Xavi Hernandez has insisted none of the Barcelona players have any doubts about the ability of Coach Tata Martino.
The midfielder was speaking at a Press conference and insisted that Martino shouldn’t shoulder all of the blame for Barca’s 3-1 defeat against Real Sociedad in their last League outing.
“They are always looking for someone to blame and it’s usually the Coach,” Xavi said.
“That isn’t fair. We are a team and we are all to blame.
“The boss believed he was doing the right thing to field a competitive side but all of us got it wrong – everyone, even those of us who didn’t participate in the match.
“We’re self-critical and we know when we haven’t played well. We understand the criticism, it’s a defeat but from now on, we’ll be going flat out.”
Xavi added that losing at Anoeta was not a terminal blow to Barca’s title chances.
“Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two forward,” he argued.
“That defeat was a step backwards for us in our ambitions to win the League title but there are 13 games left to play – games which we are confronting with optimism.
“Of course losing that way was painful but we have the chance to redeem ourselves [against Almeria] on Sunday.
“In terms of morale we need to recover, knowing that both of the Madrid teams can slip up at any point.”
Xavi never made it onto the pitch against La Real, despite being sent to warm up – something he insists is not an issue.
“It’s the Coach who has the final say. I am educated enough to know that I cannot override the Coach’s decisions. At Barca, we all know that none of us are above the Coach,” Xavi said.
“It’s frustrating for me when I don’t get the chance to participate or when I’m not comfortable when I do play but I always respect the Coach.”
“[Martino] is very open and transparent,” Xavi continued.
“What he said in the post-match Press conference was exactly the same as what he said to us.
“It’s a defeat, that’s all. We know it’s a step back but overanalysing it is not going to help us.
“We are not in any doubt at all about [Martino and his assistant, Jorge Pautasso]. Their philosophy is clear.
“Tata is a natural leader, he’s a football man, he’s dynamic and he’s a winner.
“He has pleasantly surprised us. The two of them work as a team and are professional in what they do.”
