As we move towards the end of the year, many always choose to reflect on the year that had gone by and to make new resolutions for the new year ahead. I thought it would be a good time to also consider how far Betis has come since the dark days of last season and also to assess the prospects of this year’s team amongst other pressing issues like transfers, managerial prospects as well as the La Liga in general.

Recap:

Before I go into the year-end assessment, let us do a recap of what has happened since I last blogged on this site. Betis since then lost 2-1 to a 10-men Valencia side, drew 1-1 against Espanyol in a game they should have won and went down to a 2-0 undeserved defeat against Atletico Madrid.

I managed to catch the Valencia and Espanyol game and thoroughly enjoyed myself - brought along by the pulsating pace of the games and yet experiencing dismay at the tactical naviety of the Betis team. Without sounding like a broken record, these were games that Betis could have gotten a lot more out of if only they had more composure and maturity in their play. This will be something that I will address later when I talk about Betis’s tactical play this season.

Without further ado, here’s the annual report for Real Betis 2008:

The Ghost of Christmas Past

From the days where relegation was just avoided to today where Betis lie 9th in the table, you can say that the team has come a long way. In this respect, Chaparro has done a good job. In the 2007-08 campaign, Betis was in the relegation zone for much of the season (just like the year before) but a good run between Feb and April of six wins in ten games (including victories over Real Madrid and Barcelona) was enough to pull them of trouble. The catalysts for the revival were Edu (who was also topscorer with 12 goals) and Mark Gonzalez.

Those days now seem a distant memory. The team is now a lot more settled and does not look like they will be embroiled in any relegation dog-fight but sadly Edu is now persona non grata with the club management while the injury-hit Gonzalez looks like joining the Brazilian on the way out.

The Ghost of Christmas Present

The current Betis team is shaped by Chaparro to be an attacking side and that philosophy has paid dividends. Employing a 4-3-3 or more accurately a 4-2-3-1 formation, Betis presses the opposition relentlessly and play very high up the field. This squeezes the playing field and forces the opposition to make mistakes, giving the ball back to Chaparro’s side. Relying a lot on the long ball as an offensive trigger, Betis moves from defence into attack very quickly and often catches teams off-guard.

As a team, Betis plays at an all-out pace and this creates chaotic situations whereby chances are fashioned. Many a times, you can see at least 4-5 players rushing into the opposition’s penalty box whenever they attack and Emana essentially plays as a striker even though he operates from midfield.

However their strength is also their main weakness. Betis for one lacks a natural goalscorer and they have a very poor chance-to-goal ratio. This comes back to haunt them when the opposition scores. Also in this scheme, there is a lack of control. The team does not know how to control the tempo of the game and lacks real playmakers - this means there is no Plan B if Plan A does not work.

Also because they play so high up field, Betis is very susceptible to the counterattack. This problem is compounded because their central defenders are not so fast on the turn, often getting caught out of position. It would be better if they stay closer to the defensive line but that would go against the tactics that Chaparro is employing. Anyone watching Betis this season will come to this conclusion easily - just count the number of missed chances that doomed the team against Villareal, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Atletico Madrid. Betis lost all these games but had more than enough chances in each one of them to at least gain a point.

The best players Betis have this season are Emana and Sergio Garcia. Emana has proven to be a real asset with his power, drive and goal scoring ability adding much to the team. If only he can improve his prolifigacy in front of goal, he would be the complete player.

Garcia on the other hand has turned into a real terrace hero; his swashbuckling style and skills having endeared him to the fans. While my favoruite player at Betis remains Edu, Garcia is fast making an impression on me as well. Having said that, he is not a natural goalscorer, more comfortable setting chances for his teammates than taking them himself.

Mehmet Auerlio has made an impression but more can be expected of him - he still has to hit the heights he shown when he plays for Turkey. If there is one more that caught my eye, it would have to be Castro. He has shown a safe pair of hands as well as tactical awareness to play as a sweeper when necessary.

Off the field, the scandal that plagued Lopera still has to be cleared up and the ugly side of management has reared its head again as Juanito has found himself in the same situation as Edu. The Spanish veteran defender has asked for a pay rise in his new contract offer that Betis has refused to give and it looks like he could be leaving in January.

So where does that leave the team?

The Ghost of Christmas Future

As it stands right now, Betis has a set game plan that guarantees survival - in fact, it has been reported that Chaparro’s job is safe as long as Betis finishes 9th or higher. However the team is calling out for a natural goalscorer and if this can be brought in, more can be hoped for from the team.

