Phillip Cocu says now is not the time for Derby County to rest on their laurels.
Derby head into this weekend’s away fixture at Middlesbrough in the Sky Bet Championship looking to build on a productive Christmas period.
They picked up seven points from a possible nine and also saw off Premier League opposition in the Third Round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Martyn Waghorn’s dramatic late equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day proved to be a catalyst for what was to follow.
Cocu’s side backed up that hard-earned point with back-to-back 2-1 home wins over Charlton Athletic and Barnsley either side of the New Year, before defeating Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park in the FA Cup last weekend.
The Derby boss says his side must not be satisfied with a few good results and must continue to display the drive and desire as they seek to build on their recent form.
“There will always be expectations increasing if we win games and that is not a negative thing,” Cocu told RamsTV.
“We cannot lean back and be happy with a few good results, there has to be stimulation to do even more and be better.
“The next couple of games, not only against Middlesbrough, are important because we play teams that are at the same level or just below us.
“We definitely cannot sit back and we have to show the same form and desire as we did before. With the support of the fans and the football we can play now, it is possible to get the results we need.”
Cocu says, understandably, feels Derby’s confidence has picked up in recent weeks.
They endured a challenging run, not helped by injuries, in late November and early December which saw them go seven games without a win.
However, they are now unbeaten in four and Cocu wants the Rams to keep momentum on their side.
He said: “It is natural that if you have some good results it changes a lot for everybody in the club; the players, the team and the mood.
“The players always work hard, but the atmosphere improves when you get some good results.
“We have to make sure that we keep the momentum and get a result against Middlesbrough, because we know things can change quite fast in football.
“The last two results at home were important and we needed it because we have the ambition to look up the table.”
He added: “With these wins we got some distance between ourselves and those below us. We don’t have to look back now, we can move forward.
“I think we have also found a good combination in how we want to play our football with the mentality and the results.”
Middlesbrough have been in excellent form of late and are one of the Championship’s form sides.
Boro and Derby sit in mid-table on 33 points from 26 matches and Jonathan Woodgate’s side have racked up an impressive four wins in a row in the league.
They also held Premier League Tottenham Hotspur to a 1-1 draw in the Third Round of the FA Cup last weekend.
Former Manchester United striker Ashley Fletcher has been key to their form with four goals in his last five outings, including a stunning long-range strike in the 2-0 win at leaders West Bromwich Albion.
Cocu is expecting a difficult encounter at the Riverside Stadium, but knows his side are capable of picking up a positive result on the road.
He said: “Middlesbrough have four wins in a row in the league, and a good draw in the FA Cup against Tottenham Hotspur, so they are in a good position and they are playing well.
“They are a hard team to beat; they don’t concede a lot of goals and they are organised so it will be a challenge.
“It won’t be easy but if we play a good game and show our best like we did in the last few matches then we have the chance of a good result.”