Phillip Cocu says Derby County must do everything they possibly can to keep momentum on their side ahead of Saturday’s Pride Park Stadium clash with Hull City (3pm kick-off).
Derby are unbeaten in five matches in all competitions after a productive few weeks on the pitch.
Three wins and two draws have built up what Cocu has described as a ‘positive energy’ within the team.
Back-to-back 2-1 home wins over Charlton Athletic and Barnsley, as well as draws on the road at Wigan Athletic and Middlesbrough, have seen the Rams claim eight points from the last 12 available in the Sky Bet Championship.
Derby have also enjoyed progression in the Emirates FA Cup after claiming a 1-0 victory at Premier League Crystal Palace earlier this month.
Cocu has stressed the importance of the Rams keeping their focus ahead of what he expects to be a tricky test against Grant McCann’s side.
The Derby boss told RamsTV: “When you have good momentum, the feeling is good and there is positive energy in the team.
“It stays positive when you get good results and if you don’t get them you have to work harder.
“We worked very hard to come back from a tough run before Christmas and now we are in a positive streak.
“We have to do everything that lays in our power to keep the results on a positive side, especially in a home game.”
After enjoying a full week working with his squad for the first time in almost a month, he added: “It has been positive to have a full week to not only to recover but to have some more time in training.
“We always want to keep going forward, especially in those weeks where we don’t have so many games. It is possible to focus a little bit more on the training sessions.”
Derby were unfortunate to taste a 2-0 defeat when they travelled to Hull.
A positive performance, which saw Tom Lawrence have a goal disallowed, saw the Rams return home pointless after Jarrod Bowen struck twice for the Tigers late on.
Cocu says his side are capable of beating any opponent in the Championship when they are at their best, but has also stressed the importance of being aware of the Tigers’ qualities.
Cocu said: “Hull have performed quite well this season so it will be a tough game.
“Their counter-attacking is very dangerous, so we have to be aware and very focused on what we leave behind when we go forward.
“When we perform at our best we can beat any opponent, but we have to be prepared.”
Looking back on the game at the KCOM Stadium, Cocu said: “I think we played a very good game but the result was not positive in the end.
“In the last part of the game we conceded twice but we had some opportunities to score the first goal.”