year-and-a-half deal, the La Liga side announced on Monday.
Real Sociedad needed a convincing performance and David Moyes needed
convincing. There were about 10 minutes to go until kick-off against
Atlético Madrid on Sunday when the club's president, Jokin Aperribay,
spoke to a reporter from Canal Plus, the channel broadcasting the
game. He said that he hoped to announce the new manager the following
day and that there were two candidates: David Moyes and Pepe Mel.
Aperribay hit his target, but only just.
A few minutes before midnight on Monday, 24 hours after they had
defeated the league champions, Real Sociedad made an official
announcement. The presentation is expected to follow on Wednesday but
Moyes has agreed to become the coach at the Estadio Anoeta for the
rest of this season and the next one. His deal will run until 2016.
"MoYES", ran the front of the Basque edition of the sports dailyEl
Mundo Deportivo, the final three letters highlighted in bright yellow.
If the headline was inevitable, it was accurate too. In reality, there
had been one outstanding candidate and it was the Scot. The problem
was that Moyes had yet to be fully convinced, or at least to say so.
Conversations went back well over a week but the former Everton and
Manchester United manager had not yet said yes - he had actually said
no at one point - and some at the club were growing pessimistic.
Mel was the back-up option whose appointment became more likely. Then
as time slipped away on another deadline and Sociedad began to lean
Mel's way, Moyes at last communicated the decision that they wanted to
hear.
The meticulousness with which he contemplated this move was typical.
After the experience of United, Moyes needed to be sure that this was
the right decision, based not just on this move but on the next move
too. He had to emerge from this experience a better manager, both in
his own eyes and in those of others. He wanted to minimise the risk
and to ensure that he was aware of all of his options. Why open one
door if it closes others? If that meant waiting, so be it. He
carefully canvassed information and studied the squad, the club and
the city, asking about expectations and his prospects of success.
In the meantime, Real Sociedad defeated Atlético Madrid 2-1, under the
caretaker manager, Asier Santana. Moyes was not at Anoeta to see the
game but he surely watched it. The performance would have helped to
answer some of the questions he had posed, an eloquent comment on what
Sociedad were, are and may become.
They began the weekend in the relegation zone, with a solitary win in
10 games. The victory, secured with superb goals from Carlos Vela and
Imanol Agirretxe, saw them climb four places and demonstrated that
they should never have been so far down the table in the first place.
This was only their second win of the season, yet the other came
against the European champions,
Real Madrid. The gap between potential and position was laid bare once
again. Imagine what they could do with a real manager.
Andy Brassell on David Moyes returning to management with Real Sociedad.
Real Sociedad have declined quickly and alarmingly but arresting the
slide should not be impossible. Under the French coach, Philippe
Montanier, they qualified for last season's Champions League. He
departed, leaving the team in the hands of Jagoba Arrasate, his
assistant. Arrasate never convinced and his passivity alarmed. Fans
did not believe in him and, more damagingly, nor did the players. The
team lost identity and lost their way. Good footballers stagnated,
bereft of leadership.
They finished seventh last season but they have already been knocked
out of the Europa League and the slide continued. Little was done to
prevent it. It is Moyes's job to do so. His success at Everton, a club
in which Sociedad's president sees similarities to his own, is his
great calling card.
Moyes may look carefully at the goalkeeping position, vacated by
Claudio Bravo, and it seems likely that he will want greater width
and a more robust midfield, but there is talent in the team - Iñigo
Martínez and Vela are just two examples - even if some of it needs
teasing out once again. There is also the promise of more talent
emerging for a manager who will take satisfaction in development.
Fourteen members of the current first-team squad played for Real
Sociedad B. Much is expected of the central midfielders Jon Gaztañaga
and Rubén Pardo.
Over the last 18 months Sociedad have sold Asier Illarramendi and
Antoine Griezmann, plus Bravo, to Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and
Barcelona respectively.
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