So this is Heaven…

Weird as it may seem, (and apologies to the few Betis fans who bother to even read this blog), I was holding off on writing about them for fear of jinxing their good recovery…Perhaps this may seem totally neurotic but I had orginally wanted to write a column about the struggles that the club was facing, coming off a defeat to Recreativo, a 2-2 draw against Getafe (which honestly they should have lost) and getting knocked out of the Copa along the way. It appeared that even after three quarters of the season had gone, Chaparro had not learnt his lesson about the weakness of the team and I was already preparing an eulogy as yet another managerial casualty on the Betis tombstone…

This was very much confirmed when fans appeared at the training ground to vent their anger and voice their disappointment through graffiti – I wasn’t sure if I would not have joined them myself if I was around the area. Perhaps it was a sign of my growing “maturity” as a Betis fan, but I had the same “enough is enough” feeling within me as some of those guilty parties. Do I condone their behaviour? No… but do I empathise with them? Most definitely…especially when the next few games on the calendar showed Seville (away), Barcelona, Real Madrid and Villareal. The prospect of four defeats on the trot (including one to the old enemy) was really more than anyone can bear.

Then a miracle happened. The first step out of the darkness was the sudden news that former Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira was re-joining the club where he enjoyed the most success – and because the deal was sealed only minutes before the transfer market closed, I only got to know about it the next day. To say that I was estatic was an understatement. To me, this was what the team had been crying out for all this while – a mobile hitman whose speed can stretch the field and keep defences honest, as well as someone who has the ability to put the ball into the net consistently. An added bonus was Oliveira’s ability to play off Garcia, coming in from the right. This adds balance to the team that was lacking earlier. A solid defender would have been nice but hey beggers can’t be choosers…

Thus I faced the derby date with a bit more confidence, praying that Betis would somehow avoid defeat. Boy was the team going to prove me wrong. With Oliveira now providing Garcia support upfront and with Gonzalez back from injury, Betis suddenly had the speed to play on the counter. The defence had also been more settled ever since Ricardo was recalled – him adding his experience and organisation that managed to stablise the porous backline. Two glorious strike (one from Garcia and one from Oliveira) clinched a famous 2-1 victory at a place where Betis had not won for 13 years!!

For a more objective review of the match, I would suggest that you read Sid Lowe’s entertaining take on Oliveira’s return.

After the match, I was basked in an afterglow that I had not felt for a long, long time. Truly this was what being a fan meant and needless to say, I entertained myself over the course of last week watching the goals again and again on Youtube. Say what you want about Lopera (and I have at numerous times in this blog) but the man delivered when Betis needed it most.

The euphoria continued in the next match against Barcelona – a 2-0 lead against the all-conquering Catalans (a bullet header from Melli and a Gonzalez goal) and I could scarely believe my own eyes. While a dubious penalty enabled Barcelona to claw the game back to 2-2, for long periods, it was my Betis team that was dominating play…Wow, from an abject performance just three weeks ago to matching wits with what I feel is currently Europe’s best team…the feeling of confidence and new found faith just cannot be matched.

I was afraid that if I were to post my views and flooding optimism on the blog that I was going to jinx the team but I can hold it no longer. Things are definitely looking up and there’s no point hiding it. While I will get to the post on Betis’s list of managers on another day, here are the major reasons why I feel things have changed for the better:

1. The recall of Ricardo and return of Gonzalez

As much as I hate to admit I was wrong, this is one instance where I am happy to be mistaken. Ricardo’s return to the side has added stability to the defence and this has increased the confidence of the men in front of him in general. For a group that are not that talented individually, confidence plays a big part in determining their performances.

As for Mark Gonzalez, his performances have been patchy but he brings two things that no one else does – speed and goals. His speed on the left is akin to injecting Viagra into an ageing team and his presence means teams have to play deeper than usual, creating more space for the rest. Another thing about Gonzalez is that he always has goals in him and this increased goal threat now gives Betis three reliable strikers instead of relying soley on Garcia just a month ago.

2. The signing of Oliveira

I cannot stress the signing enough – more than just providing an ally as well as a consistent goalscorer, Oliveira’s status as a terrace hero means he has managed to bring the fans back to the side of the team and the energy and enthusiasm the crowd can generate cannot be underestimated. The fact that he is a player of class can only help the team.

3. The slight change of tactics

Because of Gonzalez and Oliveira, Betis are now able to play a different style compared to the all-out attck or all-out defence policy that Chaparro adopted in the past. The speed of the duo means Betis can afford to sit back and wait to pick teams off on the counter attack (with long balls played out of defence)  rather than the kamikaze attacking style earlier in the season. This has made them more compact as well as more versatile in terms of how they can change and control the tempo of games.

I should stop now… just in case I run on and on and on… suffice to say, I have never been happier and if we manage to beat Real Madrid next week, I am afraid that I may self-combust!!! Until next week, Betis fans….

Category: Real Betis Team News

Tags: Real Betis Team News

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