The climax to the 2016 TPL season is upon us and a time to look forward – and back to the journey of the team during the year.

With 6 games to go, my feeling is that the team is 100% safe from relegation – relegation that until 2 months ago looked a distinct possibility. The season started badly, with unexpected home defeats, poor performances and dwindling attendances. The team was in crisis – the team lacked spirit and pundits in the know were suggesting that Sugao Kambe’s coaching methods were lacking. As a mere on looking fan, I sensed that the players were lacking motivation and had lost respect for the coach.

The matches and performances lacked any kind of entertainment merit and I was not surprised that the fans voted with their feet – a nearly empty stadium at some of those early home marches was most disconcerting – but at least it was easy to get out of the carpark after the matches!!

The inevitable happened and Kambe was replaced. Milos Joksic, who had brought Pattaya United up into the Premier League, was appointed. He set a target of “top 10” and we all (well I did) cried “No chance!!!”.

What a revelation. An immediate change and some encouraging but not spectacular results. I am no tactician and upon asking some expert friends they could not detect an appreciable change in tactics but there was nonetheless a change. Joksic dropped local hero Noah Chivuta from the starting lineup and Bjorn Lindemann seemed “bjorn again” playing out of his skin match after match. He also made changes at the back and started playing Tagbajumi and Adiyiah together up front.

The squad seemed rejuvenated and a real spirit emerged on the pitch. Results continued to yield points as the team eased away from the bottom three. As I write the team sits in 11^th place on the same number of points as 10^th place Suphanburi.

So with games against Suphanburi and Buriram United next to test the team’s mettle and then 4 comparatively easy games against teams in the bottom five to conclude the season, a top ten finish does seem, after all a possibility.

So what of the season - well considerable relief if we avoid the drop, pleasure at seeing the improvement in the latter half of the season and optimism for next season – I really do think that the team are playing better now than they did last season.

A topsi-turvy season for sure keeping us all on tenterhooks for large parts…but hopefully with a happy ending.