With the Jan transfer window coming up, there has been the usual rumours surrounding Betis as well. It has been reported that Atalanta in Italy is interested in Pavone and it looks like he could leave. In return, Betis has been linked with Portuguese striker Hugo Almeida. With Juanito also possibly leaving, Romanian Dorin Goian has been touted as his replacement.

Personally, I have no issues letting Pavone go - his lumbering style does not fit into the team’s play and Betis will not miss him. As for Juanito, my stand is the same as for Edu - loyal servants should be rewarded. My own belief has always been that the team should rely and value who they have rather than bring in someone new so the solution to Betis’s dilemma to me is simple - bring Gonzalez back into the team on the left (when he is fit) or shift Garcia to the left and bring back Edu.

The last piece of news is one that excites me the most - that are talks that Daniel Pranjic could possibly come to Betis. That would be a real present for all Betis fans. The Croatian is a skilful attacker with a forceful personality that is going to bring the team around. With him on the left, Emana ploughing through the middle and with the strike duo of Edu and Garcia, I believe a UEFA Cup place is not out of reach.

Can Lopera make this happen?

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year all Betis fans…

A month away without any updates due to commitments and services to the country but now I’m back as a citizen of my first alligence - the nation of Betis. And things could not be any better right now…

For those who where wondering, Betis has achieved 4 victories on the trot both in the league and in the cup (4-2 vs Numancia, 3-1 vs Racing, 2-1 vs Gjion and 2-0 vs Castellon) and the line-up of the team in each of these games was quite consistent, the only change being Monzon coming in for Vega in the last game. I believe that it is this consistency that has brought about a real upturn in the team’s fortunes and performances. For those keeping count, we are 7 points behind Seville and currently in eighth position. If this continues, a battle for a UEFA Cup place is more than realistic.

I think at this stage, it is timely to do a review of the team’s performances so far as well as to look into the tactical nuances that have resulted in this good run of results. Let us first take a look at Chapparo’s deployment strategies.

After following the team for a few months, it is fair to say that the line-up shown in the diagram is the one that Chapparo favours and it is also one that I feel is the strongest available for Betis. I attribute the success the team has enjoyed recently to a tactical adjustment that was made by Chapparo and it is a sign of a good coach that he is flexible enough to make changes that could be seen as an admission of his failures.

Chapparo started the season using a 4-3-3 formation (modelled after Jose Mourinho’s at Chelsea) which I had covered in an earlier post but that system failed because it needed mobile and versatile forwards that were neither wingers nor centre forwards which Betis lacked. As a result, there was a misjoint in the attack.

However in recent weeks due to injuries to Mark Gonzalez and Edu as well as the lack of form of Jose Mari and Pavone, Chapparo has changed the team’s line-up to a 4-2-3-1 instead with Aurelio and Capi anchoring the midfield and with Emana pushed up. The injury to the aforementioned duo saw Juanma and Daima being drafted in to play the flanks and all of a sudden the team looked a lot more solid.

What has happened is that the team now plays more as a unit. Both Juanma and Daima will fall back into midfield when Betis loses the ball, ensuring that there will be numbers in midfield while Emana has been given the license to move forward at every opportunity to support Sergio Garcia in attack and his recent performances call to mind a certain Michael Ballack - his goal record definitely bears the comparison. And now that Garcia is installed as the pivot in attack, it allows him plenty of options whenever he gets the ball - he can hold it up and wait for support or turn and take on the defenders with his dribbling skills. His ability to set his teammates up were seen in great effect in the last two games.

And because of Juanma and Daima’s more well-rounded qualities, both fullbacks have been encouraged to move forward in support of the attack at every opportunity. Their movement means that at any given time, there could be 5-6 players moving into the opponent’s defensive half, creating a lot of pressure and space for others to exploit.

If there is one weakness still in the Betis team, it would be that they still lacked a playmaker in the team, one who can control the tempo of the game. Even then, Aurelio has risen to the challenge in recent games, able to use his skills to bring the ball out of defence and even contributing to the attack through long-range shots.

