XAVI SENDS A VERY CLEAR MESSAGE
The 'warning' Xavi Hernández to the attackers of Barça
Xavi Hernández worries that Robert Lewandowski will be, once again, the only '9' available at FC Barcelona. All the responsibility in front of the goal will fall on the Pole and, therefore, he asks for an extra effort from the team's attackers
The FC Barcelona will begin the season 2023-2024 with Robert Lewandowski like only leading centre. The intention, especially of Xavi Hernández, was that Vitor Roque landed this summer so that it was adapting and served of 'acting' for the Pole, the one who in the last campaign was the maximum reference of the culés of face to the rival goal. If it arrived the Brazilian, the 'responsibility' went to be more delivered, but no expects him until -at least- January of 2024.
To the trainer egarense him 'touch' resolve with what has home. And it will not be simple considering the overwhelming difference of goals between Lewandowski and the rest of attackers. Only it is necessary to fix in the figures of the past season: Whereas 'Lewy' annotated 33 targets between all the competitions, the maximum seconds artillerymen of the team, Raphinha and Ansu Fati, only marked ten. 23 less. It followed them Ousmane Dembélé (8), Pedri (7), being midfield player, the same that annotated Ferran Torres.
The warning of Xavi, very clear
'Sportive world' has aimed recently that the position of Xavi is very clear. It wants that the attackers involve more and explode like goleadores in this course. They can not allow that the figures of Raphinha, Ansu Fati and Dembélé combined do not equalise the register of Lewandowski (28 vs 33) and thus it saw so necessary that Vitor Roque dressed of Barcelona this same summer. Now, those that are in the City Condal will see forced to take a step forward and increase his number of targets.
There are not doubts that footballers like Dembélé and Raphinha have showed very involved to the hour to generate danger, but are not goleadores. It is 'normal', if it wants , because they compensate with assistances, but the look will be put in Ansu or Ferran that, probably, will play several times as 'false nine' when Lewandowski was not available. Both attackers have been in the ramp of exit in this summer, but no has found them a destination and will finish remaining. By in front, have an enormous opportunity to show that they can be important in the diagram of the Barcelona trainer, especially because if they do not finish of 'settle', with the arrival of Vitor Roque could have fewer minutes of which they would want to. Already they suffered it without him in the past season.
The participation of defenders and midfield players, key
In this next season will be key that involve much more the midfield players and defenders. Already Pedri González had showed, before falling lesionado in February, that was him doing easier to find the rival goal. Gavi Also dared in several occasions and it will be necessary to bet, more, by the played to balloon stopped in which they can appear Ronald Araújo, Andreas Christensen or Jules Koundé to finish, put is not a resource that is exploding totally (or as they would have to).
On the other hand, if there is something that is very positive in this section is the recent signing of an Ilkay Gündogan that, in the past season with the Manchester City, annotated eleven goals in 51 parties. It is a player that always takes advantage of the opportunities to arrive from second line, something that has 'been missing' in this Barça. His incorporation to the attack will be vital so that they generate more occasions in which he will be able to participate so much in the creation as in the execution.
