David Moyes: Failure to commit to life in Spain meant his sacking was inevitable

The Spanish adventure for David Moyes has finally drawn to a halt and, much like with his arrival, the reception to the news of his sacking has been lukewarm. There’s no surprise, no sadness or even joy at the loss of the Scot in La Liga but a distinct amount of shoulder shrugging followed by a nod of understanding. It never felt like it ever really got going for David over here and if you look at the performances, it’s hard to see what he’s actually done in his time at Real Sociedad.

It was a surprise to see him landing a good job in Spain, no doubt helped by his brief and unsuccessful stint at Manchester United. You sometimes get a feeling with managers that they’d only ever be suited to one league, one style of play and that was how I felt about Moyes. He didn’t strike me as someone willing or able to adapt to the demands of a league where more than results matter. His Everton side yo-yoed from brilliant to diabolical year on year while his United reign was an unmitigated disaster.

I will, however, admire his bravery for taking the plunge.

“It is something that we don’t report enough - British managers outside the shores,” Moyes said to the BBC ahead of his appointment at Real Sociedad. “It will actually help the development of coaches where you can come back and give a bit back to them - tell them the experience you have had working in Spain, Italy, Germany or wherever it may be.” And it’s true; more coaches should gain experience in other countries and learn different set-ups to aid their development. It’s not about copying another’s idea, but taking aspects from each place and creating your own unique perspective on how the beautiful game should be played.

Yet to truly succeed on foreign soil you need to embrace everything about your new surroundings and Moyes failed to do that in practically every aspect. His Spanish isn’t much better than the day he landed in San Sebastian: non-existent. There were one or two members of the squad and staff that spoke English but most didn’t and Moyes’ lack of effort to learn the language immediately casts you as an outsider. We laugh at old videos of Steven McClaren and Joey Barton as they spoke [in English] with a funny-sounding accent while abroad but that’s common when you’re attempting to speak a new, second language more than your first, native tongue. You never sensed that with Moyes even after his “Dos, tres, cuatro.. times.” It exemplified his time there as doing the bare minimal to get by but without any real conviction.

He didn’t even buy a flat or house, preferring the delights of his 5-star hotel. This further fuels the idea it wasn’t a long-term option for Moyes despite what he said in press conferences and to the local newspapers.

As someone that’s experienced the change of countries, I can understand the difficulties presented to Moyes while over here. There’s no job in the world that can compare to being surrounded by those that you love, be it family members or friends. There are still moments, even now, some 5 years later, when I suddenly feel a little alone. It isn’t about undervaluing what you have but simply remembering what or who isn’t here. The temptation to return must have been great over the summer but to his credit he decided to stay. I think if he had been honest with himself he would’ve admitted that a return was the wiser option.

Let’s move away from the non-footballing side of things to matters on the pitch. He was dealt a bad hand at the start, no doubt about it. The side he inherited was massively unfit and going through the motions under a manager that gave them too much freedom. They needed discipline and Moyes was seen as the man to administer it. He got them in much better shape before dragging them away from the relegation zone. The football wasn’t great but what it lacked in style it made up for in effectively, and that’s all the board cared about at the time.

This season he was expected to address the style of play and propel the side into the top half of the table, maybe even challenging for the final Europa League spot. He was handed Jonathas to score the goals and Illarramendi returned to add much needed creativity in the midfield. On paper, it’s a decent side and while Europa League football might be a tough ask with the added competition this season a top half finish was certainly within reach. Sadly, it didn’t quite click.

After every poor performance or defeat, you’d hear the same soundbites over and over again. “We were unlucky,” “We played really well” or “We didn’t get the decisions” came at such a common frequency you’d be forgiven for thinking Moyes was sat at home and a sophisticated robot had taken his place in the press room. Of course, all his comments had to be translated from English to Spanish.

While the personnel had changed the football on display hadn’t. I can’t remember watching a Real Sociedad game in the last year and viewing a philosophy being introduced. There were some crosses – ask United fans about them – but not a great deal else. Carlos Vela didn’t even want to stick around in the summer and tried his hardest to push for a move to the MLS. He stayed but made it clear he would be considering his options in January.

Jonathas hasn’t worked out too well either. He was given the chance to push on from his wonderful season with Eibar but couldn’t find his shooting boots. Although clearly on different levels in terms of ability, his situation and in-match choices match those of Cristiano at Real Madrid – both too desperate to score that they forget about their natural instincts and become one dimensional. Agirretxe came into the Real Sociedad side and scored straight away so the chances were being created but not converted.

In conclusion there are many factors why Moyes’ reign in Spain was doomed from the start. A large part of the blame must lie at his feet. You can’t commit just 80% to a new challenge; it has to be 100% or nada (in case you’re reading David, that’s “nothing” in Spanish). Look at Phil Neville as to how you do it properly.

If you can’t communicate your ideas to the players directly, or even make the effort to try, how can you expect the same back? Speaking of the players, it’s them who have let both Moyes and the fans down the most. Their performances have been dire. Perhaps tired of Moyes’ stringent training methods they were hoping a poor set of results would bring about a change. Well, they’ve got their wish now but are fast running out of excuses. With a tough fixture list ahead of them, it’s an unenviable task to take over at Real Sociedad – that’s probably why a relatively unknown Eusebio has been chosen to replace Moyes.