Nuno Espirito Santo is rarely keen on singling out individuals whenever he faces the media in his Nottingham Forest press conferences.
The Reds head coach prefers to focus on the collective and the team as a whole, rather than pick out certain players. It is a fully understandable approach to take; after all, a tight-knit dressing room and operating as a unit have been key factors in a remarkable campaign.
Forest have picked up some incredible results this term in no small part courtesy of some outstanding team performances. And that makes picking a player of the season so far a difficult task.
You could make a case for any one of countless members of the squad, and that tells its own story. It is not so much a shortlist for the accolade as simply a list of the regular starters in the Garibaldi.
Chris Wood has been in the form of his life and is enjoying his most prolific season in the Premier League. Morgan Gibbs-White is the magic man who makes the Reds tick. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga have terrified defences. Elliot Anderson has shown why Newcastle United did not want to let him go.
At the back, normal service has resumed where Ola Aina is concerned after a slight dip in form while Murillo is, well, Murillo. The addition of Nikola Milenkovic last summer has only helped the Brazilian improve further.
Milenkovic has been superb and has completely transformed Forest defensively. The Serbia international and Anderson are two of the best signings across the past two windows in the Premier League.
But just shading it for player of the season so far, in this reporter’s view, is Matz Sels. The Reds would not be where they are had the Belgian not come to the rescue on numerous occasions. He has made the difference many times in games.
Sels is the best performing goalkeeper in the Premier League this term. He leads the race for the golden glove with 12 clean-sheets. And he was the penalty shootout hero against Ipswich Town in the FA Cup, having also saved a spot-kick in the previous round against Exeter City.
Take Sels out of the team and he would be a huge miss - although admittedly, the same could be said for several others in the XI. The 33-year-old has been playing out of his skin.
"He's been progressing since the last stages of last season,” Nuno recently said of Sels. "The team has improved and Matz has also improved.
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"Since the beginning of this season he's been really confident and has given us exactly what we want from the keeper. He gives the defence confidence, the team confidence and the fans confidence - that's what you want.
"He is avoiding making mistakes and has made so many huge saves. He deals with situations that look extremely dangerous for us and solves the problem. We are delighted with him.”
Sels has been a reliable performer this term. Nuno made tightening up defensively a priority last summer, and the former Strasbourg man has martialled his back line brilliantly.
For Forest to get over the line in their quest to secure Champions League football, it will be a collective effort. They need every single member of the squad to keep performing - none more so than Sels.
Who is your Forest player of the season so far? Click HERE to have your say