I'm sure Xavi Hernandez will manage to take Barcelona forward, reveals Pep Guardiola

Xavi Hernandez returned to his former club Barcelona as the new manager on 6th November as he replaced Ronald Koeman. The Spaniard had signed on to be the Blaugrana manager until 2024 and had the gigantic task of turning the fortunes of the club around, after a dismal start to the current campaign. Although the Spaniard showcased some promising signs, he hasn't been able to completely reverse their inconsistent form this season. In his first game in charge, Barcelona claimed derby glory as they defeated Espanyol 1-0 at the Camp Nou.

The Catalan club then failed to win a crucial match in the Champions League as they played out a goalless draw against Benfica. The Spanish giants then racked up an impressive 3-1 victory over Villarreal in La Liga before succumbing to a shock defeat at home against Real Betis. Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League after they endured a 3-0 thrashing against Bayern Munich in a must-win encounter before drawing 2-2 against Osasuna in La Liga. Guardiola has reiterated the need for patience from supporters and backed Xavi to turn the Spanish giants into title contenders over time.

"Now there is a very good board of directors and a very good coach, who loves Barcelona and I am sure he will manage to take it forward. We must be patient, but there are very good seeds, which will surely bear good fruit, and when the team gets going again, it will win again, which is what Barça always has to do. If now it's time to have a bad time, then we have to have a bad time. If you don't win anything this year, what's the problem? If we don't win next year, what happens? Nothing, we'll win next year," Guardiola told AS.