So as we enter the end of 2008, the most impressive performers for Betis have been Emana, Garcia and Aurelio and a look at the goalcharts reflect this reality very clearly. These three players are the leading goalscorers for the team and their output is just rewards for their endevours. So while it is still early days yet, the signs are good and the team is developing well. If there is to be any additions during the Jan transfer window, it would be to bring in a defender-cum-defensive midfielder, or a playmaker who can double up as a striker (in case Garcia is injured or suspended).

Watch out Seville, Betis is on the march and we will catch you very soon!

However anyone with eyes who watched the game and claimed that Deportivo “deserved” their win must be either blind or watching another entirely different game.

For the uninitiated, in a match which Betis dominated the proceedings, a long ball launched from the Deportivo half saw Arzu and Capi clashed heads, leaving both players down in the centre circle. Play was not stopped and in a three-on-one breakaway, Riki eventually put Deportivo ahead. Despite furious protest from the Betis players, the goal was allowed to stand.

Morality has always been a topic that has tremendous repercussions and implications depending on which side of the argument you were on but it is interesting to consider its place in an arena like Football. Does it have a place or a role to play?

For many the issue of morality is a question of culture and of temperment. It is said that in the Latin culture, this element of being able to outsmart your opponent or even the authority (in this case the referee) is something that is prized and to be admired. It is a reflection of intelligence and street-smarts that sees Maradona’s famous Hand of God goal cherised as much in Argentina as his second salom past 5 defenders.

Italians for so long have also condoned and even encouraged this sense of “gaining an advantage” through two famous manifestations - shirt pulling and diving in the penalty box. So long as it is done to improve the fortunes of your team or to get ahead of your opponent, it is allowed and even applauded enthusiastically. Who cares for the victims anyway?

Some will say that in today’s society and context where no one is owed a living and everything one wants has to be earned, this all consuming attitude to dominate and to win is but the norm. And if society is such, you can be sure that it is the same within the football pitch.

Think about it for a moment, if you were a Deportivo La Coruna, struggling for results and facing great pressure, knowing that every point is so precious in the fight against relegation. If you were relegated, you would lose out in terms of money and resources, players would leave and fans would stay away. In the current economic downturn, these problems get amplified. Now suddenly in a curcial match, you are given a chance to capitalise on someone’s misfortune, given the chance to score a precious goal. What would you do? You would grab it without a second thought!

But the purist in me feels that there is something very wrong when teams take advantage of another blatantly and more importantly feels that they did nothing wrong after the match. To rape someone is bad; but to boast about the rape as “nothing wrong” after the deed is just unforgivable.

There have been arguments that cheating is on the rise in the game in part because of the pressures and because of the referees’s inability to spot these “crimes”. Everything is now sacrificed at the altar of results and success. And if anyone thinks I am exaggerating the issue, that this is just a fan grousing about perceived injustice, just think back a few weeks to the game between Espanyol and Barcelona. Look at what happened (any surprise it is an Argentine - Messi - who “scored”?), look at the subsequent reactions and tell me that this is a non-issue.

Is this what Football has been reduced to? Is this Thomas Hobbes’s version of the Beautiful Game? Are we left with a if-you-can’t-beat-them-join-them ethos? There are exceptions to the rule of course, the most notable being Paulo di Canio (when he was playing for West Ham) grabbing the ball from midair with his hands when the goal was gaping to allow an injured player to receive treatment but frankly that was the last time I remembered anything of this kind happening. And that was a good 5 years ago already…

To those who disagree with me, all I can say is wait till the same thing happens to your team then think about how you feel and whether your views will change - karma afterall is a bitch. And for those who agree, I can only toast to your enduring belief in the innocence and purity of a game that I no longer remembers and no longer recognises.

The Beautiful Game? It looks more like Plastic Surgery to me…

The latest rumours coming out from the grapevine should raise the stakes between the rivarly between Betis and Seville…

Juande Ramos may be out of a job now with the debacle that is Tottenham Hotspurs but the word is that once the consortium completes their takeover of Betis over the new year, they will be installing the one-time Seville coach in the Betis hotseat…

It seems that the recent victories that Chaparro has achieved has only postponed the inevitable, that the new regime has decided to have their own new man at the forefront of the club. While I would hate for Chaparro to be dismissed under such circumstances, I must also say that I can understand where that is coming from. If I were a businessman and if I were taking over a new shop or company, I would also want to install my own man to run the organisation rather than to rely on the old guard. So from that perspective, it is not about how well Chaparro does. This is just the way of the world.

