David Moyes Learns From Man United Failure In New Job At Real Sociedad

David Moyes Real Sociedad David Moyes will pass his biggest test because he already has learned from his greatest mistake.

Moyes is less than one week into his new job as manager of Spanish club Real Sociedad. If things go according to plan, Moyes will help Real Sociedad avoid relegation from Spain’s La Liga (first division) in 2014-15 and challenge for a top-six finish next season.

If Moyes succeeds in leading Real Sociedad back into European competition, his reputation will have been restored in at least two countries, and he will be a candidate for managerial jobs at big clubs in Britain and Europe once again.

It’s a far cry from where Moyes stood in April, following his dismissal as manager of Manchester United. Moyes was chosen to replace legendary predecessor Sir Alex Ferguson in the Old Trafford dugout, but his tenure lasted just 10 months after he oversaw Manchester United’s speedy decline.

Moyes’ fall from grace began shortly after he assumed the job at Manchester United. Moyes felt the security of a long-term contract and thought he had been given a mandate to change the club. One of his first moves was to fire Ferguson’s back-room staff and bring his own coaches, methods and ideas into the star-studded dressing room. He also lamented the lack of world-class players at his disposal before the start of the season. Manchester United players, most of whom won the previous season’s Premier League title under Ferguson, soon balked at Moyes’ way of working, and both performances and results suffered. Moyes’ job was under threat by Christmas, and he was out of work in early spring.

Moyes is taking a different approach at Real Sociedad. The support of chairman Jokin Aperribay and the fans enthuses Moyes, and the club has given him total control of soccer matters. However, Moyes won’t wield his power fully — at least not right away.

Moyes has chosen to begin his Spanish adventure on his own, declining to bring trusted staff members with whom he has worked for the better part of the last decade (at Everton and Manchester United). He likely will retain Real Sociedad’s current crop of coaches and analysts through the end of the season. He might keep them in the fold even longer.

Moyes will handle his squad similarly. At his unveiling, he told the media that he’ll evaluate Real Sociedad’s players in the coming weeks. When the January transfer window opens, he might add a couple of new faces, but he won’t make widespread changes. Real Sociedad doesn’t have the money to do so, anyway.

Moyes will reap the benefits of his charm offensive and use of soft power. Players, fans and his boss will repay the trust Moyes has shown in them by supporting him politically. The gap between the ability and performances of Real Sociedad’s players is the root of the club’s current problems. It’s easier for Real Sociedad to bridge the gulf if all parties are following the lead of their humble, new manager.

Without the personality clashes and out-sized expectations, Moyes will stabilize, build and thrive — as he did at Everton. Moyes is fulfilling his longtime dream of working in Europe, and it won’t be hard for him to achieve short-term success, having ably walked the tightrope that is his early days in the job.