Sabri Lamouchi’s short time at Nottingham Forest has already seen him better the efforts of fellow countryman Philippe Montanier.
Back in the summer of 2016, the Reds turned to a Frenchman for inspiration.
In truth, they found little.
By 14 January 2017, Montanier was being handed his P45.
In his brief spell at the City Ground, he took in 26 Championship fixtures.
He collected only seven wins from said outings, with a further six draws taking his overall points tally to 27.
That was not nearly enough to keep him in a job.
Five men – on permanent and caretaker basis – followed in Montanier’s footsteps before Forest decided to appoint another French fancy.
Unknown
(Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images).
Three years, almost to the day, after first favouring Gallic flair, Lamouchi was handed the Reds reins.
Few knew what to expect.
Many feared a repeat of the failed Montanier experiment.
Another step into the unknown has proved to be considerably more productive.
Lamouchi quickly drew up a blueprint which has served Forest well through three months.
Just 15 games into his tenure and the Reds already have more points on the board than they managed under Montanier.
The Reds have 28 to their name from eight wins and four draws.
So, one more success and one more point despite taking in 11 games fewer.
It is also worth nothing that Lamouchi has overseen more victories across all competitions than his immediate predecessor, Martin O’Neill (8), managed from 19 matches.
Gamble
Steps are unquestionably being taken in the right direction.
How many more there are to come remains to be seen.
Forest are, however, showing that having your fingers burned once does not necessarily mean that you shouldn’t put your hand back into the fire.
After Montanier, and given the wealth of domestic options available at any one time, they could easily have played it safe over the summer.
They didn’t and are being rewarded for taking another calculated gamble.
Risk has, on this occasion, been a positive.
There is still much work to be done, but solid foundations are being laid.
The paintwork which looked a little tired three years ago, with cracks starting to show, has been refreshed as Forest start to plan bigger and better on and off the field.