Frenkie De Jong. “As you already know, he is a very important player for the team in getting the ball out, he pauses, understands the game very well and divides; he lacks a bit of rhythm, it is normal, but he is fine. He has trained very well, “He felt comfortable playing and he played 90 minutes, which is important for him and the team. He is obviously going to help us,” he said of the Dutch midfielder.
Finally, Xavi responded emphatically as to whether he understands that there is already criticism in ‘Can Barça’ for his team’s poor performance this autumn: “Yes, of course.” “It’s normal, there is criticism and I understand it perfectly. But I think we can turn this around and we have time for everything and obviously to improve,” he concluded in this regard.