We Are Fast Losing You…….

By: wan | January 13th, 2009

A new year has descended upon us and while many hope for new experiences and new adventures, as a Betis fan it seems like nothing has changed. While I have been away from the blog (and from football in general), Betis has gone on to lose two la liga games (to Almeria and Malaga) they were expected to win sandwiching an encouraging Copa victory over the conquerors of Real Madrid…It almost seems like the optimism and promise of December was too good to be true – at that point in time, the team was finally showing signs of coming together, the defence was holding up and Betis were in 9th position, poised to make a move upwards. Now? 16th in the table, Betis is in danger of getting embroiled in a relegation battle that seems very tight this season.

All of this has a very familliar scent of “I-told-you-so” which some regular Betis fans to this blog have commented. It boggles my mind to understand how the team functions – it appears to this fan from afar that Betis has a talented squad, creates lot of chances, have plenty of spirit and yet the receipe is just not right.

Paco Chaparro must be feeling hot in his pants right now – I know I would be. The main problem that has been repeated endlessly is the fact that Betis, for all the chances that they are creating, do not have a natural goalscorer and until this hole is plugged, they will continue to struggle.

The January transfer window offers an opportunity for a quick-fix solution but all the talk in December leading up to January has been rumours about departures rather than adding to the squad. The reality is (and has been for some time) that Betis is a selling club - while they tend to make splash signings, there is an acute need to balance the books. And now with the economic crisis, the urgency has just been increased.

The likes of Juanito, Pavone and even Mehmet Auerlio have been tipped to join Edu and the departed Jose Mari as part of the exodus from the club. If there is one thing in common with the players mentioned, it is that all of them are veterans and they probably consume a substaintial part of the payroll. Their age would also seem to suggest that if they are not sold soon, their value will depreciate with time. (Although at this point in time, I must add that the rumours concerning Auerlio has got nothing to do with his performances but more likely based on the fact that he is their most sellable asset and his proposed transfer is a “rob Peter to pay Paul” strategy to raise funds to strength the team).

I have no problem with the club’s desire to balance the books and perhaps to make the team younger and quite frankly, except for Auerlio, I don’t think the team’s performance will be severely affected. However my gripe lies in the fact that Betis seems to be changing for changing sake. The whole point of transfers is really to make the team better or to patch a major hole and anyone following Betis will know that their need for a top class striker who can get 20 goals a season is the greatest. Yet the names being mentioned from within the club are youngsters like Diame Mohamed and Bolivian striker Freddy Montero.

I never understood why clubs always suffer administratively (especially Betis) – while I am no coach and may not know how to train a group of players, I do know that management of a football club is not rocket science. All you need is just a little common sense. For example, when it comes to transfers, all you need to do is to ask “If I bring this player in, will he make my team better?” If the answer is no, why the hell would you want to sanction the transfer? Or sell your players? To be fair, both are talented players with a lot of potential but as I have already mentioned, the team’s need is for a hitman, someone experienced and deadly in front of goal.

That aside, Internet rumours have linked Betis with a move for Austrian striker Marc Janko (from Redbull Salzburg). That to me would be a very interesting move for Betis. With a goal record of 30 goals in 21 games, Janko possess the kind of deadly accuracy in the box that Betis desperately needs. To date, only Emana seems to be a consistent goal threat and when you think that the Cameroonian is already the most prolific midfielder in La Liga this season, I don’t think you can ask him for much more. (The fact that he is Betis’s leading scorer also says a lot about the team’s lack of strikers).

Another problem that Betis must find a solution to lies in their playing style. They need to change it quickly – while this going out gung-ho from the opening minutes and playing over-aggressive football in midfield makes for great entertainment, it is not achieving the expected results.

Betis can score (there’s no question of that) and keep things tight at the back (sometimes) but they tend to lose concentration when focusing all their energy in attack and this has cost them dear. Chaparro has not been able to fabricate a smooth, economical playing style since most of the games I have seen this season are rugged and full of blood and thunder all over the pitch. Perhaps they should consider going down the wings (as I mentioned in previous posts) rather than through the centre and play with one defensive midfielder instead of two. The whole point really is to mix things up, to try something new in the search for a solution.

If there is a saving grace, it would be that the passion and motivation of the team is still intact. The red cards issued to Betis over the last few weeks were results of aggressive and passionate play and while it makes things difficult, I would not change this for a second. It is this fire and this fight in Betis that is characteristic of the club’s tradition and to lose this would be to lose the soul of the club completely.

And for a little New Year cheer, despite being in 3rd place, there appears to be trouble in Seville

Have a great year ahead!!!!