Having been plagued with a miasma of serious issues early on, largely over venue construction delays and a lack of top-tier sponsorship, Pyeongchang 2018 seems to be fighting back, displaying similar qualities to that of the South Korean football team which shocked the globe by reaching the World Cup semi-finals on home soil 13 years ago - gradual progress doused with the odd bit of luck but seemingly never far away from crashing out.

To continue the footballing analogy, the Organising Committee may need extra-time if they are to complete all construction of the venues ahead of a hectic schedule of test events, which begin in February 2016, but preparations on the whole are vastly advanced compared to this time last year.

In these parts, a lot of that progress has been put down to the change in leadership at the summit of the Pyeongchang 2018 Organising Committee.

Current President Cho Yang-ho, chairman and chief executive of Korean Air, took over from the much-maligned Kim Jin-sun in July 2014 and since then, organisers seem to be looking forward rather than back.

He has overseen an undoubted surge in the right direction, which even prompted IOC President Thomas Bach to hail the "great progress" being made in preparations for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, which get underway with the Opening Ceremony in 867 days’ time, back in August.

This would have seemed unthinkable to locals and those with an interest in the Olympic Movement alike, particularly when South Korean President Park Geun-hye reiterated calls from the IOC for Pyeongchang 2018 to get a move on in January of this year.

In fairness, they seem to have responded.

Some of the venues are really beginning to take shape, with the Alpensia Sliding Centre one the organisers are keen to show off, probably due to the fact that it is substantially further along the construction path than any other.

They claim it is 47 per cent complete, but even their crown jewel has come under fire in the past year for reported spiralling costs, which prompted calls for existing venues, potentially outside of South Korea, to be used instead.

From a personal perspective, the venue is quietly impressive, with its location high up in the mountains, offering picturesque views of the region and beyond, one of its key selling points.

The track itself is undergoing tireless work, using methods of construction I simply couldn’t fathom, and a real sense of optimism and pride is evident around the facility, which is due to be completed in October 2016.

Located nearby is the Alpensia Sports Park, set to be the main hub of the Games in two-and-a-half years’ time, which features venues for ski jumping, biathlon and cross country.

The ski jumping venue, currently being renovated for the Games, is truly a structure to behold, with the men’s ramp some 125 metres in the air, and designs are being finalised on the adjacent cross-country course.

Over at the Gangneung Olympic Park, which will play host to ice hockey and short and long track speed skating, as well as curling, a sport that seemingly enjoys a growth like no other following any Winter Games, progress remains steady, although completion rates may need to be upped in the coming months in order for the venues to keep up with their arduous schedule.

Having only visited two areas of Pyeongchang 2018’s game plan for the event, it is difficult to get a complete sense of where they are at construction wise, but surely the Olympic Stadium, being built to solely host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, is a concern.

The venue looks in worse shape than some of the football grounds I have played at during my fledgling Sunday League career on the South Coast of England and needs to be addressed rapidly in order to be ready in time, though it benefits from not being required for any of the 28 planned test events.

Despite a remarkable turnaround in fortunes, IOC Coordination Commission chair Gunilla Lindberg is doing her best to keep Pyeongchang 2018’s feet firmly on the ground, declaring in her opening remarks on Wednesday (September 23) that the Organising Committee need to “increase their speed” in their progress, particularly in terms of construction.

Deadlines continued to be described as “tight”, and progress in building the venues could be dramatically slowed if heavier snow falls on the South Korean county during the winter season, which will see the mountains sprinkled with a stunning sheet of white, than expected, although Pyeongchang 2018 insist there are measures in place should the worst come to fruition.

During the closing press conference on Thursday (September 24), Lindberg then went on to issue a warning to organisers - maintain your focus or slip back into difficulty.

And with no time to lose, any other major setbacks may be far more difficult to recover from.

But on the whole, Lindberg appeared satisfied with the work being carried out by Pyeongchang 2018, hailing their development as “fantastic” as they move from the planning phase to the operational stage.

While their progress cannot be underestimated, the road to the Opening Ceremony on February 9 is still littered with challenges and hurdles which will provide a true test of Pyeongchang 2018’s efforts.

For a start, Cho may have dropped the bomb a tad when revealing only 51 per cent of their sponsorship target has been reached, although he did promise attendees last week that more announcements should be expected in the near future.

The ambiguous timeline suggests a trickle of partnerships being unveiled rather than a flood, and it is an obstacle that must be on the forefront of the organisers’ minds.

Local and national Government authorities, who were beginning to feel the financial strain of having to cover costs, breathed a sigh of relief in July when Hyundai and Kia Motors, South Korea's best known car manufacturer and the world's fourth largest, were announced as a domestic sponsor.

But there’s no doubt more need to follow if the event is to live up to its billing.

Without an increase in top-level sponsorship, the event may struggle to garner the usual interest of an Olympic Games, something which was made clear to me at the closing press conference.

Only a smattering of South Korean media opted to attend, with no-one asking any real questions of the top table except yours truly.

I found it bizarre that there weren’t hordes of local journalists and reporters queuing up outside the entrance to the Alpensia Convention Centre seeing as Pyeongchang is the first-ever South Korean Winter Games host and is the third Asian region to ever be awarded the event.

Was this because we’re still nearly 890 days away from the start or is it because they just don’t care? Or was I wrong in thinking people might actually want to hear how thing's are going direct from the horse's mouth?

One of the few media members who did decide the presser was worthy of his attendance even asked whether there were any plans to switch some of the venues to Seoul in order to ramp up excitement and momentum around the Games.

Gaining the energy and attention of locals is the first step to a successful Games - forget the world, if the loyal residents of Pyeongchang and surrounding areas don’t know it’s going on, no-one in the far corners of the globe are going to give it much thought either.

Given Cho's ability to haul them from the brink of relegation, they will feel these challengers can be overcome ahead of the next key date on the preparation calendar, the sixth Project Review which is scheduled for December, as this will give the Organising Committee the chance to prove to the IOC that they haven’t rested on their laurels.

The time for Pyeongchang 2018 to show they understand actions speak louder than words has well and truly arrived.