SOBS: REAL BETIS

Back at the SoL for the first time since Big Dan produced the ground's equivalent to Gordon Armstrong's effort against Chelsea, the Lads took on Real Betis Balompie, aka Royal Betis Football, of Seville with one of the big questions being "how will their manager Pellegrini manage a who game without a tab?" A 0-1 defeat was a disappointment, but there were plenty of positives - mind, having a shot when the opportunity arose would have been a good idea.

...and the other questions being mostly about our host of newbies, particularly Xhaka. To say he's an imposing midfield presence is a bit like saying that Tom Jones can sing a bit, but his solidity should be the perfect foil for all the pacy new Lads around him.

It being preseason, there was no bus so it was a rare drive through and visit to the club shop for a "large" (God loves an optimist) away top for our Ian before getting my first glimpse of the Jimmy Montgomery Stand, in the extreme north end of which (just) I'll spend the next ten months - and where I sat today, with the tunnel on my left. Makes a change. Another benefit (?) of preseason is that there's no requirement for lucky stuff - socks, flat cap, shoes, coat, or jelly babies. It's holiday time, and there was a perfect Friday night warm-up when Sky (I think) showed extended highlights of the playoff final.

We won, by the way.

There was a smattering of Betis fans on the sunny streets, but more 34 XHAKA shirts - and someone selling half and half scarves. Oh well, it's holidays, and at least four made their way into the ground.

Roefs

Hume Ballard Jones (Harry) Reinaldo

Talbi Sidiki Xhaka (c) Diarra Adringa

Mayenda

..and a bench of Moore, Lavery, Huggins,  Niell Le Fee, Browne, Tuiterov, Jones (J), and Roberts.

To be honest, the middle of that formation is just a guess, as I'd only recognise Xhaka and consequently I'm relying on shirt numbers today. It's always a bit weird when the ground's only half open, and today it was the turn of the Roker End and the Jimmy Montgomery Stand to be occupied. At least that meant no fans had the sun in their eyes as the foghorn sounded to precede Dance Of The Knights and Ready To Go...just to get those hairs on the back of your neck exercised.

Real kicked off north, but we quickly gained possession and spent the first three or four minutes in their half without getting close to their goal. We were playing three at the back most of the time, with young Jones pushing forward on the left. Diarra tended towards the right where Talbi hugged the line, while Adringa was our left wing. Both sides played it out from the back, and on 6 Real fired one well over. We built down the right from the restart but got a bit too patient in the box and it was cleared.

They won a corner on the left which was eventually headed off the bar, then an effort was cleared off the line before we eventually put it out for a corner on the right which we cleared more comfortably. We took it upfield and Talbi cut inside to fire straight at the keeper from distance. A high cross was taken well by Rooooooefs, sending the anti Patto brigade behind me into overdrive. A corner on our right was slung in by Xhaka to Hume at the back post, but the knock-back was cleared. It was then Mayenda's turn to blast down the right and to the line, but again the cut-back was cleared. Close, but no baccy flavoured vape. He was away again on the half hour, but the shot from the edge was saved. Another Real corner was headed away by Hume, then a Real free kick after Jones's foul was headed well wide.

Reinaldo got caught up the field but stick to his man like a randy Yorkshire terrier until the inevitable free kick was given. Another Xhaka corner - this time short, and nicked off us to end the half. Decent rather than spectacular, with Xhaka's role at the base of midfield being the one constant.

No changes for the second half, but I swapped sides to catch a few rays. Precious little happened for ten minutes then a Real free (for handball )from their right was cleared and the loose ball hammered miles wide from distance. Ballard set Adingra away on 58 and he was almost in, only for it to be knocked off his toe, but the ball back into the box by Xhaka was poked past the keeper and in - only to be called offside. Bah.

On the hour, Real made four changes and we made two, replacing Reinaldo and Diarra with Huggins and Le Fee, with Hume moving to the left side of defence. A corner from our right was cleared, but we managed to nick it back on the edge of the box - however, the ball in from the left took a deflection and went to the keeper. Around 72 minutes we were pinging it around near their box and a goal looked inevitable (well, sort of) but another offside spoiled things.

A minute later it went all wrong when the visitors took a left side corner short and the cross was headed past the helpless Roefs. Ab almost identical routine five minutes later went closer to our keeper, who took it comfortably. We put together a nice move with ten to go, but the low ball from the left zipped across the face of goal with nobody able to do an Inspector Gadget and stretch far enough.

Another Real sub preceded another couple of offside decisions against us. One of their players went down after challenging Ballard in halfway, to much derision from our fans. However, when the ref eventually allowed the Spanish Softy treatment, he spat out an impressive stream of blood. Oops.

A loose pass by Talbi should really have brought the opposition a second goal, but Ballard did his job well and the whistle went after an added two minutes

A decent workout against a good standard of opposition, but we need to get a few more shots away and tended to over complicate things in the final third - just get it to Mayenda! Perhaps we were concentrating more on keeping possession than to actually win the game. Sidiki looked decent although he played further up the field than he usually does (apparently), and in general there's nowt wrong with any of the new boys, with Adingra and Talbi both more than willing to take on their man.

Let's see what next weekend brings.

Oh, Man of the Match. Nearly forgot. I'll give you one guess, and it starts with an X.