The winners of the Sky Bet EFL Manager and Player of the Month Awards for August are as follows:
MANAGER OF THE MONTH
Sky Bet Championship: Marco Silva (Fulham)
Fulham manager Marco Silva has scooped the Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month for August.
After guiding the unbeaten League leaders to four wins on the bounce, Fulham have already fashioned a lead at the top, now two points clear of Queens Park Rangers in third and level on points with second placed West Bromwich Albion.
Much is owed to Silva’s leadership, having been appointed as the Cottagers’ new head coach at the beginning of July and bringing in 11 new faces to the squad ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.
Silva explained: “I’m pleased to receive the award for August which is recognition for the collective work carried out by all of us at the club. My staff, the players and everyone that works at Fulham FC have all put in a lot of effort. This is only the start of the campaign with still a lot of hard work ahead.”
Sky Bet League One: Lee Johnson (Sunderland)
In the third-tier, Sunderland boss Lee Johnson has claimed the Sky Bet League One Manager of the Month for August.
The 40-year-old’s Sunderland side have come flying out of the blocks this season, overseeing victories over promotion rivals Wycombe Wanderers and Wigan Athletic, with another tough test on the horizon against Accrington Stanley, who are hot on the Black Cats’ heels.
Formerly the longest-serving Championship manager prior to his departure from Bristol City in July 2020, Johnson has been enjoying life at the Stadium of Light, with Sunderland sitting pretty at the top of the League One standings.
“This is presented as an individual award, but there is no doubt that it is for the collective," Johnson said.
“It has been a really nice month for us, but it is only been achievable by top attitudes displayed throughout the club.
“There are so many people that work extremely hard for that carrot at the end of the week and sometimes they don’t get the credit for that, so it’s a nice award for us a wider club.
“Now, we want to make sure we stay in the hunt for these awards month on month because that means that the team is being successful and the wider club is enabling the team to be at its best.”
Sky Bet League Two: Rob Edwards (Forest Green Rovers)
And Forest Green Rovers head coach Rob Edwards has been named as the Sky Bet League Two Manager of the Month for August.
The Gloucestershire team, who boasted the only 100% record across the Championship, League One and League Two after the first four fixtures, before falling to defeat the hands of Port Vale, moved to appoint the former England Under-16s head coach and the Under-20s assistant in May.
Since his arrival, Edwards has certainly provided fans of the Club with the entertainment factor – most notably, duelling with Crawley Town in a nine-goal thriller which saw Forest Green come out on top.
PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Sky Bet Championship: Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town)
Huddersfield Town forward Sorba Thomas has been awarded the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month for August.
It’s hard to believe the winger was plying his trade in the non-league pyramid at the beginning of the year. However, the 22-year-old’s first League goal against Reading and four further assists have boosted the Terriers to fourth in the Championship table, making the transition appear seamless.
Recognised for his achievements with the accolade, Thomas has made an instant impression since joining the West Yorkshire team in January, having already amassed a wealth of experience with Boreham Wood, making two Wembley appearances in National League Play-Off Finals.
“I’m absolutely delighted to win this award!" Thomas exclaimed. "I would like to thank all my teammates, and the members of staff that we work with every day on the training ground.
“They helped me prepare for the new Sky Bet Championship season and hit the ground running, and I’m very grateful to them.
“Now my challenge is to maintain this form as we head into the rest of the season, and I’m determined to keep improving.
“My aim is to keep performing, keep helping Huddersfield Town get points on the board and hopefully push into the Wales squad too!”
Sky Bet League One: Cole Stockton (Morecambe)
Meanwhile, Morecambe striker Cole Stockton has been named as the Sky Bet League One Player of the Month for August.
On the back of an impressive start to the campaign, League One’s joint leading marksman has found the back of the net a total of four times, bagging a brace on the opening day against Ipswich Town.
Despite reported interest from elsewhere during the summer transfer window, Morecambe kept hold of their prized player, who will look to add to his tally across the season.
“I am absolutely delighted to be chosen as the August Player of the Month for League One," Stockton commented.
“As a team we have had a great start and I am pleased with the goals I have scored so far, but I would not be able to score them without the hard work that the team puts in around me.
“August has been a good month to the club, we came close to three points on the opening day season against Ipswich Town, and then beat Sheffield Wednesday on the final weekend.
“There’s still a long way to go but it has been a very good start for the football club.”
Sky Bet League Two: Matt Stevens (Forest Green Rovers)
Finally, Forest Green Rovers striker Matt Stevens has won the Sky Bet League Two Player of the Month for August.
Completing Forest Green’s double, the number nine has contributed five goals in six games to the Club’s superb start to the campaign, with his first-half brace against Walsall sending Forest Green to the top of the League Two table for the first time since November 2019.
What’s more, Stevens has already topped his tally of three League goals – including a loan spell at Stevenage – from last season.
Stevens said: “We went into the season with a lot of confidence – and it all started with the opening match against Sutton United.
“I haven’t had a manager put so much faith in me before, but working with Rob and his assistant, Richie (Kyle) has been brilliant.
“The lads love them – and it brings so much confidence to all of us. We’re just looking ahead to the next few matches now and focussing on our targets for the season.”
The Sky Bet Manager of the Month judging panel comprises former Barnsley manager Danny Wilson, Sky Sports’ EFL expert Don Goodman; EFL Communications Director Mark Rowan, and Sky Bet EFL trader Ivor Davies.