ANTONIO CONTE has won as many Manager of the Month awards in three months as Jose Mourinho has in five-and-a-half years.
The Italian was honoured as top boss for a record third successive time this month on Friday after steering Chelsea to top of the table by five points.
One more award for Conte and he will join a list of 15 other managers who have won the gong more times than the Special One.
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Even Joe Kinnear boasts the prize more than the seemingly unpopular Manchester United chief.
But is it fair that Mourinho, who has three Premier League titles, three EFL Cups and an FA Cup to his name, is so rarely recognised for his monthly achievements?
The Portuguese has often claimed he is unfairly treated.
“No respect” is a phrase Mourinho has used when describing his critics over the years.
And considering the distinct lack of recognition he has in the Premier League, he could be right.
Sir Alex Ferguson is by far the most recognised boss with 27 Manager of the Month awards, followed by Arsene Wenger (15) and David Moyes (10).
Fergie’s 25 major trophies speak for themselves, and Wenger’s nine triumphs in the league and FA Cup deserve to be rewarded.
But Moyes has never won a major trophy, yet boasts more than THREE times the amount of Manager of the Month awards than Mourinho.
And Kinnear may have overachieved at Wimbledon in the early 90s, but the former Newcastle boss’ name surely does not deserve to be uttered in the same sentence as Mourinho’s.
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Obviously, with supply comes demand, and Mourinho has always had a team of superstars at his disposal and a warchest behind him to buy the best.
But then so did Manuel Pellegrini and even another former Chelsea boss, Carlo Ancelotti – and both have four Manager of the Month awards each.
Longevity must also be taken into account, for a coach has more opportunity to win the gong with more months to compete in.
Manager of the Month winners
Sir Alex Ferguson – 27
Arsene Wenger – 15
David Moyes – 10
Harry Redknapp – 8
Martin O’Neill – 8
Bobby Robson – 6
Rafael Benitez – 6
Sam Allardyce – 6
Claudio Ranieri – 5
Kevin Keegan – 5
Carlo Ancelotti – 4
Gordon Strachan – 4
Joe Kinnear – 4
Manuel Pellegrini – 4
Roy Hodgson – 4
Antonio Conte – 3
Alan Pardew – 3
Mauricio Pochettino – 3
Jose Mourinho – 3
Once again, though, Pellegrini and Ancelotti have both spent significantly less battling it out in the Prem than Mourinho.
So why is Mourinho so often overlooked?
Managers of the month are decided by both an FA panel and an online vote.
It could be that Mourinho's style of play is less exciting than some of his rival managers.
The former Real Madrid boss has been known to grind out results rather than run away with them.
Consistency may also work against him. Bar his disastrous last season at Chelsea - and his blip at the start of his Manchester United reign - Mourinho instils consistency in his teams.
A side who win 2-0 are less likely to be remembered than one which comes from 3-0 down to pip it 4-3.
And his emphasis on defence may not be to everybody's liking - but with John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho his centre-backs in 2004-05, the Blues conceded a record 15 goals all season. Mourinho won the award twice that year.
Already this year the Manchester boss has been overlooked for Conte, despite being unbeaten in 15 and winning his last nine.
The Special One might just be the Unlucky One.
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