Moyes’ sacking by Sociedad underscores British managers' poor record
Moyes' sacking at Sociedad shows how far UK managers have fallen
La Liga sent a note to the English Premier League yesterday. The message was Spanish, but it sounded Italian.
British coaching sleeps with the fishes.
There's no call for it on the continent and little demand at home.
David Moyes' sacking at Real Sociedad on Monday was not a surprise.
He always came across as a stuffy, Scottish square peg in a Spanish round hole.
But his short stay in La Liga said so much about British football's ignorance and unwillingness to adapt.
On arriving at Sociedad a year ago, Moyes promised to repair his fractured reputation after his ill-fated stint at Manchester United.
He was going to learn the language, blend into the local landscape and become a social chameleon; i.e. do the things that every foreign manager does without fuss in the EPL (all 12 of them, but we'll get to that).
The Spanish lessons were jettisoned almost immediately.
Moyes hadn't really got beyond "que" and "por favor" when he gave up on the native tongue, which didn't help the tactical nuances in team talks.
Unbelievably, Moyes admitted that some of the Sociedad players had taken English lessons in a bid to fit in. That's Spanish players, learning English, at a La Liga club, in Basque country.
Take a moment to consider the hysteria if Man United's mavericks suddenly took Dutch classes to ingratiate themselves with Louis van Gaal.
GOING DUTCH
Even if the thought of Wayne Rooney wrapping his Scouse vowels around Dutch might be worth the cable TV subscription, the indignant outcry would be unbearable.
But Moyes' sacking is a timely reminder of the dominance of foreign coaches in the English Premier League and the increasing inability of British managers to make an impact, even at home.
Consider the passports of the men in the dugout. Taking the current EPL standings, the managers are, in order, Chilean, French, Italian, Dutch, Argentinian, Croatian, Dutch, English, Spanish, German, Spanish, Welsh, Welsh, English, Scottish, Portuguese, English, English, English and French.
Taken at face value, eight native coaches out of a possible 20 doesn't seem cause for crisis (even if nitpickers point out that only five are English), but the caveats come thick and fast.
Only one - Alan Pardew - is in the top half and his meteoric rise with Crystal Palace already has him earmarked to replace Roy Hodgson. The English Football Association is hardly overburdened with options.
Three English managers are in the bottom four, underlining the reluctance of bigger EPL clubs to gamble on a local face.
At Bournemouth, Eddie Howe's purist principles are racking up plaudits, but not points. The homegrown hero staying true to his attacking philosophy on a shoestring budget makes him an endearing anomaly, but not a unique one.
It's a heartwarming narrative borrowed from Garry Monk.
According to reports, the Swansea manager has one game to save his job.
While Sam Allardyce and Tony Pulis, at Sunderland and West Brom respectively, are still considered the dour disciplinarians to call when over-indulged footballers are tiptoeing towards relegation.
Reaching deep into their coaching bag of cliches, they pull out the spirit, determination and the usual British tripe so often smeared across dreadful games to cover their shortcomings.
As those deep-thinking polyglots on the continent rely on tactical insight to progress, Britain's finest wear hearts on rolled-up sleeves and leave no cliche unturned.
When Moyes turned up at Sociedad, the manager did likewise, vowing to add some British grit to their game, because La Liga clearly needed it. Obviously.
IMPROVE
This was a well-meaning coach who once tried to improve the greatest centre-back partnership in EPL history by making them watch old Everton videos. Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were not amused.
It's hard to imagine the Spaniards being any more thrilled when they learnt of Moyes' intention to introduce a little British bulldog to the Real Sociedad mix.
The Scot did well to last a year.
His appointment was more than a clash of cultures. It was a clash of the past and the present. British coaching has been left behind by British football, betrayed by its own greedy, myopic league.
In La Liga, 17 of the 20 sides are managed by Spaniards. Serie A boasts the same figure for Italian coaches.
Even the Bundesliga has a healthier 11 out of 18, with two German-speaking Austrian managers ensuring there are 13 native speakers in the dugout.
In England, the figure is a forlorn eight and it's likely to fall further.
Moyes always said he felt lonely in Spain, but Pardew might say the same in England.
He's the only English manager in the top half of the table.
BY THE NUMBERS
8
Out of the 20 EPl managers, only eight are British. In contrast, natives occupy 17 out of the 20 managerial positions in la liga and Serie A.
Where next for Moyes?
David Moyes has been left to contemplate his next move again after being sacked for the second time in just over 18 months, with an unremarkable spell at Real Sociedad brought to an end on Monday.
The writing was on the wall after last Friday's 2-0 defeat by Las Palmas, with only the Scot's delayed flight back from Manchester extending his stay to a day shy of a year.
Moyes led the club clear of relegation to a 12th-placed finish last season, but leaves them only outside of the drop zone courtesy of goal difference, in almost exactly the same position at which he found them, with club president Jokin Aperribay finally losing faith in the 52-year-old.
PA Sport looks at Moyes' potential options as he looks to rebuild his reputation.
SWANSEA
Will Garry Monk pay the price for Swansea's run of just one win in eight matches?
If the job were to become available, then it would seem an ideal fit for Moyes, who over-performed as Everton manager before taking the ill-fated Manchester United job.
FULHAM
The Cottagers have a talented squad in the Championship and could be an attractive route back into English football for Moyes.
The job is up for grabs after the sacking of Kit Symons, and Moyes' experience could be just what ambitious owner Shahid Khan is after as he eyes promotion to the EPL.
CELTIC
Ronny Deila is the current incumbent but the club demand more than beating their domestic rivals on an annual basis, so could Moyes be the man to bring them some glory on the European stage?
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
The MLS has lured some of the Premier League's top players over recent years - could Moyes be set to join them? The appeal is certainly there for some, with less intense attention from the media.
LEEDS UNITED
It might seem absurd to link Moyes with the Leeds job with new manager Steve Evans making it back-to-back wins with last Saturday's 3-0 victory over Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield.
However, owner Massimo Cellino's record at Elland Road - there have been six managers in the last 18 months - means nothing can be ruled out.
Ex-Barca assistant coach takes over at Sociedad
Eusebio Sacristan has been named as Real Sociedad head coach following the sacking of David Moyes.
Former Everton and Manchester United boss Moyes was removed from his role with the Primera Division club on Monday.
And Sociedad wasted little time in announcing his replacement, with former Barcelona assistant coach Eusebio arriving on a deal that runs until June 2017.
Former Celta Vigo boss Eusebio has been without a club since his contract was terminated as Barcelona B's coach in February and is now tasked with taking Sociedad up the table.
He said: "I am proud and honoured to coach this club. It fills me with enthusiasm, the challenge of coming here to get to live beautiful moments.
"(The team) have all the conditions to grow and improve. Now (we) have to work and get that level of demand and commitment to change the dynamic and move forward."
Eusebio's first game in charge will be against Sevilla at the San Sebastian after the international break, before Sociedad travel to the Nou Camp to face defending Spanish champions Barcelona on Nov 28.
Moyes left with the club 16th after just two wins in 11 league games this season, while last Friday's 2-0 away defeat by Las Palmas was the club's fourth loss in their last five league games.
The club confirmed Moyes' contract termination on their website, before thanking him and assistant coach Billy McKinlay for the "contribution, professionalism and dedication that they have shown while in charge of the first team". - PA Sport.
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