Sabri Lamouchi admits winning the Championship’s Manager of the Month crown for September is a moment to be enjoyed, but the focus turns to Wigan Athletic and Nottingham Forest's continued quest for points.
The Frenchman, in his first job in English football, picked up the award after Forest went unbeaten in the month, winning at Swansea and Stoke, along with three points at the City Ground against Barnsley to register a perfect nine points from nine – the victory in the Potteries was enough to see them top the second tier for the first time in five years, albeit only for a few hours.
Lamouchi beat off competition from Slaven Bilic, Garry Monk and Alex Neil to become the first Forest boss to claim the monthly award since Billy Davies in 2013, and it’s something, he says, that comes on the back of an amazing month.
“I am very proud and happy because what we have done in September was just amazing,” Lamouchi said.
“Thank you to the club, to the fans for your support and of course the staff, but the players because they make the difference and they did a great job.
“We had three games in September but in the last six games we took 16 points, this is not nothing; it is amazing.
“Now we need to keep going and keep working to keep this rhythm.”
Forest came into the international break on the back of a 1-1 draw at Blackburn, followed by a dominant 1-0 success on home turf over Brentford, and before the next enforced break in mid-November, they’ll encounter plenty more tests of their promotion credentials, starting at Wigan and ending with a mouthwatering home clash with arch-rivals Derby County.
Lamouchi is only too aware of how important the next block of fixtures are to him and his players.
“We know it is very difficult but we have given the players a lot of rest as they deserved it, but now we will start again and focus on Wigan, Hull, Reading, Luton and then the most important game for the fans against Derby,” he said.
“It is a good moment and we will enjoy it but we know the trip is long and tough.
“We know that we will face some bad moments but we have to keep working.
“We will enjoy now because what is done is done, and now we will focus on the future and that is Wigan away.”
