David Moyes made his first big mark in Spanish football last Sunday when his Real Sociedad side defeated Barcelona 1-0.
Despite dominating the ball, Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar simply couldn’t find a way through a determined Sociedad.
The result was a perfect reminder of how Moyes often got the better of the Premier League big boys at Goodison Park when he was in charge of Everton.
After a steady, if unspectacular, start to managerial life in La Liga, that victory was a real statement.
And it was possibly the first step on the road to redemption after his troubles in his reign at Manchester United.
Moyes’ progress at Sociedad is being watched with great interest by Sky Sports Spanish football pundit, Terry Gibson.
He was delighted to see a British manager follow in the footsteps of John Toshack and Ron Atkinson in San Sebastian, and he expects Moyes to do well.
But with the January transfer window now open, Gibson warns the Scot to avoid creating a former Premier League colony in Northern Spain.
“I hope there’s not too much of an influx of British players at Sociedad,” admits Gibson.
“I would hate to see five or six players arrive from the Premier League because that would upset the balance. But the team does need a striker.
“The club has really good traditions, based on most of the squad coming through the youth system, allied to one or two additions. So you don’t want to change that ethos.
“David Moyes has to accept Sociedad for what it is, because it’s a well-run club.
“Anyway, he has a good squad. They’ve lost one or two, but it’s mostly the players who finished fourth and seventh in the last two seasons.
“When the previous manager was struggling, I hoped a British manager might take the job because it’s a different challenge.
“For the rest of this season, David pretty much has a free run because Sociedad will clearly stay up, and they should finish in the top half.
“They’re not expected to get back into Europe, so a top-10 finish would be more than acceptable.”
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