The unfashionable Borussia Monchengladbach are Favre of the month in Germany, as they continue to defy expectations and slug it out with the Bundesliga's big boys.
Last year, The Foals secured a remarkable third placed finish, landing them in the Champions League for the first time in their history - though they did finish as European Cup runners-up in 1977.
That unprecedented success was masterminded by Swiss coach Lucien Favre, who was promptly touted as a potential long-term successor to Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich, and heavily linked with the Newcastle job before Steve McClaren was appointed.
His success in waking a sleeping giant, and taking them from relegation zone to European qualification, was quickly undermined by a disastrous start to this season - and, after five straight league defeats, he handed in his resignation.
But that slow start didn't condemn last year's successes as a one-off campaign. Under the guidance of new boss Andre Schubert, initially as interim coach before being handed the position permanently, Gladbach have rediscovered their form - winning seven out of eight league matches since.
That has restored them to fifth place, just two points off Wolfsburg in third.
At the centre of the club's rise are young players discarded by English giants. In the number ten role is Thorgan Hazard, brother of Eden, whose loan move was made permanent in the summer.
Danish defender Andreas Christensen followed Hazard from West London, joining on loan for the season, while Norway international Havard Nordtveit has excelled since arriving from Arsenal for a nominal fee, replacing USA star Michael Bradley when he departed.
Alongside Nordtveit in midfield has been the real star of the show, though - with Granit Xhaka featuring highly on the shortlists of European super-powers for several seasons now.
The dynamic Swiss star has earned comparisons to Bastian Schweinsteiger for his box-to-box energy, and has grown in stature to be a leader at Gladbach. But, with just 18 months left on his contract, it's no surprise that Arsene Wenger is eyeing Xhaka as the midfield enforcer his Arsenal side lacks.
And he might not be the only member of Gladbach's cast of 2015 heading to England. While former boss Favre insists he is enjoying some time off - it's trendy for managers to take 'sabbaticals' now - he'll find his recent rise in profile even more exhilarating.
In some quarters, at least, he was a serious contender for the Liverpool job - and would've been interviewed had Jurgen Klopp not been available.
Though it seems most likely that he'll take the next big-ish Bundesliga vacancy, the Swiss could be tempted to bide his time for a Premier League post - where he is very much in Favre.