Now the interesting thing to consider is how different Betis is going to be if and when Ramos comes on board. I for one am very excited because his arrival would herald the return of wingers and of an expansive attacking game that stretches the field, using the full width of the pitch. Gonzalez would be perfect for Ramos as would Edu and Sergio Garcia. Who knows, the club may even be bringing in new players to fit the Ramos blueprint.

But the best part of his appointment would be the fact that the coach that laid the foundation and brought so much success to Seville is now working for Betis and nothing would be sweeter than having Ramos lead Betis to glory and honours!!!

Things have a very funny way of working themselves out that you can never imagine. I’ve been away from this blog trying to deal with a new addition to the household (and for those first time dads you know how tough that can be) but in the space of a fortnight, both my family as well as my adopted family have been blessed with untold joy…

Things started off badly at first during the international break with the news that Mark Gonzalez was going to miss three weeks through injury - talk about bad luck! Just when Betis was facing a do-or-die few weeks, (and just when I have made my bet) the team was going to miss their best attacker. At that time, I feared the worst.

Yet things have a way of working out that when one door closes, another opens and his injury became a blessing in disguise. For weeks I have been saying that Betis needed to switch back to a more prosaic 4-4-2, to become more compact and suddenly Chaparro seemed to oblige - sort of.

With Gonzalez out, Chaparro was forced to play Sergio Garcia on the left (cos he was the only attacker who could fit in) and because Garcia relies more on guile rather than on speed, he did not leave space behind that could be exploited defensively. Garcia’s habit to cut inside to link up with the centre-forward also meant that Chaparro needed a frontman who is disciplined to hold the line and not drift across the field. As a result, Pavone was favoured over Jose Mari (whose mobility means he tends to move all over the field).

On the right, Chaparro chose to slot in Daima who has easily been one of the more impressive players whenever he was fielded. All these changes meant that the team became a lot more compact, perhaps losing a bit of speed and attacking power but making up for it in organisation and becoming more of a team. (Gonzalez may be Betis’s best attacker but without him, Betis became better overall).

So with Daima on the right and with Garcia moving inwards, the formation became a 4-3 1/2 - 2 1/2 - the closest that Chaparro would get to a 4-4-2. This was the unchanged line-up that started the two matches against Real Mallorca and Osasuna - Castro; Nelson, Juanito, Arzu, Verga; Aurelio, Emana, Capi; Garcia, Pavone, Daima.

The team began playing as a team and the wins finally came - 3-0 against Mallorca and 2-0 against Osasuna. Hallelujah!!! Shockingly the main instigator of the two wins weren’t Garcia or even the impressive Emana but Aurelio!!! A clear sign that the Brazilian-born Turk is finally getting to grips with La Liga is the fact that he was easily the standout player in both matches. In the first game, his long pass freed up Daima for the first goal and he was also the man behind the move that resulted in Emana’s goal. In the second game, two excellent set-pieces saw him put the first into the net while the second free-kick was converted by Pavone on the rebound.

While it may be a mystery why Aurelio has suddenly burst into life, my own suspicion is that with 4 in midfield, he has found it easier to abandon his defensive post and bring the ball forward. Being a naturalised Brazilian, he has the necessary skills and awareness to create attacking moves. This was helped by the fact that Pavone stayed quite high up the field, thus creating more space for the midfielders to exploit.

As I said, things could not be more perfect at this moment…plus the fact that Seville just lost over the weekend!!! So the current standings now is Betis - 8 points, Seville - 17 points. While there are those who will say that it is still a 9-point gap, I am the eternal optimist. What the last three weeks have taught me is that anything can happen if you only hold on to your hopes…

And what is football if it is not a game played on the field of dreams…

You know what’s funny? I use to think that nobody reads this blog of mine and that most writers are like guitar virtuosos, treating this as a way of making themselves heard and publishing their views for all and sundry. If you think about it, how many people actually care about what we write? It is akin in some ways to masturbation.

However  I was wrong…very wrong… Apparently my good friend from the Seville blog has not only read my blog but has also left a comment critical of my team!!!

Well, you know what? Its about time!!! Let’s have some action over at The Offside…

I am throwing down this gaulet and Anthony if you are a true Seville fan and have the cojones, you will take up this challenge.

