Luke Chambers has paid boss Mick McCarthy a huge compliment ahead of the busy Christmas period with the Blues three points away from the Championship play-offs in 10th, a significant improvement on their position when he took charge 13 months ago.
His Nottingham Forest contract having expired, Chambers signed on a free transfer for previous manager Paul Jewell in July last year and only featured on the winning side once in his first 13 league appearances.
That miserable run, which cost Jewell his job and saw him replaced by McCarthy, is in stark contrast to Town’s current form — and Chambers is in no doubt as to who should be given the lion’s share of the credit.
He said: "It’s no secret. In my opinion the manager has been an absolute godsend to the club. We’ve become a different team under him. We had a few horrible results at the start but I think the development from then to now has been huge.
"But we’re not getting carried away. We know what it takes to get results and I don’t think we’ve been too far away the whole season. Something has just clicked for us and we have managed to get ourselves on a little bit of a roll.”
He added: "The gaffer treats us right. There are never any grudges if someone makes a mistake or if it is someone’s fault for a goal. It’s just small things. Even if you’re not playing he speaks to everyone the same.
"David McGoldrick has been our main man but he’ll treat a youth team player who joins the lads for training just the same. It helps to know you have the respect of the manager.
"When he walks into the room he, instantly, demands respect but without being authoritarian. He’s very good the way he handles people and he’s very good when he sets our teams up.
"You know that if you’re not working at 110 per cent and not running your absolute nuts off you won’t be playing. When we do that, with the quality we have in the team, that’s what gets him results and he’s had that in the past.”
Chambers, who wears the captain's armband when Carlos Edwards is out of the starting line-up, revealed that he is regularly in conversation with the 54-year-old Blues boss: "If there’s an issue that he wants to talk about he’ll do it. I’ll have a chat with him most days and he’ll ask me how the lads are.
"I never feel under pressure but he’s a manager that you don’t cross the line with. If you do cross the line you know you’re in trouble and you don’t want to go there.
"But he can have a laugh with us — that’s the balance and I think it’s what makes him such a good manager.
"You can’t forget TC and he’s had his plaudits for the work he does with the strikers and the rest of the lads. The strikers have achieved a good return this season and long may it continue.”