Michael Appleton (Lincoln City)
January began with Lincoln in 20th place and fixtures to come against Oxford, Sunderland and Plymouth. Appleton’s side beat all three promotion chasers with attacking displays to earn nine points from five games and climb into mid-table.
Mark Bonner (Cambridge United)
Ignoring the attention surrounding his side’s famous FA Cup win at Newcastle, Bonner maintained an admirable focus on Cambridge’s league form, leading them into the top half with an 11-point haul from five unbeaten games.
Liam Manning (MK Dons)
MK Dons were the busiest team in League One in January, making the most of their seven games by collecting 14 points and moving into the play-off places. Organisation was key as Manning’s team kept four clean sheets.
Leam Richardson (Wigan Athletic)
In a hectic January at the JJB Stadium, just four of Wigan’s seven fixtures in the month were league games, but Richardson still guided the Latics to 10 points and second place in League One to add to their progress in two cup competitions.