Area sales manager

Joined as a management trainee in a city I went to for the first time (totally different culture, language issues etc), had a very poor performing team (at times unethical sales practices), made a few personnel changes. New person who joined has great contacts in the market and is helping me grow. Now my boss says it's all because of his connections and experience, what have you done? When the team was bad, I was incompetent, when the team is good, they are good what am I doing? Is this fair?