Sport
WHY MOYES WILL BE BACK IN THE EPL BEFORE SEASONS END
David Moyes took the bravest of decisions around this time last year when, seemingly unable to secure work in England, he decided to try his luck on the continent.
Louis Van Gaal’s relative failure in the early part of his first season at Manchester United gave some perspective to Moyes’ tenure at Old Trafford, and it would be Real Sociedad that were the grateful recipients of his football nous and sterling work ethic.
The Scot had trouble adjusting to the language as might be expected, and early results probably reflected his inability to fully get his ideas across.
However, a deserved win over Barcelona at the turn of the year ensured that this supposed figure of fun had to be taken seriously. And rightly so.
His achievements at Everton were conveniently swept under the carpet because they didn’t fit the narrative of this supposed failure.
Moyes took the United job for the right reasons but in hindsight, being the man to follow Sir Alex Ferguson was always going to present significant problems.
No matter. A Spanish adventure gave him some breathing space and time out of the firing line, and there was enough over the course of his first half season in La Liga to suggest that Moyes was capable of building something tangible and long-lasting in San Sebastian.
The summer transfer window would also afford him a chance to mould the squad to his liking.
Unfortunately the first few games of the 2015/16 campaign haven’t panned out quite as he’d hoped and, if anything, the side has regressed.
New signings haven’t worked out, old signings aren’t playing particularly well and Moyes seems unable to inspire. Lost in translation again evidently.
At the time of writing La Real sit just two points off of the bottom of the table and haven’t scored in four of their seven games.
Over the course of the next six they have to play Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Celta Vigo and a resurgent Sevilla.
If the tide hasn’t turned by then it’s a fairly safe bet that Chairman Jokin Aperribay will look closer to home for a new managerial appointment.
Moyes won’t go down without a fight but there is a sense of inevitability to his tenure.
Yet as one door closes, another will surely open back in the comfort of the Premier League. Back home.
The reluctance to employ him on these shores immediately post-United should no longer be there, despite a less-than-successful sojourn abroad.
Football people in the UK know what David Moyes is about and will have appreciated that he suffered, as anyone would have, under the weight of incredible expectation at Old Trafford.
Everton remain a force because of the ground work that Moyes did over a number of years and that he retains the respect of almost all of the professionals that he worked with on Merseyside and in Manchester speaks volumes.
By Christmas time, we can be almost certain that one or two positions will become available. Tim Sherwood is hanging by a thread at Aston Villa, and Steve McClaren isn’t safe despite the dreaded vote of confidence at Newcastle.
Neither job is too big for the Scot who can expect other offers once it becomes clear he is available for work in England again.
Moyes was never a bad manager, it was bad timing that authored his downfall.
Time to rise up again…
