Southampton supporters heading to Coventry City on Saturday lunchtime would have quietly believed in their side upsetting the odds and beating the Championship pace-setters on their own turf.
After all, Tonda Eckert - ever since he stepped into the dug-out post-Will Still - has continually pulled off big win after big win, with 13 victories now next to his name as the permanent Saints boss, after the South Coast visitors dented Coventry's title-chasing bid.
Coventry are unlikely to be bruised for too long, though, as Frank Lampard and Co. do still look Premier League-bound.
In much the same way, Southampton will just aim to keep chugging along, regardless of the spotlight now being very firmly on the German, who is beginning to receive his flowers as a very exciting, up-and-coming head coach, in such a gruelling league.
Indeed, Eckert would rightly pick up the February Manager of the Month accolade for the whole division, when collecting a stunning 13 points from an available 15 during that hugely successful month for the playoff hopefuls.
There is often an unspoken hoodoo that comes with such recognition, however, a 'manager of the month curse' that supposedly hangs in the air.
There is some weight behind this, if you cast your minds back to some examples from yesteryear.
Garry Monk, when he was in charge of Birmingham City in 2018, was nominated for the October Manager of the Month award, after guiding the Blues to four consecutive wins.
While he didn't win the award directly, he would then go on to steer the Blues to a disappointing three defeats from his next six league matches, after being recognised, before being given the boot in 2019.
Football is such a fast-changing and fickle sport, but Eckert will have a firm belief that he can continue to push Southampton towards those playoff positions, regardless of this supposed poisoned chalice.
Why the Manager of the Month curse won't disrupt Southampton
For all the examples such as Monk's that stick out, there is - of course - the other notable award winners who then go on to seal promotion.
Kieran McKenna would go on to achieve automatic promotion for Ipswich Town in 2024 off the back of two nods, while Enzo Maresca collected four of his own awards that same season, as Leicester City won the title in style.
Therefore, Eckert might well even be hungry for more accolades, instead of fearing the honour, as the Saints attempt to break into the top-six picture, just in the nick of time.
Evidently a very confident manager who is comfortable at upsetting the odds, as evidenced by his FA Cup win at Fulham, and the 2-1 victory at Coventry, the German will likely just take this award in his stride.
After all, Russell Martin was in the running for the manager of the month award several times when Southampton won the playoffs, with Eckert extremely keen to follow in his footsteps, when May rolls around.