New Tactics need New Faces

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apologies for the lack of updates recently…I’ve been away overseas on a business trip and the lack of sleep and very slow Internet connections mean that I have not been able to do my due dilligence as a Betis fan.

Still things have been bubbling along nicely on the Betis front as I have managed to catch up with all the news since I have been away. And the recent noises coming out from Andalucia seems to be that coach Paco Chaparro has been desperate to sign a new striker as well as a couple of full-backs.

The need for a new striker makes sense when one considers that Betis was firing blanks for the most of last season, their 45 goal total falling well below the average in La Liga. More importantly has been the change of tactics imposed by the coach. Because Chaparro has switched from using 2 strikers to a lone front-man, he really need someone who can lead the line as well as be a consistent goal threat.

In recent months, Betis has been linked with a couple of names to fill the main striking role and I thought it would be a good idea to do an assessment of each of them. The four names in particular are Claudio Pizzaro, Ikechukwa Uche, Milan Baros and Nery Castillo.

Of all the four, Pizzaro is by far the best player of the lot. Despite a difficult time in England, what impresses about Pizzaro is his mobility and ability to play alone upfront. He is one player who can hold up the ball and link with the midfielders coming from behind and yet look a threat to score each time he is given a chance.

As an added bonus, South Americans have always adapted well to the Spanish game. A front line of Pizzaro in the middle, flanked by attacking forwards like Mark Gonzalez, Edu and Xisco will be a handful for any defence.

The only problem? Pizzaro will not come cheap and Betis’ fragile financial status means he is definitely not coming any time soon.

Uche on the other hand is a more viable option. He is similar to Pizzaro in that he is another physical forward who can operate independently and his record for Getafe last season (16 goals) confirms that he is a threat defenders will find hard to handle. The only problem again is that unless there is a huge offer, Getafe will not be willing to let him go.

Now with Baros and Castillo, we are talking about two players who look like they would fit Betis’ budget. There has been talk of loan deals being bartered around and both players would be looking for a new lease of life after struggling at their present clubs.

Baros is a pale shadow of the exciting attacker of 4 years ago and I sincerely hope that he does not don the green-and-white even though I feel this is one reclaimation project that Chaparro is particularly suited for. An injection of passion and confidence is what the Betis coach does best.

My personal reason for not wanting Baros is because I feel that Betis already has a player in a similar mould in Sobis and I would much rather work with the young Brazilian rather than a fading Czech attacker.

Which leaves us with Castillo. This is looking like the deal that has the most hope of happening and in a funny way I feel this will be good for Betis. While he is far from being a Pizzaro or Uche type target man, he brings with him speed, and a real bag of tricks. Anyone who has seen him in the past playing for the Mexican national team will know just how good he is.

To be frank, Betis already has Pavone and Jose Mari to fill the role of a physical frontman and Castillo’s ability to play either left, right or through the middle will add a different dimension to Betis’ attack.

I feel that he can even fill the role of being the main instigator of the attack just behind two central midfielders and just think of the possibilities of what a diamond attacking quartet of Castillo (hole), Gonzalez (left), Edu (right) and Jose Mari (central) can do. In case of injuries, he can even fill in for any of the three with no problems at all.

So the ball is now in Betis’ court. Go get Castillo, get the deal done and sit back and watch the fireworks fly. Kanoute, Fabiano and the rest of the Seville losers had better watch out.

Category: Real Betis Team News

Tags: Real Betis Team News

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