It is almost 10 months since Sabri Lamouchi took charge at Nottingham Forest.
There is absolutely no question the club should be stretching every sinew to tie him down for many more.
Discussions between the two parties are ongoing about a new long-term deal for the Frenchman. Quite right, too. Lamouchi has earned it.
He has proved to be an astute appointment. And the sooner he signs up, the better. It would be just the tonic in these challenging times.
For now, the Reds' hopes of achieving Premier League football have been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When the action does resume, though, Lamouchi will almost certainly not have lost any of the focus or the drive which has seen him make a big impact on the banks of the Trent.
When the Reds made that announcement on 28th June last year - barely 18 minutes after the one notifying of Martin O’Neill’s departure - there was a sudden rush to Google from many fans (and pundits) alike.
Despite a distinguished playing career and having done well in his previous management roles, he arrived as pretty much an unknown in these parts.
He was certainly not a household name.
In the space of those 10 months, though, Lamouchi has gone from raising eyebrows to raising smiles at Forest.
Before the campaign was brought to a halt, he had taken the Reds up to fifth and had given supporters genuine hope of at least finishing in the play-off positions.
There’s no reason why they should not be able to continue that charge when football gets back up and running again.
For in Lamouchi, the club have someone skilled at man-management. He has shown that quality in abundance during his time at the helm; getting the best out of players and maintaining a cool, calm and focused dressing room.
He is exactly the sort of figurehead and leader you want at a time such as this.
Always dignified and respectful, he has expertly handled the challenges which have come his way. This one will almost certainly be no different.
A first season in English football has, largely, been well navigated - at least up until this point.
While it might have been tempting to use that lack of experience as an excuse, Lamouchi has instead worked on plugging the gaps.
There is no denying his love for the game, and he has spent his free time watching other matches and other teams, as well as studying the run-ins of Forest’s Championship rivals.
No stone has been left unturned in this promotion bid.
He will be the first to accept he has made mistakes - he always holds his hands up to that - and results/performances have sometimes been far from perfect, but it is all part of the learning process.
He can be a great orator, too.
He speaks with great passion. If some of his interviews don’t make players and public alike want to run through a brick wall for the man, nothing will.
Not that many would need convincing.
There has been clamour for some time now, to extend the 48-year-old’s one-year contract. And with previous speculation suggesting admiring glances from elsewhere, getting it done during the current hiatus makes perfect sense.
As much as anyone in recent times, Lamouchi looks to be capable of finally leading the club back to the Promised Land - be it this year, or further down the line.
His aim when he arrived was simply to see the season out; something many before him had been unable to do.
Forest should ensure he is around for many more to come.
