Fulham's Marco Silva and Huddersfield's Sorba Thomas win in Championship; Sunderland's Lee Johnson and Morecambe's Cole Stockton win in League One; Forest Green duo Rob Edwards and Matty Stevens win in League Two
Friday 10 September 2021 08:20, UK
Fulham's Marco Silva has been named the Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month for August.
The transition from Scott Parker to Silva has been remarkably smooth, especially when you factor in relegation and a changed squad. Five unbeaten games brought 13 goals and 13 points as Silva's side assumed the Championship lead.
Silva said: "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."
Huddersfield winger Sorba Thomas has been named the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month for August.
Nine months ago, Thomas was still playing non-League football. Four assists and a goal in August are proof that his wing play, determination and ability to pick a pass have made him an integral member of the Huddersfield side.
Thomas said: "I'm absolutely delighted to win this award! I would like to thank all my team-mates, 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!"
Manager: Lee Johnson, Sunderland
Sunderland manager Lee Johnson has been named the Sky Bet League One Manager of the Month for August.
If the sale of last season's leading scorer Charlie Wyke dismayed some Sunderland fans, Johnson has quickly allayed their fears by guiding the Black Cats to the top of League One in style with four wins from their opening five games.
Johnson said: "This is presented as an individual award, but there is no doubt that it is for the collective. 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."
Player: Cole Stockton, Morecambe
Morecambe striker Cole Stockton has been named the Sky Bet League One Player of the Month for August.
Did any League One striker mean more to their team in August? Stockton led the Morecambe line and scored four of their six goals, including superb individual efforts at Ipswich and Gillingham when he ran around defenders before finishing.
Stockton said: "I am absolutely delighted to be chosen as the August Player of the Month for League One. 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."
Manager: Rob Edwards, Forest Green
Forest Green Rovers manager Rob Edwards has been named the Sky Bet League Two Manager of the Month for August.
Easy, this management lark. Not only did Edwards' new side gain more points than their rivals in August - 12 from five games, their 13 goals were five more than any other team managed in a free-flowing start to the season, which included a 6-3 win over Crawley.
Edwards said: "We're all really delighted with this award. But, I must stress, it's been an incredible team effort - and this award is for everyone who works hard on the training ground to get these positive results. The staff have been outstanding, and I am very thankful for them. It's humbling - and drives us all to work harder ahead of the coming weeks."
Player: Matt Stevens, Forest Green
Forest Green Rovers striker Matt Stevens has been named the Sky Bet League Two Player of the Month for August.
Five goals in as many games for the 23-year-old who managed just three in the EFL in the whole of last season. His intelligence and movement brought him headers against Sutton and Walsall, and a smart looping finish against Crawley.
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."
