I think one of the main factors should be that the new manager has shown an attacking approach to the game with teams they have previously managed and that his previous teams demonstrated the ability to play as a team and not as individual disconnected units.
It seems like managers are so afraid to get beat nowadays that their approach is dominated by being defensive, which in a lot of cases leads to defeats so almost like a self fulfilling prophecy. Whereas, if you can put a half decent attacking team on the field you are probably giving yourself a better chance of winning and certainly making a much more enjoyable experience for the fans.
I know, perhaps a bit oversimplified but from what I’ve seen in our league, I believe it wouldn't take too much to build a team that could stand out above the majority of the teams.