There are a number of reasons why Steve Morison seems to have garnered so much support from Cardiff City fans over the course of his short tenure.
The first being the results. Cardiff have won four of their last five games and would sit 10th in the league if the Championship was aligned from when Morison took charge of his first match against Stoke City back at the end of October.
The second is the football, of course, there has been a marked shift in how the Bluebirds now play the game, a sizeable move away from the stuff they were playing under former boss Mick McCarthy, although admittedly there is a way to go on that front.
Another factor is the club's excellent transfer window, which was conducted on less than a shoestring budget. It has made this squad look a far more competitive Championship outfit and has demonstrated a strategy which, fans hope, offers a positive glimpse into what will come in the summer and beyond.
But there is no doubt that swathes of supporters have responded to the manager's forthrightness and his strident views.
After each press conference, which can number as many as four a week during this hectic schedule, this writer's Twitter timeline is packed with replies and quote tweets about how Morison's honesty is "refreshing" and lauding him for "telling it like it is".
That is true, of course, Morison leaves no one in any uncertainty about what he is saying and never ducks a question (unless it's about team news!). Fans have lapped it up and, cards on the table, it's brilliant for the press to have someone so outspoken in their views, too.
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By that same token, it would be disingenuous to expect Morison to curb his honesty and frankness when asked the questions all fans want to hear the answers to.
So often in football media we hear the same tired clichés and the mind-numbing platitudes being pedalled, but the Bluebirds boss doesn't work that way. Young managers these days are typically media trained to within an inch of their lives and that rarely elicits any response from the fan base.
This all comes amid the fallout from the latest flashpoint regarding Max Watters.
After hooking him on 37 minutes in the win over Coventry City on Tuesday night, Morison later reasoned that the striker "just wasn't good enough" during that first half, prompting Jordan Hugill's introduction.
The manager was justified in his decision in the end, Hugill offered far more of a presence, held the ball up well, linked play and gave City a platform which they struggled to establish in the first half an hour.
Too often managers have sat on their hands and allowed games to drift away in fear of making an impulsive decision, but Morison goes with his gut and the results are there to see. He feels the call and then makes it, no matter when or what the match situation.
Was the combination of strikers — Watters and Isaak Davies — the wrong call? Probably, especially given the number of long balls which were played by City's centre-backs and midfielders early on. But it was recognised and changed.
The bit people appear to have taken umbrage with are the quotes after the match. However, one line which has potentially been overlooked from Morison's post-match press conference, though, is this: "It's a learning curve for me and for him."
It's a concession from Morison, who knows he is not the finished article. He is 38 and in his first job in football management, he will never have had so much scrutiny on his every word or action before in his life.
He is learning, too. Ever since he called Isaak Davies a "hindrance" against Bournemouth, he has made damn sure he has not used anything close to that sort of charged language since.
He will learn nuance, and how and when is best to say things, with time, but that raw honesty which has drawn such praise is a hallmark of not only Morison's management but his personality. While he might temper what he says, it is unlikely he will fundamentally alter how he goes about his business.
Some players will respond and others will wilt. Davies has been in the form of his life since that wake-up call more than a month ago and Watters will now have to bounce back in a similar vein.
When Morison was Watters' age, he was playing non-League football with Bishop's Stortford.
Three years later, Morison was in League One with Millwall and couldn't buy a goal for love nor money, until Kenny Jackett dragged him into a room and gave him some tough love, telling him to add an edge to his game and harden up.
It certainly worked for Morison, who banged in more than 20 goals in the back half of that season to earn the Lions promotion to the Championship and the rest is history.
Parallels can be drawn between Morison and Watters, actually. Both have thrived lower down in the footballing pyramid and struggled to get it going again, having made the step up.
The hope is that Watters responds the same way Morison did during his time at Millwall more than a decade ago. Because less than two years after that frank conversation with Jackett, Morison was scoring Premier League goals against Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, having earned a move to Norwich City.
Watters' ceiling is similarly high, many believe, and it is hoped this rocket can stir something within him. Morison has made it clear that he and his coaching staff will go through the same processes they did with Davies and there is a willingness to coax the best out of the 22-year-old striker, who is certainly an asset to the club.
He is actually an exciting player, Watters, his goal record is really something to spark optimism in fans. But on his few outings for Cardiff over the last year, it is fair to say thus far he has underwhelmed or disappointed, for whatever reason.
For both Morison and Watters, they are learning on the job. This is their biggest gig so far in their respective trades and both are desperate to succeed.
Watters has time on his side, but, as things stand, Morison doesn't. He has to fight tooth and nail to earn that next contract and it is exactly why he will not dither if he thinks players are underperforming or changes need to be made.
He will speak his mind and it will naturally divide fans. Some believe there are better ways to handle these things, others continue to commend him for his honesty, even if it can sometimes be brutal in its nature.
Mark Harris after the match said Morison's man-management style suits him down to the ground. The Wales international says he prefers to be told as it is and be left in no uncertainty about what is wanted or expected from him.
Perhaps Morison will learn there is not a blanket rule for everyone. Some players, like Harris and seemingly Davies, will respond to the hardline approach and unambiguous comments, while others will need an arm around the shoulder and more tactful management to get the best out of them.
What is important to remember, perhaps, is that it all comes from a positive place, even if it might not seem it at the time. Morison's passion beams through when you hear him speak — it's what so many supporters love to hear — because he has designs on how he wants this club to get back to its rightful place in the coming months and even years.
He mustn't lose that side and there is little danger that he will. But, as the manager admitted himself, from moments like this there are lessons to be learned for everyone.
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