That is the question. From the moment that Real Sociedad relieved their young coach Jagoba Arrasate of his duties (their phrase) on Monday afternoon, speculation has been rife in the European press as to the identity of his possible successor – not because the vacancy would normally attract so much attention but more because of the fact that David Moyes’ name has been linked with the job. In fact his name was in the hat at least a week before, when it was obvious that Sociedad’s poor start to the season was about to culminate in a managerial change.
Moyes is not the only candidate, of course. The other would appear to be Pepe Mel, mostly associated with Rayo Vallecano and Betis, but briefly the coach at West Brom in the Premier League last season too. Apart from the fact that both men have two legs, are 51 years of age and have surnames beginning with ‘M’, they have little in common. Moyes also appears to be the preferred candidate, so let’s talk mainly about him and why the possible move is attracting such interest.
GRAPHIC: Manchester United – Moyes vs Van Gaal (after 10 PL matches) #mufc pic.twitter.com/FZhPLHKmCk
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 3, 2014
The first point to make, however, is that Real Sociedad play a second consecutive home game this coming Sunday, against the fearsome Atletico Madrid. It’s hardly the sort of fixture they would have chosen to start to turn their season around (they are now next-to-bottom of the league), and on Tuesday night their official webpage revealed that the game would be presided over by the two coaches of the current ‘B’ team. This is an indirect way of saying that whatever the state of play with Moyes (and possibly Mel) the negotiations will not be sorted by the weekend – and even if they are, neither of these coaches-elect will take the team for the Atletico fixture.
Sources at the club today suggested to me that this is related to ‘financial differences’, a phrase that means that Moyes (not Mel) is asking more than Sociedad are prepared (or able) to pay him – but that is standard for the course. Arrasate was paid 300,000-euros-a-year – not an amount that the average man would sniff at, but small beer compared to the amounts most La Liga coaches earn. Moyes was on a six-year contract at Manchester United, and having been sacked after less than a calendar year, walked to the bank with £5 million in compensation. He is financially comfortable, and unlikely to be over-concerned with the salary that Sociedad’s sensible and frugal president, Jokin Apperibay, will have initially offered him in their meeting in London last week. But obviously he won’t come for peanuts either.
So the news that Moyes is in line for a return is interesting for football-related reasons only. His ill-fated venture at Manchester United became a cause celebre, and from gaining status and a certain prestige in footballing circles for his steady if unspectacular stewardship of Everton over an 11-year period, he became a figure of fun almost overnight for his seeming inability to cope with the greater pressures of managing a ‘bigger’ club (the inverted commas are inserted to placate any Everton fans reading). And of course, when a big club falls from grace, as United did last season, it becomes major news. Moyes had the misfortune to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson, in charge at the Theatre of Dreams for 27 years – a fact that almost guaranteed a theatre of nightmares for his successor. But Moyes could hardly refuse. Conservative by nature, and nicknamed ‘Dithering Dave’ by the largely sympathetic Everton fans, he was in an impossible position. Stay at Everton and be accused of a lack of ambition, or move to United and face the inevitable post-Ferguson dysfunction. The latter happened, and the rest, as they say, is Moyes’ present ‘sabbatical’.
Whether United’s stumble last season was Moyes’ fault or was due to the simple fact that he inherited a declining team in transition (cynics say that Ferguson chose his exit year shrewdly) is not a concern for Real Sociedad. Moyes is a name, and comes with a certain cachet. The modest Basque club is a discreet and well-run institution, and has rarely gone for big-name managers, preferring to promote from within (as in Arrasate’s case) or employ unassuming figures prepared to work within the club’s ‘cantera’ (youth development) policy. John Toshack was their last big-name manager, and even he is not a member of the coaching jet-set. Moyes would certainly represent a shift in policy, although he himself prefers to portray an image of old-school stability and discipline. There is something rather dour and Presbyterian about him, which won’t bother Sociedad in the slightest, as long as he can turn them around and arrest their current negative dynamic.
David Moyes can show what he’s made of if he takes @RealSociedad job, says @GuillemBalague: http://t.co/voi0GaHP2p pic.twitter.com/k9kQL0rKXd
— Sky Sports La Liga (@revistadelaliga) November 4, 2014
Thereby hangs the tale. Is Moyes the right man for Real Sociedad, and is Real Sociedad the right club for Moyes – at this juncture? Well, if the Scotsman ever sees this article, then I can tell him that the city (San Sebastián) is possibly the most beautiful in Europe, a hidden gem of a resort with great food and great scenery. It certainly beats Southport on a Sunday afternoon. He’ll be well looked after, and well-received, and the Basques are respectful and unassuming, never overcrowding famous people. The club is well-run, and has a very special Basque identity. Its youth policy, recruiting from a region smaller than Wales, is the sixth most productive in Europe, in terms of producing professionals, ahead of neighbours Athletic Bilbao and only two places behind Barcelona’s famous Masia factory, according to a recent poll.
Although their only two league titles arrived in the 1980s, they are historically in the top ten Spanish sides, in terms of seasons spent in the top-flight. They do now recruit from greater Spain and Europe, but prefer to keep these signings to a minimum, and work a Basque-based policy. Moyes would be expected to respect and follow this philosophy, one he has not been renowned for. His forte at Everton was to maintain the club at a competitive level by shrewd purchases in the transfer market, and the main gem of his early Everton youth team, Wayne Rooney, left under a cloud two years after Moyes’ arrival. To expect Moyes to suddenly become the nurturer of Basque youth, at 51 years of age and a career of doing things differently, is a little improbable. If he signs, he is more likely to bring members of his previous backroom staff over (Sociedad have also sacked Arrasate’s support team, presumably in anticipation of this) and use his knowledge of the British market to make some signings at Christmas. Whether this is the way forward is debatable.
Sociedad have a good squad. Carlos Vela is just the most famous name, but there is a whole host of excellent young players who simply need to regain their confidence within a clearer framework. Arrasate, in the end, was unable to provide one. Moyes could supply this, but the immediate problem is garnering points. Anchored down at the bottom, a season after playing Moyes’ United in the Champions League, the squad has lost the excellent Antoine Griezmann to Atlético and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo to Barcelona, but there is quality enough to move up the table. But Moyes speaks no Spanish, has been comfortably holed up in Lancashire since the early 1990s (he was at Preston before Everton) and has no experience of coaching abroad. He may be happy to accept a new challenge, vindicate himself and restore his good name, but in the meantime, Sociedad need points. They may not be able to afford Moyes the time to settle in and adjust to the new lifestyle and the very differing demands of La Liga.
Pepe Mel, on the other hand, does speak Spanish, knows La Liga like the back of his hand, and is popular in San Sebastian for publicly defending the club three years ago, when they were unfairly implicated in a doping scandal. He may not have Moyes’ name and fame, but at the moment, he’s probably the better short-term choice. Moyes should continue his holiday, sign up for some Spanish lessons, and apply towards the end of the season. That would be just fine.
Follow Phil Ball on Twitter: @philballtweets
