Deportivo La Coruna vs Real Sociedad preview - Moyes aims to kickstart Sociedad - 7M sport

Deportivo La Coruna vs Real Sociedad preview - Moyes aims to kickstart Sociedad



Posted Friday, November 21, 2014 by PA

Real Sociedad staff have been learning English to help new manager David Moyes settle in at the Spanish club.

After a seven-month break, Moyes returned to football last week when he accepted Sociedad's offer to replace Jagoba Arrasate, who was sacked after leaving the club 15th in the Primera Division.

The move to San Sebastian is something of a leap of faith for Moyes, whose reputation took a battering in England after he lasted just 10 months at Manchester United.

But he says he has enjoyed his first week in the Basque country and is now looking forward to putting together a good run of results, starting with Saturday's trip to Deportivo La Coruna.

"The fixtures in the coming weeks look to give us the chance to pick up some points and I think we have to," the Scot told TalkSPORT.

"I believe the team are better (than results suggest). I would not have come out here if I thought otherwise.

"They are a team in the top six or seven of Spain and they are under-performing at the moment but we have to prove that, show it. Up to now, they haven't done.

"The challenge will be to get them motivated, inspire them enough and win the coming games."

Moyes has been impressed by his new surroundings - "It's a lovely place. The weather is great... there are lots of nice restaurants and bars around," he says - and the employees at the club have been doing their part to make him feel welcome too.

"I am starting my Spanish lessons over the next few days and they have actually got an English teacher here every morning," the Scot said. "All the staff are learning English. It's incredible.

"They are all up here early doing the English lessons, which is making it easier for me."

Moyes hopes to make himself more comfortable in the next month by adding some familiar faces to his backroom staff..

"I will in the weeks and months to come bring some of my own staff with me, a few people I want to work with me. At the moment I wanted to come out and I wanted to use the people here," he said.

Despite registering a shock win over Atletico Madrid during his two matches in charge, Sociedad dropped into the relegation zone under interim coach Asier Santana.

The club have only won one other match this year - although it did come against Real Madrid - but Moyes is sure he has done the right thing by taking charge of the strugglers.

"For my personal development, it was the right time," the 51-year-old said. "Working abroad is something I have always wanted to do.

"You come away to learn about the different culture, understand what players require in other countries.

"What the players are looking for here is very much what I have done at my previous clubs.

"And I have to say they have been terrific, they have been really responsive, they want the work, they are looking for everything we do so I have been realy pleased with the way they have gone about it."

Deportivo midfielder Haris Medunjanin thinks Moyes' players will be out to impress in their first game together.

"A player always has extra motivation to play well when a new manager comes to a club. Everyone wants to show they are good enough for a first-team place," Medunjanin told a press conference.

Depor are determined to win too, though, as they can climb above Sociedad and out of the relegation zone with a win.

"It is a final for us - the biggest game of our season," Medunjanin added. "We have to win."



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