In the summer of 2016, Leicester City completed a fairytale campaign by winning the English Premiership title when most pundits had them down from the off as relegation contenders. Unsurprisingly, the unfashionable Midlands team found it impossible to replicate the monumental feat of that season, but the record books will forever mark their achievement.

For the majority of Ted Lasso's second season (for once, the creeping Americanisation that has replaced 'series' feels appropriate), this football comedy-drama looked like being the Leicester of TV 2021. Sure, it looked, sounded and walked like the Ted Lasso of old, but there was something a little bit off that meant the golden consistency of its first batch (one of the true saving graces of August 2020's lockdown) had become a distant memory. But then, in true last-ditch fashion, the final two episodes came off the bench to save the day, with a couple of emotional sucker punches that balanced out the paucity of laughs throughout the eight episodes.

On closer examination, it seems unclear why this latest instalment of the struggling AFC Richmond and their constantly upbeat US manager 'Coach Ted' (Jason Sudeikis) began so slowly and failed to get into a higher gear. The set-ups seemed promising with former on-loan superstar Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) attempting to make his mark in reality TV, while the club's ex-hardman captain Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) was in retirement purgatory aka TV punditry. Meanwhile, a therapist (Sarah Niles) has been brought into the club to chip away at some psychological troubles within the playing staff, though eventually she turns her attention to a much harder nut to crack: is Ted's permanent positivity masking something a little bit sadder?

Eventually, there are pleasures to be gleaned from a number of storylines (though Nick Mohammed's Nathan makes a journey from shy geek to arrogant tyrant and back again that is less than convincing) while the less said about owner Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) and her search for online romance the better. But lo and behold, there is a twist in the tale as Ted Lasso is pulled back from the brink of mediocrity with an explosion of emotional turmoil that elevates the humdrum fare that came before it. Still, many might never forgive those concerned for its truly turgid standalone Christmas episode.

Apple TV+, new episodes every Friday.