What was Xavi average or just an ok player before 2008?

He was/is/will always be below average in my opinion. Passing the ball to the back or sideways is all he does for 90 minutes and then some retards out there say he is in top 3 best players in the world. He is too overrated. He is average at most and that's only because he can pass the ball backwars and sideways very well.

Xavi was always an EXCELLENT player before 2008, he was just not at this other-worldy level where he performs his best performance year in, year out.

and why do some people say Xavi was a bench player for Rijkaard ? thats not true at all, apart from the 2005-06 season where he was injured for 6 months and missed the best part of the 2nd half of the season and subsequently missed out on the champions league final in 2006, Xavi was always in the starting line-up.......why are some people making things up ?

Xavi is neither average or an OK player he is an extraordinary player always has been.He had to wait a lot to get into the Barca starting Eleven.But once he got in he never looked back.if you are a Spaniard or a Spanish Football fan then you should be proud to have a player like that in your team.Casillas is the captain of the team,But the leader of the team will always be Xavi.He is the Heart of Spanish Football.

This question makes no sense.

Are you trying to ask if he was either 'average' or 'just ok' before 2008? Because I thought 'average' and 'just ok' were the same thing.

Or, are you trying to ask if he either very good or average before 2008? If this is the case then why did you begin the question with a 'what'?

Seriously, I'm reading it, but what are you trying to say?

Because he didn't fit into Rijkaard's attacking scheme, everyone knows he's not a pure attacking midfielder. Rijkaard had Deco and Ronaldinho to fill that role with Van Bommel as a CDM. He did use him sometimes though.

He always was,if you check his stats.But his role was not properly defined before Pep Guardiola took the reigns at Barcelona.

he is talented and a great player but somewhat too static thats why he wasn't fit to get in rijkaard plans which was more offensive than possession based football , I would say averege .

I'm not saying anything that there is a link, but Xavi became good around the time that Eufemiano Fuentes began working with the club... come to think of it, EVERYBODY on Barcelona became good around that time... BTW I'm NOT saying he is doped...

i couldve sworn you asked this before

He was always good, but i guess he's better now