This is my proposal: I am betting that at the end of the season, not only will Betis NOT BE RELEGATED, they will also FINISH ABOVE SEVILLE IN THE STANDINGS. That’s right, you are not mistaken. And should I lose, I shall put on a Seville jersey, hold up a poster that says “Seville’s No.1 Fan”, take a photo and paste it up for all to see…

Needless to say, I expect Anthony to do the same, only this time wearing a Betis jersey…

So what say you Anthony?

Are you man enough???

It has been a brutal few weeks for me and for Real Betis. Who would have thought that when I decided to pin my flag on the Betis pole that things would turn out this way?

A unforgiving schedule that saw them take on Seville, Barca, Real Madrid & Villareal in succession have seen them rooted to the bottom of the table…

And if there is any consolation to be had, it is the fact that Betis haven’t really played all that badly. With luck and a striker that can actually put the ball into the net, we could be looking at a comfortable mid table position and deriving pleasure from draws against Barca, Real and a win over Villareal.

As usual, the media is already getting on the back of Paco Chaparro. Just the other day, Chaparro appeared in the papers pleading for patience and more time for the players to settle in. Especially the new faces as most had arrived at the club only towards the end of the summer transfer window. 

Depending on your perspective, his words seemed to have worked as he was granted more time but this was tempered with the fact that he has been given only until the end of this month or early Novemeber to turn things around. According to a Marca report, a board member was quoted as saying that, “If the team do not collect at least seven points from the next nine on offer, it will be deemed a failure.” Although those words were not uttered by the head honcho, Ruiz de Lopera, it is understood that everything that the board make public has to earn his approval beforehand. The pressure is now on…

If there is any consolation, it lies in the fact that players like Edu, Juanma and Sergio Garcia are all coming back into the team for the next match and plus the international weekend break, Chaparro should have the time to get his team together in time for this weekend.

At this juncture, I think it is a good time to assess the team and to try to pinpoint where the weaknesses lie. First, let us put to rest one falacy that has been put forward by almost all critics and pundits - Betis do not have a weak backline. To have conceded 8 goals in 6 matches and to have faced down the frontlines of Seville, Barca and Real is more than a resonable return. Afterall, Atletico Madrid who has been the relevation of this La Liga season according to some, shipped 6 themselves in a single game!

The Betis backline suffers from a lack of organisation more than anything else. It seems that the combination play between centre-backs and full-backs and between Aurelio and the backline still has not been developed properly. What has happened is that at times, the full-backs have not been able to get back in time from their forays upfield, leaving the team susceptible to crosses from the flanks.

Also because Aurelio still has not integrated into the team properly, it seems that he is often out-numbered in midfield - due to Gonzalez and Capi not retreating into the defensive positions in time. This creates unnecessary pressure on the players at the back.

Personally, I feel that the entire issue has been one of tactics than of ability. Chaparro’s preference for the 4-3-3 is well documented but it seems the team does not really have the players to suit the system.

To take an example, this system calls for the defence to maintain a high line up the field in an effort to squeeze the space, thus allowing for the players to keep within close distance from each other. However this means that your centre-backs are vulnerable to long balls played behind them so they need to have the speed to recover lost ground. Yet Juanito and Arzu are not your fastest of players.

The other thing is the tactical nuances that Chaparro employs. There are 2 schools of the 4-3-3: the Mourinho school and the Ajax school. The Mourinho school calls for the one anchor man sweeping in front of the defence plus two dynamic midfielders who can attack and defend with equal ease. Also the two flank players upfront are auxiliary wingers, capable of breaking upfield at speed and to chip in with goalscoring duties. More than that, they are to retreat into midfield once the team loses the ball, making it a 4-5-1 that is hard to break down.

The Ajax school on the other hand, now employs two strikers that play in the wingers position and they are tucked further infield. They are mobile enough to cut inside the fullback to create danger and to support the main central striker. In midfield, they usually have a playmaker who directs play and is usually supported by a centre-back who will bring the ball out from defence. Thus it changes to a 3-4-3 at times, maintaining again strength in numbers in midfield.

In both systems, you need a centre forward who is physically strong, mobile, able to link up with his teammates and most importantly is a proven goal scorer. Names like Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar guarantees 15-20 goals a season.

Now look at Betis, and the problems become apparent. First the wingers. Betis only has Gonzalez as  a pure winger with speed but he isn’t a reliable goal scorer while Chaparro is still looking for a right-sided solution. Jose Mari may have the physical built but he is not a regular goal threat. In midfield, Capi is a skilful but one-dimensional player who is not built like a Gerrard or a Neved. Thus it seems Betis is stuck with a hybrid of both systems and the overall play suffers as a result.

