Moyes: A Job Well Done

David Moyes feels that United’s 1-0 win over Real Sociedad should have been by a wider margin than the final scoreline.

The Reds stayed ahead after Inigo Martinez’s own-goal after just two minutes, but could not get a second, hitting the woodwork and not converting several good chances around the Spanish side’s penalty area as the game wore on.

The visitors also rattled the woodwork either side of half-time, but the boss felt that the Premier League champions deserved the win that leaves them unbeaten and on top of Group A by a point from Bayer Leverkusen.

“It was a job well done, a good performance,” he declared. “I was frustrated we couldn’t kill them off because we had the same on Saturday, with a goal in the last minute. Today we had that feeling around us, but if we had scored five or six today it wouldn’t have been out of place. We had an awful lot of opportunities and didn’t finish it off.

“We gave away a couple of free-kicks on the edge of the box, and I was concerned about that. A couple of the decisions didn’t quite go our way tonight, but it was a good result. We had to win the game at home.”

Wayne Rooney, instrumental in the night’s only goal with a fine run and shot that rebounded off the post to Martinez, was at the heart of United’s performance and could have had a second when he shot wide in the second half. The striker, who turns 28 the day after the meeting with Real Sociedad, earned a glowing tribute from the manager, not just for his latest performance but for his efforts since pre-season.

“He (Rooney) was absolutely terrific tonight, he was great,” Moyes added. “Overall, we played really well, and I thought we had some really good performances throughout the team.

“We just want a top player like Wayne to play well, and he is. I have said from day one that he was great, his training was great and he looks in really good shape. We trained him hard to get him as good as possible, and I think that not only Manchester United but England are seeing that as well."