Xavi has been full of excuses after Barcelona's rare losses.
First, it was injuries. Then, it was the refereeing. After, he took aim at the quality of the pitch.
And then, last Sunday, he claimed that it was simply too sunny for his team.
That's not to mention his Europa League complaints last year about too many away fans contributing to three goals conceded in a defeat to Frankfurt at Camp Nou.
These are all standard gripes for managers these days. But as the weeks have gone on, Xavi has been an increasingly antsy character.
And for good reason. Although his Barca team have all but wrapped up La Liga, they have stuttered of late. The side that built up a 12-point lead in La Liga is starting to crack. They have gone three games without scoring and were hammered 4-0 by Real Madrid at home two weeks ago. The performances, meanwhile, haven't been good for some time; the Blaugrana's last truly convincing win came in early March.
Barcelona have achieved a lot in the 18 months since club legend Xavi took over. After stuttering at the end of the last campaign, the Blaugrana have collected two pieces of silverware this year - including likely an elusive La Liga title they have failed to lift for an unthinkable three years. His tenure so far can be considered an immense success.
But for all of their improvements, Barcelona aren't the finished article, and Xavi isn't a top-class coach yet. And his weaknesses, his distinct lack of that intangible Barcelona aura, are starting to show.
