Duff has been recognised for a month which saw his Reds side win both league games, against Shrewsbury and MK Dons respectively.

The Oakwell outfit have won six of their last seven matches in all competitions. He beat off competition from Sheffield Wednesday's Darren Moore, Derby County chief Paul Warne and his Cheltenham successor Wade Elliott for the award, although Reds' midfielder Adam Phillips has missed out on the players' accolade.

Duff, whose fourth-placed side visit Oxford on Saturday, said: "It's a little bit of recognition of what the players have been doing on the pitch and it is always nice to be recognised, but it does not define what we do or are trying to do. It is a little doff of the cap and you just keep cracking on.

"The job is based on results, but I am more interested in what goes on in the day to day. Games are windows into your week. I am not going to sit back and say 'I have done it and cracked it'. It's a work in progress. I say it all along. This is just a little bit of a nod that we are doing something right.

"It was a short month and we only had a couple of league games in it, so it is not like a December or January where you have had about eight league games. I am realistic enough to know what it is and what it means.

"I walked into a new staff and it is recognition for all of them buying into what I want to do and a completely different way. A lot of the staff have been here a long time with a lot of managers and I'd imagine they all have their different ways of working. They will have their own thoughts and they have bought into what I want to do.

"It's slightly different with the two Martins (Paterson and Devaney), who I knew personally. Although it's the first time I’ve worked with them."There are a lot of 'legs under the water' so to speak which are keeping things moving forward."

Barnsley FC's Michael Duff named as League One manager of month for November - and issues a warning