READING FC boss Jaap Stam is in the running for the Sky Bet Championship's Manager of the Month award.

Royals' form improved dramatically in November with eight points from five games including wins at Derby County and home to Barnsley.

They also drew with Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday, with a solitary defeat coming at home to Championship leaders, Wolves.

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo is also on the four-man shortlist along with Steve Bruce of Aston Villa and Neil Warnock's Cardiff City, who travel to the Madejski Stadium on Monday (8pm ko).

The judging panel for the award comprises former Ipswich Town manager George Burley, Sky Sports’ EFL League expert Don Goodman, EFL Marketing Director Drew Barrand, League Managers’ Association Director Olaf Dixon and Sky Bet EFL Trader Mikey Mumford.

Here's what they had to say about the four candidates:

Jaap Stam (Reading): The trouble with over-achieving is that you have to match your results the next season. Stam has stuck to his principles and kept faith in his players. They repaid him with improved displays and eight points from five games.

Steve Bruce (Aston Villa): Thanks to four wins in five games, November ended with Bruce’s team firmly entrenched in the play-off positions and looking upwards. He excelled in coping with a series of injuries to key players in both attack and defence.

Nuno Espirito Santo (Wolverhampton Wanderers): The Portuguese has instilled a swashbuckling style at Molineux. Not only did his side win all four games, they did so with ease, scoring at least two goals in every game and managing four and five against Leeds and Bolton, respectively.

Neil Warnock (Cardiff City): Missing the flamboyance in attack of the injured Kenneth Zohore and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Warnock shifted the emphasis to keeping things tight. His ploy worked a treat with nine points gained from four games and only two goals conceded.

The winner will be announced at 6am tomorrow.

No Reading player made the Player of the Month shortlist, though former loan striker Matej Vydra is among the nominations after netting five goals in four games for Derby County including a hat-trick at Middlesbrough.

The three other players in the running are Aston Willa winger Albert Adomah, Wolves wing-back Darry Douglas and Sheffield United striker Leon Clarke.