Nuno Espirito Santo is the Premier League manager of the season so far. But last summer it was far from certain he would even start the campaign at Nottingham Forest.
Despite keeping the club in the top flight in tricky circumstances, not everybody at Forest was sold on Nuno, nor he on them.
He was in danger of being dismissed at least once before the end of last season, amid uncertainty about his methods and suitability. Mail Sport understands some players were even canvassed for their opinions as Forest chiefs considered the next steps.