Who was Aston Villa’s last Manager of the Month?

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Times have certainly changed for Villa – the last time the award made its way to this part of the Midlands their fortunes were very different.

After the tedious monotony of Alex McLeish, the tactical naivety of Tim Sherwood and the utterly futile reign of Remi Garde, you will not find too many Aston Villa fans bemoaning Steve Bruce’s connections with Midlands rivals Birmingham City right now.

The prospect of successive relegations didn’t seem too far away when softly-spoken promotion specialist took over from Roberto Di Matteo in October and, just two months later, Villa have salvaged their season and look set for a play-off push. After picking up seven points from a possible nine in November, then, Bruce’s nomination for the Manager of the Month award is more than justified.

Victories over Cardiff City and Blackburn, plus a credible away draw with second placed Brighton, means only Reading’s Jaap Stam, Derby’s Steve McClaren and Rovers’ Owen Coyle stand between the 55-year-old and a new ornament for his mantelpiece.

And, to provide a little context as to how tough recent seasons have been on one of the most historic sides in English football, consider this; the last time the monthly gong made its way to Villa Park, Ashley Young, James Milner and Gabby Agbonlahor were embarking on a late season spurt to propel the side into the Europa League.

Thanks to an impressive accumulation of 13 points from a possible 15, Martin O’Neill was a worthy winner in April 2010 but, while Villa may be operating at a different level these days, that does not take any sheen off Bruce’s potential achievement.

It is a sign of progress at Villa Park. And they have waited long enough for that.