Everton have moved swiftly from a struggle to the warm embrace of mid-table – and it is largely down to the manager.
Sam Allardyce’s appointment at Everton was perhaps not as universally popular as it might have been, following links to more glamorous names in Marco Silva and Diego Simeone.
And the former England manager’s style was then criticised just days ago when the Toffees battled to a Merseyside derby draw at Liverpool.
The performance at Newcastle United on Wednesday was better, but not by much and it could hardly have been worse.
Yet, now, a glance at the Premier League table is all that is required to see that Allardyce has already been an instant hit at Goodison Park.
A top-10 finish might not match pre-season ambitions but, until Allardyce’s arrival, Everton had looked destined for a serious relegation battle – the type of which has not been seen on Merseyside in 15 years.
There is no danger of that now. Everton are four points clear of 11th-placed Southampton and eight ahead of the bottom three.
All 10 clubs in the bottom half are in trouble, given the tight margins between each place, and for Everton to be well clear of that has to be marked down as a success, given the start to the season.
Everton are unbeaten in four games under Allardyce, winning three, and it now appears the only way is up.
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