At the beginning of the season, no one saw this coming. Nobody predicted that, with a month to go, the bottom three in the Premier League would consist of Southampton, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion.
These were model Premier League clubs, providing a pertinent example to aspiring Championship sides of how to survive in the self-styled most competitive league in Europe. Apparently sensibly led, shrewdly operated, they seemed to have anchored themselves in the division, wisely using the bounty of sustained membership to buff up their infrastructure and improve the quality of their playing staff.
How deceptive appearances can be. Sure, as the season began, there were grumbles among the supporters...