Midfielder Ryan Yates says it would be "devastating" if Nottingham Forest don’t end this season in the top six after the great progress they have made.
Head coach Steve Cooper has overseen a remarkable upturn in fortunes since he arrived at the City Ground in September, with the Reds going from rock-bottom of the Championship to promotion contenders.
They dropped out of the play-off spots after Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Stoke City, having climbed into them for the first time with a midweek win at Blackburn Rovers.
But with the table particularly tight, Yates feels there is a real opportunity for a special season on the banks of the Trent.
“At the minute, it means nothing. We’ve achieved nothing,” the 24-year-old said of the strides made.
“For me, we have to get in the play-offs this season - the team we’ve got, the players, the loan players who have come in and been fantastic.
“There’s such a good atmosphere here, it would be so disappointing if we didn’t.
“Since the gaffer has come in, we’re right at the top end of the form table. To miss out would be absolutely devastating.
“We’re just taking it game by game and see what happens.”
Just 13 points separate Preston North End in 11th and second-placed Bournemouth, with Fulham a further six points ahead.
The table is skewed by teams having games in hand, but Yates believes Forest have the quality in their squad to compete with anyone in the division.
“There is an opportunity there,” he said.
“We beat Blackburn 2-0 and didn’t really seem that threatened - they were second in the table at the time.
“We rolled them over at Ewood Park and our fans were making more noise than their fans throughout the whole game. I was thinking, apart from Fulham, it’s so, so open.
“We were watching the Huddersfield game (0-0 with Sheffield United) before ours and I was thinking, ‘they’re not that good, we’ve got so much more quality’ - but you have to show that.
“We weren’t that good on Saturday, so we can only take it game by game.
“For me, it’s so, so exciting. It’s something we have to embrace.
“We’ve had so many seasons in the past where the pressure has been on. But I feel like, because we’ve come as dark-horses, we just need to embrace it, enjoy it and keep improving.
“Every time we’ve played well, we’ve won, so just focusing on the performances is the most important thing.”
Yates grabbed a dramatic equaliser to clinch a point against the Potters at the weekend. Next up is a trip to the high-flying Cherries, which the academy graduate sees as a litmus test for the Reds.
“Friday’s game will show where we’re at. They have recruited really well,” he said.
“But it is the Championship.
“On Saturday, for large parts Stoke upped their game and ours dropped a bit - and it shows.
“It doesn’t matter if we’re playing top or bottom of the league, if we’re absolutely at it then we have nothing to fear.
“Getting the draw on Saturday just shows the togetherness of the team, fighting right to the end. We deserved something, because of our desire and getting players in the box.”