If it were up to me, I would instead switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation that better suits the players. Aurelio will team up with Juande to form the defensive platform from which attacks can be launched. Edu will form a striking partnership with Sergio Garcia but will drop back into the hole to direct play. After all Edu’s best season came in a partnership with Ricardo Olivera and both Olivera and Garcia have similar qualities. Gonzalez will still man the left flank and provide an outlet while Emana will tuck in further infield on the right, allowing Nelson to move up in support opposite from Gonzales. Because of the two defensive midfielders, there will be at least 4 players back covering should Nelson get stranded further upfield.

I believe a Betis team organised in this manner is definitely a team that is not relegation-material. Time will prove if Chaparro’s belief and philosophy will work… I sincerely hope so. 

The thing that I like most about him is the fact that he is not into the hyperbole like most pundits are - Balague keeps his perspective and says things as they are. His Liverpool-biasness aside, his comments are always worth a read.

Why suddenly bring him up you wonder? Well, Balague does a yearly preview for Sky Sports on the La Liga and I thought that it would be interesting 5 games into the season to see what he had to say about Betis and how the club really is doing now…

This was what he had written before the season began:

It is the start of the post-Manuel Ruiz de Lopera era. He is still their main public man but he has agreed to give most of his shares to a new group. Lopera is almost like the religious leader of a club used to having him and his mood swings running it. The football foundations of this season were put last year but nothing smells of brilliant or successful. Betis are a team that still needs to be organised, with two centre-backs who are very suspect, but with a forward formation that can score against anybody.

Top player: Rafael Sobis

Finally he has decided to stay, or better still, he has not been allowed to leave. Lopera wanted him to lead the club next season and he should do that. Must improve though, to get the transfer he wants.

Top surprise: Casto

A goalie from the lower ranks, took the place of the Portuguese Ricardo during last season and this could be the year of his confirmation.

Top signing: Mehmet Aurelio

He had a good European Championships playing in the centre of midfield. With his defensive characteristics, he could be the man that gives solidity to the team

Probable finish: 14th

What do we make of his predictions? Well he was absolutely spot on with regards to the weakness in defence and his rating of Aurelio. While the facts suggest that the Betis defence is not so bad, this is more because of Aurelio’s presence and impact than on the quality of the centrebacks. Aurelio’s calming presence has increased the solidity of the defence in general and is a major reason why the club has not leaked more goals.

What surprised me was his high regard for our attack…and the results from the last two games seem to bear out this assessment. Betis with the likes of Sergio Garcia, Jose Mari, Gonzalez and Edu (when he returns) do possess the firepower to hurt most teams.

The biggest shock? The fact that he rated Rafael Sorbis so so highly… it makes me wonder whether Betis has been too hasty in getting rid of the Brazilian. The main problem for Sobis was always that he could not fit into Chaparro’s tactics and not that he had no talent. I wish that he was still around so that we could have tried him out alongside Jose Mari or even Garcia.

All in all, it was quite an objective and unbiased look at Betis… Let’s see now if we can surpass his expectations and finish higher than 14th.

Who wants to be a football fan?

At times like these, I find myself asking the same question with no answer forthcoming.

In the space of a week, you saw your team take on the supposed two best teams in Spain and for some in Europe as well and even though they were their equals, there is nothing to show for your team’s efforts.

Anyone who says otherwise are blinded either by their own fervour and passion or by the nature of a certain biasness that lies with supporting the glamourous and the powerful.

For the second match in a row, Betis were well worth at least a point from a match if not more so and again they got sucker-punched and were left with nothing. When you realised that they have already tried their best and still the fates conspire against them, then it is really hard to accept the reality that right now, your team is third from the bottom and in relegation trouble.

I mean, in a game where Sergio Garcia finally fulfilled what he threatened to do against Barca and on a day when the team was clicking and playing well, plus the fact that Real Madrid were reduced to 10 men, how are you to react to a last minute goal out-of-nowhere that consigned you to defeat?

I don’t know how to deal with this to be honest… If the team was terrible and the players were pulling their weight, at least there would be cause for our sorrows and our anger. But when the team is playing well and the only problem is a question of luck or fate, then suddenly there is no where else to turn to, no one around to point the blame…

At these times, it becomes a question of faith - Do you believe in team and in what they are doing? Do you believe in what you have seen? Do you trust in their abilities and their composure to make things right? Do you have the fortitude to keep doing the right things and to believe that things will turn out right sooner or later?

