Until a few weeks ago, Sliema Wanderers were being hailed as the surprise package of the Premier League this season.
Since the start of the Championship Pool, the Blues have continued to exceed everyone’s expectations to the point that they are now regarded as genuine contenders for the title.
Although Sliema have been at pains to play down talk of a possible tilt at the championship, they can no longer hide behind their modest approach as Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Hibs was their second over a title challenger, having upset Birkirkara 1-0 in their opening top-six duel before a creditable 0-0 draw with champions Valletta.
Italian coach Alfonso Greco, the man credited with Sliema’s revival, is understandably satisfied with his team’s progress but urged caution.
“Certainly the squad now has its own structure and identity,” Greco, who took charge of Sliema just before the start of the league campaign, told The Times.
“We’re doing well and our aim is to continue in this vein. We’re taking it one game at a time without making a lot of calculations.”
Greco admitted that the Sliema players are buzzing with optimism.
“The boys are happy,” Greco said. “They have a lot of enthusiasm and renewed faith. They are convinced that we can go far but we have to be cautious.
“At this stage, the games can offer many surprises. The situation at the top is close as there are five teams in a tight group, with one or two points between them.
“Even the Euro qualification issue is still open. We can’t drop our guard because we’d risk missing out on our European target.”
Sliema are sharing third spot with Hibs on 26 points, two behind Birkirkara and one adrift of Valletta. Tarxien are fourth on 25 points.
Greco still regards Valletta and Birkirkara, who go head to head on Sunday, as the main favourites.
“I think that Birkirkara and Valletta have something extra compared to the other teams,” Greco said.
Whatever the result of Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash, Sliema will be the main beneficiaries if they win their direct encounter with Tarxien.
“We have to do well ourselves,” Greco said. “We have to concentrate only on our game.”
Beset by financial difficulties for much of the past three years, Sliema had not been expected to challenge at the top of the Premier League this season.
News that Keith Perry, the Sliema president who has been working tirelessly to put the club on a sound financial footing, had signed a sponsorship agreement with an Italian investor was initially met with a few raised eyebrows as a plethora of foreign players, mostly Italian, and new coaching staff, led by Greco, joined the club.
Eight months on, those doubts have been emphatically dispelled.
Invited to identify the main reasons behind Sliema’s transformation, Greco said: “The lads were prepared to work from the first day I began to coach Sliema. They also embraced a different training methodology.
“The players deserve most of the credit for what we’ve done so far.”
At 43, Greco is still in the early years of his fledgling career but his impact on Sliema can only have enhanced his reputation.
The unassuming Italian, who came through the youth ranks of Lazio as a player, is enjoying his first experience in Maltese football.
“It has been a great experience for me, both on a human and professional level,” Greco said. “I’m happy here. It’s a nice environment and the atmosphere at Sliema is exceptional. The club showed great faith in me from day one.”
Greco is willing to stay as Sliema coach next season. “There are good possibilities,” he replied when asked whether he intended to remain in charge of the Blues for next season.
“My intentions... let’s say that I’d be happy to continue.”