Unlikely clubs taste life in the top half
For those who follow the exploits of the less fashionable clubs in the Premier League, the current table has quite an appealing look to it.
From sixth to ninth are four teams that you would not have expected to be in such lofty positions when the season commenced.
The teams in question — Sheffield United, Bournemouth, Brighton and Crystal Palace — must be delighted how they have handled the first quarter of the season.
None of the quartet could possibly have expected to be above the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at this stage.
It probably won’t last, but the Blades, Cherries, Seagulls and Eagles can savour the present standings which at the very least have given them a very good chance of retaining their Premier League status.
A key ingredient in all four clubs is that they have managers who are creating the most out of limited resources.
Catching the eye have been newly-promoted Sheffield United who most pundits picked as relegation fodder at the start of the season.
With the exception of Blades supporters, one suspects that most people would be hard put to name any of the players. This is hardly surprising as some of them were playing in League One just a few seasons ago.
Their defence has been particularly effective, having conceded only eight goals in their 11 games this season.
Their good form continued last weekend when they cruised to a 3-0 victory over Burnley at Bramall Lane with John Lundstram scoring two goals and John Fleck adding the other.
A key factor has been the leadership of manager Chris Wilder, a former player for the club in the 1980s.
He took over in 2016 and won promotion for the Blades from League One in 2017. Two seasons later he took them to the Premier League after finishing runners-up in the Championship.
Down on the south coast, when Bournemouth finally reached the Premier League in 2015, it was little short of a miracle.
Just seven years earlier they were rock bottom of League Two with minus 17 points and on the brink of liquidation. The club’s very existence was under threat.
They amazingly escaped relegation to the Conference with a goal 10 minutes from time in the last match of the season.
Since then, under the guidance of inspirational manager Eddie Howe, who has led the club to three promotions, it has been little short of a fairytale.
Just like the Blades, Bournemouth were relegation favourites that first season in the top flight.
They are now in their fifth season in the Premier League after beating Manchester United 1-0 last week thanks to Joshua King’s strike.
They are hoping they can at least match their best-ever finish of ninth place.
With a capacity of just 11,700 at their Dean Court stadium the Cherries are easily the smallest club in the top flight.
Just how long they can keep this up remains to be seen.
Another south coast team, Brighton, have a somewhat similar story to Bournemouth except they have previously enjoyed a brief spell in the top flight between 1989-93 in the old First Division.
But in 1997 they only just escaped relegation to the Conference. Since then, they progressed through the divisions and after knocking at the door for a couple of seasons finally made it to the top flight for the 2017-18 season.
The Seagulls have struggled in their two seasons in the top flight, finishing 15th and 17th respectively, but this season they have shown more ambition under manager Graham Potter and their more expansive play has been rewarded with their current eighth place.
Rarely having been in the limelight, Brighton are probably best known for what happened in 1983 when they became one of the few teams to be relegated in the same season after reaching the FA Cup final, where they were eventually defeated in a replay by Manchester United.
Completing the unfashionable quartet are Crystal Palace who have had more experience in the Premier League than the others.
During the 1990s they were a classic yo-yo club, going up and down between the Championship and Premier League regularly.
But recently they have achieved some stability and are currently enjoying their seventh successive season in the top flight. During this time they have been remarkably consistent, finishing between 10th and 15th place.
However, two seasons ago they looked doomed. When Roy Hodgson replaced Frank de Boer, Palace had lost their first four games and had not scored a goal.
Hodgson couldn’t stop the rot immediately and after seven games Palace were goalless, pointless and seemingly helpless.
Yet, from that catastrophic position Hodgson turned it around and Palace finished the season in a remarkable 11th place.
Some might argue that Leicester City should be among the ranks of unfashionable clubs. But since those extraordinary events of 201516 when they won the title against all odds they have established themselves as a team to be reckoned with.
The fact that it is not a huge surprise that the Foxes are flying high again in third place indicates their new-found status.
Despite the tragic death of Thai owner, Vichai Srivadhanaprabha, they seem to have gone from strength to strength, especially with Brendan Rodgers at the helm.
Apart from playing good football they have a tremendous team spirit epitomised by Jamie Vardy who is currently the league’s top scorer with 10 goals.
But back to the four “upstarts”. It will be very difficult for them to maintain momentum and this weekend all four face very tough matches which could dent their league positions.
It is quite feasible that at the end of the season none of these quartet will be in the top half, but for the moment let them savour their day in the sun.