The Sky Blue Corner: Mixed emotions

JOSÉ LORES

Still unbeaten, yet this game could be seen as a missed opportunity. A goalless draw at Balaídos against a Getafe team who we ought to be beating is a bit of a blow but not an insurmountable one. Three points going into a challenging run of fixtures would have been ideal but early signs have shown that we usually perform to a higher level in the “bigger” games.

Overall, it is hard to criticize the performance and the work ethic of the team. We dominated the game for large periods and limited Getafe to very few opportunities. We had our chances to win the game but were denied by an excellent display from Vicente Guaita, one that hasn’t been seen since his early Valencia days. Through the course of a season results like this happen; the most important thing is how the team evolves to limit their frequency.

Over the last few games I have been very impressed with our collective defensive efforts. Toto Berizzo and the team have clearly learned from their mistakes in the game versus Las Palmas and that is all you can ask for. Cabral and Sergi Gomez have developed a good understanding with one another over the past few weeks and at the present time Andreu Fontás may have to wait for his opportunity. The area in which we struggle to deal with most are counter attacks and as the players understand their responsibilities and develop their understanding of the way Toto has set up this season, the stronger we will look.

In an attacking sense, we will need to find different evolutions of our game plan to break down different types of team. No competent manager will be underestimating Celta this season so we must adapt our play depending on how the opposition has set up. Getafe are not the first and certainly won’t be the last team to defend deep with 10 men behind the ball at Balaídos so it is our responsibility to find innovative ways to use that to our advantage. From April onwards our goal scoring record has been generally excellent so the lack of opportunities taken in this game should not be something to worry about.

After the international break we travel to El Madrigal for what will undoubtedly be a tough and demanding fixture. Last season we were completely outplayed by Los Amarillos and their early form this season provides proof that this will be no easier. It will be a game against two teams who play football the right way and hopefully we can get the result that we are looking for.

Best regards and come on Celta!

¡Saludos y Hala Celta!

¡Saúdos e Ala Celta!