Norwich City pair nominated for Sky Bet monthly awards for February
City head coach Daniel Farke and striker Teemu Pukki - both up for monthly awards Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Norwich City’s dominance at the top of the Championship has been recognised again, with manager and player of the month nominations for Daniel Farke and Teemu Pukki.
Head coach Farke led the Canaries to 12 points from five games in February – a 3-1 win at title rivals Leeds set the tone for another breathless month of entertainment, which included a 3-2 comeback win over Bristol City and a sweeping 4-0 victory at Bolton.
Pukki has been at the forefront of City’s surge to the top of the table, leading the divisional goal scoring charts with 24 – six of those came in February, along with two assists in a sequence of six consecutive scoring games. Those figures have already helped him win the Championship PFA fans’ player of the month award, announced on Wednesday.
It is the fourth time this season that Farke has been nominated for the Sky Bet manager of the month award – he won it in November – and this time he faces competition from former Canaries player Steve Bruce, who began his management of Sheffield Wednesday with 12 points from six unbeaten games, which included four clean sheets.
Former Norwich boss Alex Neil is nominated after steering Preston to 11 points from five unbeaten games while the quartet in line for the gong is made up by Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder, who led the Blades to a haul of 13 points from a possible 15 and four clean sheets.
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For those who consider the award to be something of a jinx in fortunes for the winner, Farke’s November success came on the back of three wins and a draw: in December, City won three games, drew two and lost once, the amazing 4-3 reverse at home to Derby County on December 29.
The manager of the month judging panel comprises former Ipswich Town manager George Burley and Sky Sports’ EFL League expert Don Goodman.
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Pukki faces competition for the player’s prize from Birmingham City’s Che Adams, who scored six goals in five games in February, Brentford’s Said Benrahma, who scored four and four assists in five games, and Preston central defender Ben Davies, who has shored up Neil’s defence, and also chipped in with a goal in a win over the Canaries – their only blip in February and their first away loss in the league since August.
The winners will be announced on Friday morning.