Coach: David Moyes
Key signings: Jonathas, Diego Reyes, Bruma
Key sales: Gorka Elustondo, Enaut Zubikarai, Alfred Finnbogason
Last season: 12th
This season [predicted finish]: 7th
Predicted finish is the average prediction of the Football Espana team.
David Moyes begins his first full season in charge of Real Sociedad and, perhaps, the campaign that will come to define his career. Relatively successful at Everton and an outright failure at Manchester United, this is the Scot’s chance at redemption and, at least, the foundations are in place at Anoeta.
Moyes brings together a squad largely kept intact from the group that ended last season rather poorly. La Real won at Rayo Vallecano on the final day but it was only their second victory in the final 10 games, a run that included a defeat at doomed Elche and a home reverse to Almeria.
The poor result and performance against Los Rojiblancos led to Moyes reading the riot act to his players and a repeat after a friendly loss to Real Zaragoza, when three goals were conceded all from defensive mistakes, saw rumours of unhappiness surface only days before the season started. Moyes is nothing if not demanding, a my way or the highway kind of Coach, but it remains to be seen if it’s an approach that motivates or alienates his players.
Moyes has also complained about a lack of new faces, despite the Anoeta hierarchy having returned Gero Rulli, signed Diego Reyes from Porto, Bruma from Galatasaray and Jonathas from Elche. Moyes reportedly indicated he wanted a defender, a winger and a forward, and he’s got them. Keeping hold of goalkeeper Rulli is a particular success as the group that controls his registration tried to steer him to Valencia, only for the player to put his foot down after giving his word he would stay in San Sebastian.
Jonathas is perhaps the key. La Real greatly lacked a goal scorer in 2014-15 after selling Antoine Griezmann to Atletico Madrid and watching Alfred Finnbogason toil with little success. The Iceland striker has already departed, for Olympiacos, a sign of just how badly his year in Spain went. Jonathas, scored of 14 goals in 34 games for Elche, should be much better suited and, on a five-year deal, offers some stability.
Aside from Finnbogason there have been few outgoings of note. Enaut Zubikari has left after his contract expired, as has Gorka Elustondo, the midfielder signing for neighbours Athletic Bilbao. It’s perhaps because there are no Griezmann-style gems catching the eye of the bigger boys, but La Real will start the new season with largely the same players that ended the last. It should work in Moyes’ favour as he drills the squad into a hard-working, well-organised unit, familiar with his tactics.
Carlos Vela and the evergreen Xabi Prieto will carry the attacking load with Jonathas and the trio are one of the better attacking outlets in the middle of the Primera table. And barring a minor miracle that’s where La Real will be – top of the bottom, bottom of the top, but even that will be a boost to perceptions of Moyes after his Old Trafford nightmare.
