David Moyes believes Real Sociedad's victory over Barcelona earlier this month sent a reminder of his ability as a manager as he gears up for Saturday's trip to Real Madrid.
Moyes was considered one of Britain's finest managers after an 11-year stint at Everton in which he failed to win any trophies but regularly finished in the Premier League's top seven despite limited spending.
That led to him being appointed Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at Manchester United in 2013, but he was dismissed in April 2014 after a disappointing first season in which the reigning Premier League champions missed out on Champions League football for the first time since 1995-96.
He returned to work in November with strugglers Real Sociedad, and has since overseen nine La Liga games, winning three -- including the 1-0 win at home to Barca on Jan. 4 -- and drawing four to lift the club up to 11th in the table.
He said in the Daily Mail: "Beating Barcelona, I hope that's a message. I hope it says, 'This is what he can do, this is where David Moyes works and he's done it with a side which wouldn't be expected to do it.'
"I hope it gave the supporters something to see -- that they have a manager who can compete at that level."
He added: "When I had watched them [Barcelona], I knew you couldn't play them without having numerous midfield players,' because they want to play through the middle you have to make sure you are compact. At times their combination play was so good and they do have the ability to go wide and round you but tactically we worked on staying tight and compact to force Barcelona to make more mistakes.
"I would have liked to have said, 'Right, we'll take you on,' but we're not at that level yet. I found that quite often at Everton. We weren't always at the level to take on some teams so we had to find another way of getting the result."
Everton did not win away to Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and United during Moyes' reign, but they enjoyed some memorable victories at Goodison Park and the Scot feels such upsets have become a defining factor in his career.
He said: "Maybe that's the reason I got the United job, because I won a lot of games at Everton that we weren't expected to. It wasn't done with a lot of cash but over a long period while trying to grow the club."
Sociedad have an impressive home record against Barcelona, with this month's success taking their record to four wins and a draw from their last five La Liga meetings at Anoeta, but history suggests they will face a much tougher test when they visit the Bernabeu on Saturday: they have lost each on each of their four La Liga visits to Real Madrid since returning to the top flight in 2010.
Moyes, though, is excited by the prospect of his first trip to the stadium.
"I've never been to the Bernabeu because I only ever wanted to manage a team there," he said. 'It was always my mindset -- that I wanted to take a team there and not just go to watch a game.
"Go back to the great games between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho and people would say to me, 'Come on, let's go out for the game,' but I'd find an excuse not to go.
"I hoped I would be taking Everton or Manchester United there in a Champions League quarterfinal but it wasn't to be, but I am going to do it another way this weekend. I've stuck to my deal."
He added: "I am enjoying being back in work and the challenge of working in a new country. I had never come up against Barcelona in a competitive game before -- and I've never come up against Real Madrid before. These are the reasons I came here. I thought if I don't take the opportunity now, when was I going to take it?
"The key is having a desire to immerse yourself in the culture. Learn the language, live your life the way they do. Maybe in time I'll have knowledge I can pass on to people who are thinking about coming here in the future."
However, he admits he is still learning about life in Spain, having gone into the crowd and eaten crisps with the fans after being sent off during a Copa del Rey game against Villarreal.
"You are never proud of being sent off but I am also trying to show the team that I'm fighting with them," he said. "I jumped over the fence and sat in the crowd. I didn't know you're not actually meant to do that in Spain. You've got to disappear."
Moyes also offered his support to Louis van Gaal, who -- despite extensive summer spending -- had recorded the same number of points in the Premier League as the Scot after 21 games.
"I don't think it's possible to rebuild United in a short period," Moyes said. "I don't think anybody could do that. Van Gaal is an incredibly experienced manager, who has won plenty of trophies, and he'll be finding it tough like I did. To turn United around quickly is not an easy task.
"Van Gaal deserves a bit of room because of his success. I hoped I would be given the same because I'd worked really hard to get in that position. You don't get offered the United job if you've not got a proven record, but I've moved on."