Masterclass with Moyes has fuelled the boss in Billy
IT’S fair to say that Billy McKinlay has had better weeks than the one that began with him and David Moyes getting the sack at Real Sociedad after a string of disappointing results.
Back home in Glasgow to lick his wounds, however, Moyes’ No2’s mood has gradually lightened as he has reflected on what was, by and large, a massive learning experience in the otherwise unforgiving arena of La Liga.
By Tuesday night, the ex-Dundee United, Blackburn and Scotland midfielder was feeling a lot more positive about life as he joined the company of footballing heavyweights like Walter Smith and Sam Allardyce at the English League Managers Association conference at St Andrews.
And on Thursday morning he was beaming as he lapped up the comforts of his mum’s house with a roll and square sausage.
The past few days have allowed McKinlay to look back and, as much as he was crestfallen at losing his job after a year with the San Sebastian club, he insists there was much to be grateful for in terms of what he has picked up from working there under the tutelage of fellow Scot Moyes.
‘It was a great experience,’ said the 46-year-old. ‘Real Sociedad are a great club and it was great to come up against some outstanding footballing sides.
‘The big boys are something special. Real Madrid and Barca are the obvious ones but Atletico Madrid are also a major force and then you have Valencia, Villarreal and Sevilla.
‘To work with the manager in the past year has been an incredible experience. What he’s taught me has been brilliant. I feel fortunate to have been exposed to that.’
Despite a decade working as first-team coach and assistant manager at Fulham, McKinlay’s first experience as a gaffer in his own right turned out to be a brutal one when he was sacked by Watford after just eight days in charge.
Former Everton and Manchester United boss Moyes came to the rescue by enlisting him for the Spanish job last November, but McKinlay says even the pain of that adventure lasting just 12 months has not put him off becoming a No 1 again in future.
Asking for a fairer crack of the whip than he received at Vicarage Road, he said: ‘What is your definition of experience? I’ve been assistant manager to Martin Jol, Michael O’Neill and David Moyes at club and at international level. Just because I’ve not managed early in my coaching career doesn’t mean I won’t have the ability to manage later in my career.
‘Look at Steve Clarke. He worked under some of the best like Kenny Dalglish, Jose Mourinho, Gianfranco Zola and Bobby Robson. If that’s not learning about what’s required, then I don’t know what is.
‘Now I’ve just had a masterclass under David Moyes. I should be able to put that to good use. It’s something we’ll hopefully find out further down the line.
‘I’m not so sure I would swap the experiences I’ve had in the past six or seven years working under different managers, particularly David, for a year in management earlier in my career. I don’t think I would have received the same level of education.
‘I know there is a different skillset required between being No 2 and being the main man. A manager is under constant scrutiny, but we should never lose sight of the importance of preparing the team for the match on a Saturday.
‘So we’ll wait and see what’s next. The Watford job was so short lived. I always had a desire to be a manager and that’s still there.
‘What the Watford experience hammered home was that I’m not sure having a long-term plan is workable in the modern game because most managers are now only four or five bad results away from being shown the door. It’s ridiculous.
‘On a personal level, it’s time for reflection. I can’t predict whether I’ll work with the manager again. If he’s up for it, then I’d look forward to working with him in future.’
Despite the anguish of losing their jobs, Moyes and McKinlay can still hold their heads up. When they took over a year ago, Sociedad were 15th in La Liga, tipped for relegation. They steered them to a 12th-place finish on 46 points, just three points from a top-10 spot.
They had a memorable victory against Barcelona along the way and this was all done without adding a single player to the squad in the January transfer window.
Ultimately, the restrictions Moyes had to work under in the transfer market played a part in his downfall. He had to focus on signing players of Basque origin or promoting players from the B team even though they were not ready.
They could not prevent the team sliding to 16th place after four defeats in their last five games.
And, despite reports to the contrary, McKinlay insisted they did embrace the local culture and go all out to learn the language.
‘It’s difficult to pick up a new skillset in a short space of time,’ he said. ‘I went to college twice a week and the manager took lessons twice a week. We invested fully in the job. It’s wrong for anyone to suggest otherwise.
‘From my point of view, I attended school more in the past year than I did when I should have been there as a teenager! My mum will be pleased ...
‘The new language really made me think every day about what I was going to say to the players and how I was going to say it. I had to be more concise about how I got my message across. I felt it polished me up a little bit.
‘That’s another reason why I’ll continue to take lessons. I’m not giving up now.
‘We also socialised around the city. We were made to feel very welcome. We appreciated that. It was a fantastic place to live.’