After Barcelona's 2-1 win over Alaves on Sunday, Xavi immediately had to defend himself. His team, not for this first time in recent weeks, leaned on individual excellence to redeem a dour performance. This time around, it was Robert Lewandowski who saved face for the Blaugrana, but the striker's second-half double did little to hide the fact that Barca, once again, had been poor.
This has now become an annual tradition for Xavi. Just over a year into his Barca tenure, the boss faced similar questions. At that time, the Blaugrana were slumping in the Champions League and had suffered a demoralising Clasico loss, leading to some tough questions. Could this club legend, without top-class managerial experience, really handle the job?
Of course, Xavi survived — but only after publicly admitting that he would understand if Barca sacked him. A Liga trophy followed eight months later, one that restored winning ways but papered over some clear cracks in his side. Yes, Barca were good enough defensively to win the league, but their attacking quality was lacking. This was not the La Masia-bred, Cruyffian, Pep Guardiola football that Xavi had promised. This was a Jose Mourinho-esque side that grinded out results.
One year on, and while the situations are somewhat similar, things have also changed. On the field, the same defensive unit that carried the Blaugrana to the league title is markedly worse. At the other end, the litany of big-name signings that were supposed to make Barca an attacking force haven't really had the desired effect. They are third in La Liga, but if a surging Atletico Madrid can win their game in hand, the Blaugrana will slip down to fourth.
The press has, inevitably, snatched onto the narrative, and the usually calm manager took the bait after Sunday's victory, proclaiming that his players are feeling the pressure of an overeager local media — a remark that only fuelled the flames of scepticism.
And so just past his two-year anniversary in the job, Xavi finds himself under the spotlight again. But with a crucial run of games to come almost immediately after the international break, he must find the answers quickly to ensure Barca's season - and his future - isn't defined before the turn of the year.