MADRID, 20 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of FC Barcelona, Xavi Hernández, described the first half against UD Almería as “unacceptable” and confessed that he had to give the toughest talk of his career as a coach to change the attitude of his team, a drop in “intensity” that “will not happen again” and that they resolved with victory (3-2).
“In the first half the intensity is unacceptable, so we can't steal the ball. If we don't have effectiveness at least we have to have aggressiveness, soul, and in the first half I don't accept it, either we run like animals or we don't give it to us. The people she gets nervous, whistles, and in the second half she encourages. The first thing is to give everything. If football doesn't give us it has to give it with soul,” he said at a press conference.
The Barça coach was very forceful after his team's long-suffering victory and insisted that attitude is essential since this is not the best Barça in history like in 2010. “I have to demand intensity from them, I have told them in the break, even though we have had four clear chances. If we don't have the ability to score, we have to do something else, work like animals,” he stated.
“They feel the pressure, they can get scared, because the ball burns, that's what it generates. I have to be more demanding and strong with the players, protect them. This is Barça, you have to give your all on the field Almería does not have a bad team, nor a bad coach, I am worried about my team. I want a team with soul, that gives its all, last year this gave us two titles. We do not have the Barça of 2010, we do not have that quality,” he added.
“We don't have the quality or the individual ability, we have the soul. Last year we recovered 200 balls in the opposite field, we have to recover all that. If we don't give everything it won't reach us, against any team,” insisted a Xavi who understood the whistles. of the fans.
The culé coach trusted that the break and “disconnecting” during the Fiestas will help the team, as well as having seen what they have to do and what they shouldn't against Almería. “The first part is just what not to do and the second is what to do, then perfect. If we have the face of the second part we will be able to compete for the titles in 2024,” he said.
“I'm opening myself up, it's my responsibility, but it's not going to happen again,” added Xavi, who confessed that it was the toughest talk as a coach that he had to give at half-time this Wednesday. “They took it very well, look at the second part,” he concluded.