Lacking charisma & attacking intent, Moyes' Sociedad looks familiar

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  • Why is David Moyes falling short at Real Sociedad?

    Ask someone about David Moyes’ time in Spain and they will most likely pick out one of his comical moments. Whether it be eating crisps with supporters after being sent to the stands, his mispronunciation of Asier Illarramendi’s name or him shouting instructions to ‘Stefano’ despite not having a ‘Stefano’ in his squad.

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    His biggest achievement to date is defeating Barcelona 1-0 and in deserving fashion back in January. Even then though, he can’t escape the jokes, as Cules later hailed him as some sort of saviour who helped the Catalans kickstart their ascent towards a historic Treble after that controversial night in San Sebastian.

    When Moyes took over at the Anoeta last November following Jagoba Arrasate’s sacking, Real Sociedad were 15th in La Liga, worryingly close to the relegation zone and a team lacking confidence and strong leadership.

    In the 11 games before his appointment last season, La Real had won twice, albeit against Real Madrid and Atletico, drawn three times and lost six – shipping 16 goals. It had been some fall considering they were rubbing shoulders with Manchester United – Moyes’ United no less – in the Champions League the previous season. A once vibrant outfit, built on organisation and an ability to swiftly cut through rivals on the counter-attack, were all over the place – looking lacklustre and in need of a change.

    Moyes was the man charged with steadying the ship and that is unquestionably what he’s done. Some suggest it’s all he’s done. Highlights have been few and far between. Other than beating Barcelona, he’s managed a win over Europa League champions Sevilla and remains unbeaten against fellow Basque sides Athletic Bilbao and Eibar, but has struggled to build on that. There hasn’t been much to get excited about as La Real eventually ended 2014-15 in 12th place. Moyes is known for wanting his teams to be organised and well-drilled before anything else and to an extent he’s achieved that, managing 10 clean sheets in the league with a defence that is significantly tougher than before he took over.

    It’s at the top end of the pitch where things are far from where they should be though. In the 27 league matches Moyes was in charge of last term, La Real scored more than one goal just seven times; four of the Scot’s nine victories were by a 1-0 scoreline. Moyes may have improved La Real defensively but going forward they were extremely dull, devoid of creativity and a clear idea of how to attack. The ex-Everton boss insisted the squad was in need of new blood. Pace and power were the attributes he craved and his wish was granted by chairman Jokin Aperribay, who forked out €24 million (Dh100m) in the summer market.

    Troubled times for David Moyes at Real Sociedad – started the season with no goals and two points (0-0 draws) from three games.

    — Andy West (@andywest01) September 13, 2015

    Jonathas, the striker who was a breath of fresh air on loan at Elche last term with 14 goals, was recruited. The Brazilian’s energy, ability to link up and aggression made him the perfect fit in Moyes’s desired counter-attacking system. In the wider areas, the loan signing of Bruma could offer more dynamism and trickery in the final third while a club-record fee of €16 million (Dh67m) was spent on bringing Asier Illarramendi back to the north of Spain in the hope he could use his Real Madrid experience to elevate the team, adding extra control and balance.

    Yet, three games into the new season, the situation is worse than it was at the end of the last campaign. La Real drew 0-0 in consecutive weeks with Deportivo and Sporting Gijon, and lost 1-0 to Real Betis last weekend, despite the newly-promoted side playing with 10 men for the whole of the second half. Over the three matches they have managed just 11 shots on target against teams they would expect to beat.

    They are still rigid, displaying little coordination or charisma and look lost when they enter opponents’ defensive third. At the Benito Villamarin last Saturday, they showed signs of a desperate team with no invention as they aimlessly launched cross after cross into the box in search of an equaliser.

    The midfielders’ ball circulation is poor, often going sideways and back instead of attempting a daring forward pass that would break defensive lines. Very rarely do La Real look like penetrating as a collective unit, rather they rely on the individual brilliance of Carlos Vela to supply them with a few decisive moments. Either Moyes isn’t getting his ideas across clearly enough or his players aren’t enjoying the methods he’s implementing. Either way, it doesn’t look good.

    Of course, it was initially understandable that Moyes wouldn’t find the correct formula straight away. After all, it’s the first time he’s worked outside Britain in his 35-year career as a professional – the language and difference in culture on and off the pitch present obvious difficulties. Having had close to a year in San Sebastian, however, working closely with core players, plus the new signings he desperately wanted, the Txuri-urdin faithful are entitled to expect more from a team brimming with talented individuals.

    "Having had close to a year working closely with core players and new Signins, La Real are entitled to expect more from a team brimming with talent."

    There are leaders in this group – from veterans Xabi Prieto and Alberto de la Bella, to Inigo Martinez and Ruben Pardo – who are at the opposite ends of their careers but have been in the side long enough to know what’s required of them. Gifted technicians are hardly in short supply either with the likes Carlos Vela and Sergio Canales, who on their day are a joy to watch. There are goals in Jonathas, Vela and Imanol Agirretxe – the trio hit the back of the net 31 times in 2014-15. There are plenty of exciting youngsters such as full-back Joseba Zaldua and Geronimo Rulli in goal, while on-loan Porto centre-back Diego Reyes has slotted in nicely and has been the standout performer in the opening weeks of the season. Surrounding them is local Basque experience to help them grow in stature.

    Many managers operating on a shoestring budget in the league would love to have this squad, but for some time the performances have been underwhelming. A team that should be full of vigour and drive are unable to express themselves and that is down to the manager keeping his players on a tight leash.

    Coaches such as Marcelino and Eduardo Berizzo understand the importance of maintaining effect without the ball and at the same time give their players freedom with it to extract their maximum potential. Moyes, however, is far more cautious which is restricting the potential of his team.  

    David Moyes is a project man. He takes on a job and tries to build over time and given how much Aperribay wanted him at the helm, he’ll get the time to make a success of his Spanish expedition. But the Basques are a proud bunch and make no mistake about it, Real Sociedad are seriously underachieving. Europe is a realistic target this season, anything other than a solid fight for it would continue La Real’s downward trajectory.

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