Which Way Betis?

By: wan | December 16th, 2008

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…