£250,000. That’s how much Nuno Espirito Santo donated to foodbanks one Christmas. He didn’t seek any praise or publicity. Just doing the right thing. Nuno was manager at Molineux at the time, heard Wolves Foundation working with local foodbanks, and sent them the money. That gives a glimpse of the calibre of the man now head coach of Nottingham Forest and today named Premier League Manager of the Month. Nuno has strong values as well as sound footballing principles and strengths, all reasons why players respect and respond to him. It is another reason to celebrate Forest’s eye-catching season and third place in the table. Forest rarely do things quietly and have undeniably had issues this season: two players sent off (even the saintly James Ward-Prowse), a gobby owner banned, and Nuno himself in trouble for comments. All can be placed in the category of desperation to win, apart from Marinakis’ spitting - disgusting. But today’s awards for Nuno and Player of the Month Chris Wood are deserved reward. They’re a reminder that good things come to those who work hard. Nuno may view himself as an outsider: born on an island in the Gulf of Guinea, far from the mainstream of elite football, never fully getting the acclaim he deserved at Wolves, never fully accepted at Spurs at the start and soon failing. But after a restorative spell in Saudi, Nuno has settled quickly at Forest. He looks like he feels he belongs. He’s challenging the elite, something that Forest love doing. He's got Forest very well-organised but they are so much more than a compact unit. They have flair in Morgan Gibbs-White, who also has the work ethic Nuno demands. They have pace around Wood. Players know their roles, and their responsibilities to each other. Ryan Yates, academy graduate and captain, embodies that. Yates wears that red shirt like a second skin, and others follow suit. Forest are showing what you can do with sensible team-building. Gone is the scattergun approach and acceptance of too much agent advice. They now have a resilient defence formed of one full-back on a free, one loanee and two centre-backs who cost £22m and are now worth four times that. The back-line is the foundation of Forest's play and their season’s success to date. Beyond Wood with his eight goals, Forest are not free-scoring (14 in 10), so a redoubtable defence matters even more. Only Liverpool have conceded fewer goals (6 to Forest’s 7). Forest have some tricky fixtures coming up, including Newcastle at home on Sunday and Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United away. On the positive side, influential midfielders Danilo and Sangare may return from injury in December. Elliot Anderson has always played well when given his chance. They have good players, and a very good manager. Whether they retain a Champions League place or not, Forest fans are loving a season full of adrenalin and free of anxiety, thanks so much to Nuno. #NFFC

Dispiriting events at Reading should concern everyone in English football. Fans are lied to, players and an impressive manager are let down, and so are staff. A thoughtless, heartless owner damages a historic club. It’s another warning to all in football. If we tolerate this, then your club could be next. Fans at some other clubs fear similar pain or just feel relief to have escaped danger. Many will simply focus on their own form and fortunes. Football’s tribal. Most headlines revolve around the big names, the big games like Manchester City versus Arsenal. But Reading embody the pyramid, a local beacon and hub for nurturing talent. Neil Webb started there. The windfall from the Michael Olise deal helps sustain the club currently. Ted Drake learned his managerial trade at Reading before guiding Chelsea to their first title. Football clubs are community assets and have to be protected from individuals like Dai Yongge wreaking such misery at Reading. He has his motives and his methods but none seem aligned to the club’s future wellbeing. He doesn’t communicate with fans. Reading FC Women withdrew from the Championship because of financial difficulties. Sustained mismanagement of the club has seen a failure to pay men’s players and HMRC lead to points deductions. A proposed takeover by Rob Couhig, an American businessman welcomed by the fanbase, collapsed, leaving Yongge still in charge and supporters still in torment and again asking questions. Does Yongge really want to sell? If the club goes under is it then all about valuable real estate? Would administration and another points deduction actually be better than this shambles? And so Reading fans rally again, fighting for their club’s life. But Yongge doesn’t listen. He doesn’t appear to care about the negativity his ownership brings to the door of the dressing-room. Ruben Selles and his whole-hearted squad give everything they can on the field, and sit a defiant 12th in League One, but they aren’t detached from the mess. It must be dismaying and distracting. Losing Selles would be a disaster. He’s doing a good job in trying circumstances. If he left, Selles would be picked up swiftly by a better run club. Reading fans post messages of support to Selles and his squad. They will back them loudly at Bolton Wanderers today. It’s about finding the balance between demonstrating support for the team while demonstrating against the owner. Much is right about Reading: committed fanbase, stadium, training ground, the attitude of manager, squad and club staff. It’s just the owner. It’s a nightmare that Reading are living through. And it’s a cautionary tale all football needs to heed. #ReadingFC #EFL