As we all know, this has been the closest-run and most surprising Premier Leagues in many years (if not ever.) Lots of reasons are given for this, mainly related to the distribution of money, but it seems to me that an often over-looked reason is that there are more quality managers in the League than ever before, and many of them are not big names. To wit:

Bilic: I didn't think he was a good hire but he's done a superb job.
Pocchetino: To think as recently as September, some Tottenham fans wanted him out. Has now built good sides in his last two jobs.
Ranieri: I thought he was a good hire at the time and nothing has changed that. Knows what he's doing.
Pardew: Our recent blip notwithstanding, very much up to the job.
Koeman: Under-rated. Excellent last year and now turning things around again.
Hughes: What happened at QPR suggests the problem wasn't Hughes. A fine job at Stoke.
Neil: Norwich are not in the relegation zone and are punching above their weight.
Howe: Ditto, see above.

Meanwhile, the "big" names:

Pellegrino: Not bad, but underachieves given the team he has.
Van Gaal: Massively underachieving despite vast expenditure.
Pulis: Does what it says on the tin but no better than lower mid-table as always.
Allardyce: Now struggling to turn Sunderland around.
Martinez: Most over-rated manager in the history of the game.
McLaren: Newcastle's league position and defensive performance says it all.
Rodgers: Fired (Klopp jury still out.)
Mourinho: Fired (and Hiddink hasn't yet set the world on fire)

My point is, there's been a Changing of the Guard this season. The tried and tested "name" managers seem to have run out of ideas while a new generation of bosses is emerging to outwit them. What will be interesting in the summer is that Man City, Man Utd, and Chelsea at least will all be looking to hire someone new. Will they go down the same old route or recognise this shift, and bring in one of the emerging bosses. If I were them, I wouldn't be quite so obsessed with Guardiola. Frankly, anyone from the first list above would be just as good a bet.

The corollary to this point is that I think we might see a change in philosophy at the top. I may be wrong, but I think owners are going to tire of ploughing money in to buy success (with the possible exception of Man. City, but that's the Arab mentality for you.) It's a pyrrhic victory. With the possible exception of Spurs, all of the emergent teams have been developed with shrewd signings and good scouting, not wads of cash. I wonder if Abramovich and the Glazers aren't starting to ask "if we're signing all these fantastic youth players, why am I not getting a return for my money? Is it right that six months after breaking through, Ruben Loftus-Cheek wants to leave because he can't get a game?"

My guess is that at least one of the top teams will change direction in the summer, hire a manager from the first list above, and begin to take a different approach in the transfer market. Yes, big teams will always make one or two big signings but money alone may have had its day as a means to success. I also think with so many American owners they will learn that parity is a plus, not a negative, and that a more competitive league is good for all.

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.

Its a testament to how bad Sunderland actually were that they've improved under Allerdyce. I think now they have a chance of avoiding relegation, rather than being a certain companion to Villa.

I also suspect by the end of the season, the top four will look familiar, only Chelsea being excluded - And I suspect Liverpool will have crept into 4th place (Chelsea maybe now are going through a 'Liverpool phase').

Man City
Arsenal
Man Utd
Liverpool (maybe spurs).

Though I do really hope that Leicester City manage to finish top four.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
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Jamie -- you think Man Utd and Liverpool will finish ahead of Spurs? Wow. In my view, Spurs will finish third and may even make a run at the title. I'd go:

Man City
Arsenal
Spurs
Leicester

Yes. I think Leicester will hang on for fourth. If they were going to fall away, I think it would have happened by now. Liverpool and Man Utd have neither the consistency, the confidence nor the players to make the top 4.

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.

Agree with OP re Martinez.

Big team with some great players but managed by a championship standard manager. Paul Merson lost it about on him on soccer saturday and was absolutely right for a change.

this reminds me of newcastle last year no strikers losing games that shouldt be lost,. 32 points isnt safe,. adebiyour isnt good enough thats why he is going from club to club i wrote asking pardew when we were going to buy a proper striker all he said was conner wickham is a work in process,.its a bosses job to allow for injuries suspentions etc yet our back up seems so poor and it shows the diferance when you get bolasie back we beat spurs as white hart lane, but at west brom it was the old palace asleep for nearly half a game im begining to see the players are only interested in games they want to play and win need a kick up the backside with an attitude like that im very dispondant when you think we (the fans) are still here when the players have moved on,.i can see us back in the championship next season a week ago we were 50 to 1 to be relegated now we are 20 to 1 that says it are,.and yes ive lost faith in mr pardew as he obviously thinks he can get to safty without goal scorers mr parish isnt any better for not making pardew buy someone who is a regular scorer,no we buy players that score one every three games which isnt good enough to stay in the top tier,.yours gutted watching this every week ray

Ray Pickering,.any frends still alive and kicking should contact me,born sydenham se.26 1949 yards from sydenham hill estate,.

Largely how I see it. Allerdyce is a very good at what he does, fixing problems and getting a team out of trouble, but you can only do so much if you're not actually a player.

Ultimately, Managers probably account for a small amount of a teams results and form, according to Soccernomics, the best managers really represent around 10% or so of the result. Where as I think fans seem to think they are entirely responsible for whether the team wins, draws or loses.

End of the day, you have to do what you can with what you have, and who will sign for you. This is interestingly the first season in a long time, where economic power isn't defining the top four (its an influence).

One of the things I was thinking recently, is how Martin O'Neils stock went down after Aston Villa failed to achieve under him. Of course the reality is that Aston Villa under O'Neil were overachieving, which has become rapidly apparent.

Often its the manager who gets the flack, but in the modern age of football, there are far more people involved in determining squads, signings, who plays etc than just one man.

But I really want Leicester City to win the league this season, and become the sixth team to do so.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]