How Xavi’s distribution of minutes has everybody engaged and committed at Barcelona
Everybody barring the two most recent signings have played minutes for Barcelona already
Xavi Hernandez sat his Barcelona players down for a chat after their win over Sevilla and made it clear that, from now on, there would be minutes for everybody still at the club due to the number of games to come.
It has already been evident. So far this season, every Barcelona player has had minutes, excluding the two most recent signings.
Xavi knows exactly what he is doing at the Camp Nou. Firstly, it makes sense to rest the regulars, but he also has to show the youngsters that there is a path into the team and he has to keep even the more peripheral players engaged and interested.??On Wednesday, Gerard Pique and Pablo Torre were given a run.
??All-in at Barcelona
Xavi is rotating well. Four players have started every game so far – Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Pedri, Robert Lewandowski and Ousmane Dembele – and the rest of the players have come and gone from the XI.
A lot of players have delivered goals and assists – Raphinha, Dembele, Franck Kessie, Jules Kounde – but everybody has brought intensity and energy, which the coach demands. It’s clear that the players are motivated by the man in charge.
Xavi’s meritocracy
It’s evident that the players who play well will continue to play for Barcelona this season. If someone impresses, it’s only right that they get more opportunities.
This simple system gives the coach credibility and the players are willing to follow his orders, knowing they’ll get the playing time they deserve.
Now, with players fully signed up to what Xavi is doing at the club, his biggest problem is narrowing his squad down to just XI names on any given matchday. He has a problem that most coaches wish they had.
