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The Premier League is slowly squirming towards its final few months. And there's a lot of discussion about almost every single thing that could possibly happen, and what molds the very nature of gripping English football.
From the title race that just doesn't seem to be applying any brakes to the battle at the bottom, from the Golden Boot race to the permutations and combinations ahead of just over a dozen matches, the Premier League has seen it all.
Teams had come in with new strategies, systems, managers and players in order to achieve certain targets. However, as you'd expect, not everything has gone as per plan for every single outfit.
On one side there are the Spurs who, without any investment in the summer or the recently concluded transfer window, are right in the mix, piling pressure on heavyweights Liverpool and Manchester City. And on the other side there's Fulham, who despite having refurbished their squad, are languishing at the basement.
On that note, let's take a closer look at three clubs that have underachieved thus far in the season.
#3 Leicester City
Appointed in the wake of a thrilling footballing winter last season, Claude Puel's reputation and intelligence infused an idea of belief among the Leicester supporters, who had tasted many bitter defeats under Craig Shakespeare.
Fast forward to this winter, and Puel is on the brink of a sack due to highly inconsistent performances. This has not only hampered the club's progress in terms of stepping into a philosophy, but has also fractured many relationships within the club.
With just 9 wins in 25 games, not all has been good going for the not-so-long-ago Premier League champions. At the moment, the players, who were enticed to play quick passes and long balls and unlock lethal counter-attacking systems, are being made to play the possession-based game that Puel embraces.
They seem to build attacks and thread through passes with conviction, but there is a lack of cohesion when they go forward. A prime example of the aforementioned points is the situation of Jamie Vardy. A player who thrives on simple, quick and one-dimensional service due to his pace and ability to spin off defenders, is struggling for goals and confidence under Puel.
In the last seven outings, the forward has only netted once. And with Ricardo Pereira and Ben Chilwell not being efficient in this system of late coupled with James Maddison's lack of direct involvements, the Foxes don't seem to be hunting in a pack, after all.
#2 Fulham
You would be shocked to see a newcomer side in this small list, but given Fulham's investment on reinforcements and the style of football they exhibited in the Championship last season, many billed them as a side that deserves to ply its trade in the top-tier of English football.
However, the squad revamp has led to an absolute mess, as there seems to be more deadwood and selection headache than a substantial increase in personnel.
They have the beloved Claudio Raneiri, who has steadied the ship to the narrowest of extents, but has come in with the side in complete disarray. The Cottagers have shipped a league-high 55 goals and have mustered just four victories in the campaign so far. So much for a club that broke the bank over 10 times for new signings.
What has led to this? Firstly, it's the lack of trust in defenders. Second, the zonal marking followed by Ranieri's predecessor proved to be a nightmare while defending set pieces.
Lastly and most importantly, the West Londoners have tried and tested over five formations, which has not only tired out the players as they adapt to different roles, but also forced them to play out of their strengths.
It looks like an uphill task for Fulham from here on, as 17th placed Burnley are seven points ahead of them.
#1 Everton
This seems to be a list of leaky defences. And with that, we're sure you are reminded of Marco Silva, whose Everton back line is as flat as a pancake.
Let's begin with a few statistics. The Toffees have kept just six clean sheets in the season so far at a 24% rate. At Hull City, Silva had a 22% clean sheet rate, while the same was a paltry 21% at Watford.
Silva's volatile nature as a coach on the field has led to a host of problems at the back.
Much like how Swansea suffered last season, Everton are succumbing to defeats due to their poor defensive record, which is in turn hindering the attacking potential. Although they are in the top half of the table, Silva's side have only amassed 11 points from their previous 12 fixtures. Not to mention, they lost to Millwall as well.
Pressure is mounting on the coach, whose next five home league fixtures are all against teams that constitute the 'big 6'. The owner too has made no secret of his patience levels with the under-performing Marco Silva.
Despite having spent just over £80 million on the teacher's pet Richarlison, Lucas Digne and Yerry Mina, results have been hard to come by. For the start they got this season, similar to the start Silva has had at both Watford and Hull, the Merseysiders should be mounting a top 7 challenge.
