Xavi has brought trophies and youthful exuberance back to Barcelona within two years

As the former midfielder moves into his third year at the helm in Catalunya, how can he lift his team to the level of those he played in?

Xavi’s introductory press conference at Barcelona was all about club’s DNA. He spoke of his preferred style, “to press high… recover the ball… create chances.” He admitted that his principles were nothing revolutionary, “I am not discovering anything, that’s Barca’s DNA.” And, perhaps most importantly, he acknowledged that he was overtaking a team in dire need of repair: “Psychologically, we are going to work with them. Individually and as a group, we are going to help them.”

After two full years in the job, the manager has certainly succeeded in some areas. Barca tend to press high, and recover the ball often. They won La Liga last season while introducing and developing of a number of youngsters, which certainly suggests that Xavi has mended a squad that was severely lacking in confidence. This has also all come in the face of the uncontrollable impact of the Blaugrana’s financial struggles and drama brought about by the Negreira case. This is not an easy job.

But whether Xavi has brought the “Barca DNA” back remains up for debate. So what has he improved Barca, and what still needs to be achieved?