Real Sociedad begin the 2019/20 looking to make amends for a wasted 2018/19, but with heaps of promise. A busy summer on the transfer market has seen essential to a rebuilding project which looks to consign Asier Garitano’s short lived reign to the past, instead constructing a squad ready for Imanol Alguacil. Having been with the club for eight years as a player and now since 2011 as a coach, he finally has the job in the hot seat permanently.
This scout report will provide a season preview for Real Sociedad, providing a tactical analysis of the Basque side ahead of the 2019/20 campaign in La Liga.
Line-up
An analysis of the tactics of Real Sociedad must begin with their formation, which will almost certainly begin as a 4–2-3-1 shape. Variations of the deployment of this shape will certainly be seen, particularly in regards to how much width is shown. However, this formation is what has dictated their summer recruitment and has been the most evident set-up throughout their pre-season campaign.
What is up for debate is who will get the starting spots. Men like Alex Remiro, Diego Llorente, Asier Illarramendi, Mikel Oyarzabal and Portu are guaranteed their positions as the spine of the team, but many others are up for grabs. Transfer business this summer has strengthened the squad where there was once a lack of depth and that has meant that a number of positions need to be filled. Their selection may well depend upon the opponent, with Alguacil never settling for one specific line-up at any time in his pre-season preparations.
