Real Sociedad need to toughen up mentally if they are to reverse a poor away record when they travel to Valencia to face Levante in La Liga on Saturday, according to coach David Moyes.
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Sociedad are yet to win away in Spain’s top flight this season and were thumped 4-0 at Villarreal and drew 0-0 at Deportivo La Coruna on their last two trips away from San Sebastian.
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With 15 matches played, they are 14th on 14 points, one place higher than when former Manchester United andEverton manager Moyes took over last month.
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“It’s very important to try to finish the year with a win,” Moyes told a news conference on Friday as Sociedad prepare for their final game before the two-week winter break.
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“We have to be stronger mentally and approach away games with the idea of getting a win and that’s something that we clearly have to improve,” added the Scot.
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“We need to be tough in defence so that it is difficult to score past us.”
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“I have to learn from the games at Deportivo and Villarreal and I have to find a way to win games away from home.”
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Moyes said he had no illusions about the amount of work needed to turn Sociedad’s fortunes around and achieve the club’s goal of securing a place in European competition for next season.
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Sociedad finished fourth in 2012-13 and qualified for the Champions League group stage, where they finished bottom of their pool.
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Last season they were seventh and secured a place in Europa League qualifying but were eliminated by Russian side FK Krasnodar.
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“The team is not showing that it can compete with the best and that is what I want to achieve,” Moyes said.
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“At Everton I was fighting for the top places and I want to repeat that here. There’s some tough work ahead in the next six months.”
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