What can David Moyes take from his Real Sociedad experience to help him save West Ham?

Yesterday saw people from all over the world unite as they witnessed something strange, something unnecessary. People were confused as to how it could be allowed to happen. It seemed like no one, apart from those in power, felt this was the correct decision to take. No, not Twitter rolling out 280-character tweets but David Moyes taking over at West Ham United.

When you think of ‘fixers’ in football you don’t think of Moyes. Like many others, I expected to see the coach announce he was signing for Sky Sports rather than another Premier League team. Swapping the dugout for an office job, criticising the errors of others and recounting memories of what he achieved at Everton is much easier.

The new Alan Curbishley, if you will.

Dreams of the Champions League but West Ham are closer to the Championship

But it appears West Ham are more desperate than we first thought. The club is trying to break the mould and become a serious contender, this is their mantra. With the increased TV money, a stadium which costs pocket change to rent and the lure of London you can see why they harbour ambitions of making it. However the appointment of Moyes shows the reality of the situation compared to their dream scenario. It’s hardly Carlo Ancelotti, is it?

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To see the pending appointment leaked and the widespread condemnation is worrying. It changed nothing though as the decision had already been taken. If this was 2013 and Moyes saw the ceiling at West Ham as being higher than that of Everton’s, it would be quite the coup. As it is now, it’s like putting your hand down the sofa and thinking you’ve found a quid only for it to be a button instead.

To his credit, Moyes did abandon his safety net after the fiasco at Manchester United to coach abroad. Real Sociedad might not be the biggest name in Spain but it’s a historic club and one which was underperforming. It represented a huge change for Moyes to rebuild his confidence and restore La Real to the top four. They were, in a way, the ‘Spanish Everton’.

Moyes’ couldn’t adapt to Spanish life

When you move to a foreign country it can often sway between paradise and hell. There are moments when you embrace everything being different, from the language to the culture. And, if not visible, you feel like you’re becoming a better person. But there comes a point, after a few days or weeks, when you miss the familiarity of home, having a conversation and a plate of fish and chips.

One of the biggest criticisms of Moyes’ time in San Sebastian was regarding his adaptation to the region. After the initial buzz wears off, the ‘holiday phase’, it requires time and hard work to make it function correctly.

Moyes made an initial effort to learn the language, implement his methods and embrace the culture. But it doesn’t happen overnight and frustration is commonplace. If you give in to that frustration, the battle is already lost.

The British culture of laughing at those in foreign countries trying to speak the native tongue, , as shown above, is something I openly dislike. As the majority of those laughing only go abroad to areas where they speak English and can keep up with their soap operas. It’s not ‘loving Spain’ if you don’t try to adapt, it’s called liking hot weather.

Initial success at La Real soon faded away

Fitting into the culture at West Ham shouldn’t represent a tough challenge for Moyes. In his 20 years since becoming a manager he has only spent a year of that outside of the UK. But there will be similar challenges facing him at the Olympic Stadium which he struggled with in Spain.

The key facet is stopping the rot. At La Real he took over a side in crisis but who had just beaten Atletico Madrid. He won against Barcelona at home – even though the visitors have a horrible record at Anoeta – and the plaudits came in from around the world. Ten days later he was eating crisps in the stands after receiving a red card.

Avoiding relegation was easy but the team didn’t really find any rhythm under Moyes. The football was effective but far from pretty. Many of the first team squad were unfit when he came in due to the previous coach’s failings. He needed to conduct a new preseason in the middle of November. Moyes would be judged on his success, or lack of it, after a full summer to his name.

Despite being given the keys to the car, the engine still sounded like a bag of cans being dragged along the floor. It was a new season but the same problems were there. The players were unhappy. Moyes was like a boxer on the ropes, knowing the fight was over but wanting the referee to stop the contest. “I can still go, ref!” No, you couldn’t.

More than avoiding relegation, Moyes needs to restore West Ham’s self-belief

At West Ham he has another free pass for this season. The objective is to avoid relegation and Moyes should do that with minimal fuss. Some of the recruitment at the club has been questionable but there’s enough talent at West Ham to make sure they don’t remain in the fight at the bottom of the table for long.

The concern with Moyes is whether he’s capable of rebuilding a side like he did at Preston and Everton. How much did the experience at United really break him? Can he identify the areas which need strengthening and get those already on the books to buy into his philosophy?

In his last experience in the Premier League, with Sunderland, he bought poorly and saw the team drop into the Championship. Instead of offering solutions he made excuses. It’s concerning that Sunderland fans, who have seen their fair share of rubbish, were unanimous in wanting the Scot out of their club. There was no belief or trust he could lead the club to promotion. Quite the fall from grace.

Six months to decide what Moyes’ future in football holds

For Moyes the biggest battle appears to be within himself. Is the hunger still there? Or is this a man going through the motions, but his heart is no longer in it?

With just a six-month deal to his name, it hardly screams ‘we believe in you’ from the board either. This is a big test for Moyes to see whether he wants to remain in management long-term or accept a job in Sky’s studio this summer.

Six months is enough for us to get the answer to that query. West Ham will be safe under him but can they progress under his rule?