The answer at least from this Betis fan is: YES - I WILL KEEP THE FAITH

I believe that things will turn out right and that the team will get back on track. I don’t need to read the various websites or blogs or even entries in this site to hear what others have to say… I have my own eyes and I know what I have seen.

Things can only get better and they will…

Villareal - you have been warned…

If you are a Betis fan, you have to feel proud of the way that the team performed in yesterday’s match against the Catalan giants.

Many had already written us off way before the game even started but we showed them just what spirit and will can do when perhaps talent is lacking.

For 80 minutes, I was in heaven - hoping that the game would end right there…

Alas things were not to be and a mistake by Nelson saw the ball float over the defence onto the feet of Eidur Gudjohnson who volleyed the ball sweetly into the corner. Yet to reduce the game to this image would do a major disservice to the performance by Betis.

Before the game, there were many criticisms about the feeble Betis attack, how this Barcelona team has now been awoken - scoring 3 past Sporting Lisbon and 6 past Sporting Gjion - and many were predicting a thrashing for the Andalucians. And for a while it looked like these doomsayers were on the right track.

Two pieces of magic by Lionel Messi and two clinical finishes by Eto’o and before half an hour had even gone past, Betis were two goals down and I was fearing the worst. I was shocked that despite my reservations, Betis had decided to take the game to Barcelona and for a while, they were being exposed as a much inferior product even though the tactical formation was the same. While I applauded the courage, I also feared the folly of this approach. It was akin to a mouse deciding to twitch the whiskers of a lion - you can only go so far before the lion roars…

During this time, Gonzalez again proved what a big talent he was, constantly troubling the Barca defence down the flanks (where I had predicted space could be found) while Emana tried to support his forarys. But with Sergio Garcia strangely subdued, the attack lacked focus. Aurelio defended way too deep, almost to the point of becoming a third centre-back, and Barca dominated midfield.

Because the team was defending very high up the field, there was always the danger of the Barca strikers getting in behind the defence and so it proved. All it seemed was lost…

Half-time came with me wondering if things were going to change. By then, Luciano Monzon had come on for Gonzalez to strengthen the defensive side of things and frankly I prayed that the team can keep the score down to save some pride. Little did I know what was to come.

Garcia came alive in the second half and showed just why big money was paid for his services as he took the game to the Barca defence. From a foul by the defenders in the 59th minute, Capi innocently rolled the indirect free-kick to Monzon who smashed a left-foot shot through the wall into the net. GOAL! It was the first for Betis and a goal worthy of breaking the duck for the season.

You could sense the tide changing as confidence flowed through the team. True Barca was still looking menancing but now Betis was giving as good as they get and in particular the Barca defence began to panic. Then the miracle happened…Garcia got the ball in midfield and played it out wide to Jose Mari. He raced by a Barca defender, got into the box and chipped the ball towards the far post. Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes got a finger on the ball but he couldn’t keep it out…GOAL!!! Betis Equalised!! 2-2!!!

I could scarely believe my own eyes….could this be real I wondered…Being the supersitious sort, I decided to remain in the position that I was for fear that I would disrupt the Karma in front of my television…while the cramps and pain soon shot through my body, I was numb with joy and would have gladly suffered for the cause…I even got greedy, thinking that perhaps Betis could have nicked in a lucky third and we could be looking at famous victory…and at all places Nou Camp!!!

Well the joy lasted until the 80th minute. By then, I could tell that the result was set. It was one thing to fight back from 2 down to equalise but to expect the players to come back again was asking far too much. They had given their all and I had to be satisfied with that.

Overall, on reflection after the game, I was proud, very proud of the way the team performed. Yes we got nothing out of the game but we stood toe-to-toe with Barca and gave them the fright of their lives. Garcia blossomed in this game while Nelson and Monzon were equally impressive. This gave me hope for the future. Even though Betis is one place above the relegation zone, this is not a true reflection of their abilities.

I am sure better days are ahead and guess who we are meeting next? Real Madrid! And once again they are coming off an even more impressive 7-1 win against - you guessed it - Sporting Gijon!!!! The parallels could not be more similar…Once again the predictions would be for a thrashing and once again I feel quietly confident.

Mark my words, the Galacticos are going down…