Pellegrini reinvents himself in the face of criticism and fears the end of the cycle | Relief

The weeks in Heliopolis have been difficult. The start of the season for the green and white team did not go as expected, especially due to the failures against Legia and Sevilla, which gave rise to a mini-crisis at Betis, which coincided with the national team’s second break. The wear and tear of Manuel Pellegrini’s fifth season on the bench also showed in a situation that was more critical than ever for the Chilean.. Even within the club itself, albeit in informal groups and behind closed doors, there were debates about some of the Engineer’s decisions, with the understanding that greater performance could be achieved from the squad.

A week in Chile, which also generated plenty of commentary, was enough for Pellegrini to reinvent himself and change Betis’ trajectory, at least in La Liga.. If the win over Osasuna changed the dynamics of the results, the win over Atlético, who played their best football in a long time at the Benito Villamarin, discourages any end of the cycle around the Chilean coach handing the ball to his once black beast. Diego Simeone. Betis’ opening win over Colchonero showcased Pellegrini’s Betis at their best and they only needed more finishing success to cap off a historic day.

After five seasons on Betic’s bench, Pellegrini has always shown that he can cope with any situation.With. Having overcome their first setback shortly after their arrival, Betis have always shown themselves to be a competitive team who have never completely failed to achieve their league goals. Although the dynamics of this season were not entirely positive at first, Pellegrini maintained his optimism. “With experience you know when teams are in a bad moment or performing poorly, which are two different things. When these two team up, it’s serious, but you see that they continue to believe in the idea,” the Chilean said last week. ., showing your confidence in the team.

Changing the scheme

Pellegrini reformulated Betis to adapt to the circumstances. The absence of Isco, Lo Celso and William Carvalho – in addition to the transfers of Fekir and Rodri – left the team orphaned in this unique player. “Now we have five or six powerful players and we had to adapt to them,” the Chilean admitted after the victory over Atlético.

From being stationary with the arrival of the Engineer, 4-2-3-1, taking into account the nuances offered by players with different characteristics, was moved to 4-4-2. which was used in the last two matches against Osasuna and Atlético Madrid. Thanks to two strikers of work and mobility – Bakambu, Vitor Roca and Chimi in Pamplona, ​​Chimi, Vitor Roca and Assane in the match against Atlético – Betis took a step forward in the fight against pressure on the opponent’s field, and in this problem they also collaborated with Johnny and Altimira in midfield and Bartra and Diego Llorente in defence.

“It was more important to find a formula for interacting with these players than to regret those who are not there,” said Pellegrini, who He brought out the best in his team in times of doubt and significant omissions.. “From the very beginning of La Liga I said that I saw the team well, and today I saw it very well,” added the Chilean, smiling more than ever in the press room.

Individual performances

Pellegrini always says that a team is the sum of individual performances. Raising the level of the players has been a key goal for the Chilean, who has failed to find the best version for many of them.With. In the match against Atlético, the whole team shone at a high level, but above all, players such as Perrault, Altimira, Johnny Cardoso and Shimi Avila stood out, leaving doubts at the beginning of the championship.

The change in formation has benefited the Argentine, who plays much more actively as a second striker than on the flank. Three important games were played by Cimi, who celebrated in style a victory that also bears their imprint.. The striker’s effort was accompanied by a pair of central midfielders who played their best game together. Both Altimira and, above all, Johnny Cardoso have multiplied in midfield. and they brought dynamism to Atlético’s play on the ball and when it came to pressing Atlético’s outlets.

Other players such as Aitor Ruibal, Diego Llorente, Fornals, Rui Silva and Abde have shown the reasons why they are key players in Pellegrini’s plans, as well as Bartra, who only needs to respect his injuries. A collective commitment that removes doubt about whether the coach’s message continues to get through to the team..

Goal deficit

Betis’ only problem against Atlético, which has been a constant since the start of the season, is the difficulty in finishing everything the team creates. The white-green team had up to 24 shots, of which only three were aimed at the Oblak goal.. In fact, the winning goal came from Abde’s cross, which Jimenez cleared into his own net, and even this advantage on the scoreboard did not give the Betis strikers peace of mind in successfully completing the numerous routes they found towards the Slovenian’s goal.

“We have young players who are going to improve their technical ability, but we cannot change their characteristics. They are faster and stronger than technical. They create a large number of chances, perhaps others create fewer and finish better,” Pellegrini explained after the game. wanting to reduce tensions around Abde or Vitor Roquetwo players who don’t utilize all the offensive flow they create.

Fifth place in the classification – waiting to see what happens at Mallorca Athletic this Monday -, Betis Pellegrini again repeats the records of previous seasons. The reliability of the white-green team with the Chilean is still there, at least as far as La Liga is concerned, and the question of Europe remains unresolved even in the Conference League.