The Times They Are A-Changin’

                

One of the best things about being a football fan is that no matter how dire the situation, no matter what the result is, there is always the next match to look forward to, a new possibility that things will change or be different and that our team will win the next match or bring new joy to our hearts.

So in the world of football, more so than in business, things can change and change so rapidly that one moment you are in despair and the next moment, you are full of hope and optimism and can’t wait for the new season to start.

I went through just such a day between yesterday and today, within the space of just one blog post. Just last night I was still questioning myself whether or not I had perhaps fallen into the trap of biasness, of looking at things through tinted glasses and convincing myself that things were good even though they really weren’t. While I still felt that Betis had a team that could avoid relegation easily, perhaps I had glossed over their problems and overstated their strengths, I thought.

Well, that feeling is no more… Betis really are on the way up! I woke up this morning to news that not only is Nelson’s arrival a done deal, but also that it looks like Nery Castillo is coming to Andalucia!!! Talk about having a double shot to the system! Nelson’s speed and pechant for attacking play is going to transform the Betis right flank especially with Edu out injured right now but it is really Castillo’s arrival that has me salivating.

You would have already known my views on how he can fit into this Betis team tactically but more than that, I believe that this Mexican player is a character and he is going to be a real terrace hero with his ball skills and exuberance. He looks to have the package that could galvanise the team with the fans (just like Edu was able to do).

More importantly, it was the reason he gave for joining Betis that warmed my heart. For a moment, it looked like he was bound for Serie A and Roma but his agent explained that, “Decisions must be made according to sporting and not financial matters. You have to think about where you would feel better, where you could gain more confidence. The Betis offer is very important because he will be an important player here.” After an off-season puncuated by players moving for self-interests and money, you cannot imagine what it feels like to have someone completely different.

As of now, the Betis team is now set to roll… the only position left to fill is on the left flank where Danijel Pranjic, a Croat international from Heerenveen was once mooted as a possible target. He would be perfect, a player of intelligence and guile that starred at Euro 2008. However financial demands seemed to have priced him out of Betis’s range.

The new target is Argentinian Luciano Monzon, who played in the Olympic Gold medal winning team. While a young player, he seems to possess the necessary attitude and attacking mentality that would fit in very well indeed.

Whatever the case may be, whoever else comes in, today is a brand new day for a Betis fan. It is a day of celebration and of hope, of rebirth and of new life… UEFA Cup? Bring on Real Madrid and Barcelona! We are going for the Champions League!

Ok, maybe not.

 

Category: Real Betis Team News

Tags: Real Betis Team News

Subscribe   The Offside RSS Feeds

Print

Share