OWEN Coyle's manager of the month nomination was just reward for the hard work of everyone at the club, according to the Rovers boss, despite missing out on the overall prize.

Coyle was nominated for the November award after guiding Rovers out of the Championship dropzone with wins over Brentford and Newcastle.

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Those back-to-back wins saw Rovers end last month with six points from a possible nine after defeat to Aston Villa.

Coyle was one of four nominees for the award, along with Jaap Stam of Reading and Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce, with the award going to Derby boss Steve McClaren.

And Coyle said: “I think it (the nomination) was a reward for not myself but for the hard work the players, the fans, and everyone at the club has put in.

“We picked up the points to go with the performances, but we had been doing well prior to that.

“We have now taken 18 points from 12 games which over the course of the season would be one or two points off play-off form.

“We’ve been showing that we’re doing a lot of things well, not just over those three games, but those 12 games are a decent period I think to look and see how you’re playing and performing.

“I do think there is more to come from us and come January I still want to add and strengthen.

“I certainly have a clear plan and vision in my mind of how to move the club forward because we all want the same thing, we all want Blackburn Rovers back to where we feel it should be.

“It will time but incrementally we can do that.”

Coyle was bidding to be the first Rovers boss to win the Championship version of the award.

Former Rovers bosses Mark Hughes (October 2007), Brian Kidd (December 1998), Roy Hodgson (August and December 1997) and Kenny Dalglish (January and November 1994) have all previously won the accolade in the Premier League.

Coyle has won the Championship manager of the month award before, that being back in October 2008 when he was in charge of Burnley.  The Scottish boss has also won the Premier League manager of the month award twice, in November 2010 and March 2012, both with Bolton.