Betis once again left an image full of doubts in their second consecutive defeat of this preseason. He did so after losing to modest Derby County and reflecting a handful of shortcomings. that turn on the alarms with a view to the imminent start of the League. After several weeks of preparation, Manuel Pellegrini remains silent. There were no appearances at the moment of the Chilean, who hopes that the club will respond to his demands in the coming days with signings that deliver a qualitative leap to their squad. The long-awaited center-back who will replace Aissa Mandi and that the coach wanted to have immediately has not yet landed in Heliópolis.
Sometimes you don't need words to launch messages. Pellegrini lined up Edgar and Kike Hermoso in the center of his defense against Derby County. A player destined to be a midfielder and a youth squad with hardly any experience. He left Víctor Ruiz on the bench, perhaps his most reliable piece for that position despite the fact that he was the central quarter in last summer's shortlist. Sidnei, for now, has not played any minute and his future seems to be moving away from the Verdiblanco club despite the difficulties in finding a buyer for the Brazilian. Bartra, meanwhile, did not go to the England camp due to physical discomfort.
LaLiga Santander
* Data updated as of July 29, 2021
Pellegrini asked for a qualitative and quantitative improvement of his squad, especially with the focus on being competitive in the three competitions. Rui Silva, tied for months, arrived for goal and Sabaly took Emerson's place. There are homegrown players who will make the leap and the coach wants to see more of Rober after his good feelings in Las Palmas. Meanwhile, the base of the past year is still on the table, even with players who seemed destined to abandon the ship due to their limited role. On Pellegrini's table, waiting for a level central defender to arrive who can lead the rear in replacement of Mandi, there is a new challenge: to get an optimal performance from a squad again with hardly any significant changes compared to the last two years.