David Moyes: Where does the former Manchester United manager go from here?

Almost a year to the day it began, David Moyes's marriage with Real Sociedad has come to an end. The former Manchester United manager has left the Basque side marooned near the foot of La Liga despite the club embarking on their most expensive summer in their 106-year history just months ago. It was meant to be a move that would re-enhance the reputation that took so many blows at Old Trafford. It didn't work.

The results achieved under the Scot at the Anoeta Stadium have been bad enough - the 2-0 defeat to bottom side Las Palmas on 6 November was the apex of those woes - but it is becoming clear that the defining factor in the decision on 9 November was his inability to grasp what Real Sociedad demand from the man representing them.

That feeling was most succinctly summed up by one of the Basque region's most reliable journalists, Iñaki Izquierdo, who wrote on 7 November for Diario Vasco: "The manager still bears the impression of someone who has only just arrived and does not understand the club, the players, La Liga, San Sebastian, the opponents, the referees, the language or even the timetables."

Even Moyes's decision to live out of a five-star hotel rather take residence in more modest surroundings contributed to his downfall. As noted by IBTimes UK writer Oier Fano Dadabat, Real Sociedad supporters identified that decision as a real lack of humility from the manager, a quality cherished by people in the north of Spain.

Disaster at Old Trafford

Throughout his spell in The Basque country, Moyes was often asked about a return to English football. His spell at Old Trafford was an unequivocal disaster, but surely memories aren't so short that his 11 years at Everton mean he is now irrelevant?

A simple route back to these shores would have been the Scot landing the manager's job at Sunderland or Aston Villa. But in the recent appointments of Sam Allardyce and Remi Garde, both clubs have made impressive appointments that, on paper, tailor to their respective needs right now more than the appointment of Moyes would have.

Somewhat bizarrely, Swansea City manager Garry Monk is now a firm favourite for the next Premier League manager to lose his job. While a move to the Liberty Stadium would most likely represent an enticing prospect for Moyes, the South Wales club have spent the past eight years building a footballing philosophy that appears to be directly at odds with the Scot's approach.

Roberto Martinez, Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup have all led the side with an accepted style that now defines the Swans, something Monk has built on since his appointment in 2014. In the event of the club's former captain being moved on, it seems unlikely the club's decision makers will deviate from a long-term vision they have spent so long honing.

A move to Scotland or perhaps London?

Ronny Deila remains under pressure at Celtic with the Daily Record wasting little time in speculating upon Moyes's arrival at the club, despite the fact the Norwegian is still currently employed. Had Steve McClaren not left Bournemouth with three points, you feel Newcastle United would have been another possible next destination, although that win does seem to have bought the former England boss some respite.

Would vacancies at Fulham and Queens Park Rangers interest the former Everton manager? A drop down to the second tier of English football for a man who was Sir Alex Ferguson's hand-picked replacement just two-and-a-half years ago, would be quite a stretch, but not an unimaginable one.

While in Spain, Moyes mused the idea of working in Germany later down the line. Does that desire still burn after the acrimonious end to his spell in Spain?

A three-time LMA manager of the year award winner, Moyes has undeniable pedigree in the Premier League. But with realistic options in the top flight currently at a premium, he may have to wait a while before someone comes rushing.