Stade Malherbe Caen, just that quiet, little club from Normandy right? Whilst that may be, it is time credit was given to this hard-working team led by coach Patrice Garande. Whilst Friday evening’s surprise home defeat to Nantes will have dampened spirits, it will only be momentary as by and large it has been a very successful start to the season for the Normand side.

Currently sitting fourth in the table after 11 games, Caen, along with Angers, have been the big surprise package in Ligue 1 this season. With rumours of in-fighting and behind the scenes crisis issues at some of the more established sides in the division, Caen have managed to blossom thanks to a settled, harmonious squad assembled by the highly rated Garande.

After a successful first season back in top flight last year, the 54-year-old saw an exodus of quality young players as Thomas Lemar, N’Golo Kante, Lenny Nangis and Emiliano Sala all moved on to pastures new. With this number of significant departures, many observers expected Caen to really struggle this season.

It is fair to say that President Jean-Francois Fortin’s primary concern this campaign would be retaining Ligue 1 status. Garande therefore quietly went about making some very shrewd acquisitions that would allow Caen to achieve just that. Established players at this level were brought in as well as a couple of younger players returning to the French leagues.

The core of the newcomers were Ronny Rodelin and Jonathan Delaplace from Lille, Vincent Bessat from Nantes and Andy Delort from his struggles with Wigan Athletic. Garande has shown an ability to get the best out of players either past their prime or playing below their level.

Rodelin is the perfect example of this. During his time at Nantes and throughout his four seasons with Lille, Rodelin flattered to deceive. Ask any Lille fan and they’ll tell you there is a talented player inside him but for some reason he has been unable to reach that level on a consistent basis. Since his summer switch to Normandy, Rodelin looks a new player with two goals and an assist already. The reason for this turnaround? Perhaps freed from the pressure of expectation; maybe thriving in a team more accustomed to an attacking style of play; or possibly feeling a bit more loved under the guidance of Garande than he did under Rudi Garcia or Rene Girard.

Talented goalscorer Delort is another who has rediscovered his confidence under his new coach. After making his name in Ligue 2 with Tours, Delort made the move to England and Championship football with Wigan Athletic. Unfortunately it was a move that just didn’t work out for him. A loss of form combined with limited opportunities meant he only lasted half a season before returning to Tours on loan. Caen pounced in the summer to secure his services on a permanent basis and his impact has been immediate. Goals against Marseille and Saint-Etienne secured the most significant wins so far this season and have led to some suggesting whether a continuation of this form would deserve a call up to the national side.

Aside from the new players brought in, Garande has been able to rely upon seasoned players such as Remy Vercoutre, Alaeddine Yahia and Julien Feret. The latter, in particular looks as good as ever after an excellent first season with Caen. The classy playmaker has both scored and made two and is the key man who makes the team click. His range of passing, vision and ability to look like he has all the time in the world is a joy to watch at times.

It is a testament to Garande’s ability as a coach that despite having the lowest average percentage possession in the division, Caen have been able to grind out so many wins. Each of their seven victories this season have come despite Caen having the lesser share of possession. It’s an area ultimately that the team will want to work on as it is not a statistic that is the basis for long-term success but for the time being it is working and Caen are taking advantage of that.

As with someone like Jocelyn Gourvennec at Guingamp, it feels like there is a real affinity between coach and club. Garande has been involved with Caen for 10 years now and each year since he took over as coach in 2012 has seen a progression. Hurdles are overcome in a calm and measured manner and it’s rare you hear a bad word said about him. The famous poet and critic Francois de Malherbe, whom the club are named after, is famous for preaching the practice of technical perfection and a focus on simplicity. These are theories that seem to be the very ethos of Garande’s philosophy with Caen.

Normandy is a famous producer of cider and so it seems apt that there is a feeling that with Garande at the helm, the region’s biggest football club can enjoy a vintage season.