The Sky Blue Corner: We go again


MARTA G. BREA

The new La Liga season is almost upon us, one that promises so much for the Celtismo. Despite a few small hiccups and the lack of discipline early on in preseason, Celta finished off in style against Genoa with a resounding 4-0 victory at Balaídos. It is no wonder that there is so much optimism going into the new campaign but that will be of little use come Sunday when it all kicks off.

As things stand, we have put ourselves in a fantastic position to make a real push for European football with our dealings in the transfer window. At times last season the lack of a top striker was evident to see and i believe it turned out to be the decisive factor for us missing out on 7th place. Therefore, bringing back Iago Aspas to the South of Galicia shows a real statement of intent from Carlos Mouriño. He has been one of our standout performers in preseason with 5 goals and has fitted back in to the team as if he had never left. It is easy to forget that El Genio De Moaña scored 12 goals in the 2012/13 season whilst playing in a far inferior team to the one we have now and as a result, I'm confident that he will be able to score 12-15 goals this season providing he plays as the number 9 which I feel he is most suited to.

Elsewhere, Miguel Torrecilla has improved the options that are available to Toto Berizzo. Losing Michael Krohn Dehli in the summer was a massive blow and although it is too early to say for sure, it seems that Daniel Wass is more than capable of filling the void judging by his early performances. John Guidetti also has the ability to challenge Aspas for the striker position and presents a big upgrade to Charles who found it difficult to adapt as the number 2 striker. It is too soon to judge Dejan Drazic considering he has only played 20 minutes in preseason but from the little we have seen he looks like a player who is not afraid to take on the defenders, something that Bongonda lacks at times.

Despite all of the good work by the club during the summer, we all know that the difference between us being a comfortable mid-table team to genuine Europa League challengers is Manuel Agudo Duran "Nolito". 13 goals and 13 assists last season whilst creating 96 goal scoring chances, more than anyone else in the league, shows how vital he is to this team. Losing Santi Mina unexpectedly was a blow and it only reinforces our need to keep Nolito out of the hands of his former club Barcelona. It is not only his fantastic footballing abilities that we are fighting for, but also his humility, dedication and affinity with the fans. We already know that he has rejected financially advantageous offers in the last 2 seasons from Everton and other clubs due to his kindhearted nature that allows him to appreciate what he already has. 99% of players would have moved on a long time ago so we can only be gracious for his abilities as a person as well as a footballer despite whether he decides to stay or leave.

If we do indeed tie Nolito down to a new contract i think we are right to be optimistic about the upcoming season. I have never felt this good going into the new season, one that has the potential to be the best in the last decade. However, for a team such as ourselves it is vital to reach 40 points as quickly as possible and only then can we start to think big. Overall we have been impressive in preseason but that good form needs to be maintained and improved come the start of the season. The Ciudad De Valencia can be a tricky place to win so we mustn't take anything for granted. A victory on Sunday however would set us up perfectly for the new season and allow us to generate some early momentum and confidence ahead of what could be exciting times ahead for the best team in Galicia.
¡Saludos y Hala Celta!




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