Nottingham Forest will not be getting carried away with their lofty position in an “unpredictable” Championship table.
Head coach Steve Cooper has stressed to his players the emphasis must be on continuing the work they have been doing, as they look to keep their momentum going. And he is well aware the very nature of English football’s second tier means that anything can still happen between now and May.
The Reds make the trip to top-six rivals Luton Town on Friday, followed by a home game with West Bromwich Albion on Monday, in a crucial Easter weekend. They head to Kenilworth Road sitting in fourth spot, having made it five league wins on the spin with a nine-point week after the international break.
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But there is still much to be decided in the table, with a number of teams fighting for a top-six spot - and a place in the automatic promotion places potentially still up for grabs. Cooper will not be taking anything for granted, however.
“It’s its normal, unpredictable, anything can happen self,” the Welshman said of the Championship. “This isn’t the first time where, in the Championship, there’s just so much that could happen and you couldn’t predict. It’s pretty normal on that front.
“That is why you’ve just got to really focus on your own contribution and your own doings. That’s the only bit you can change, for better or worse.
“It’s not surprising that there’s still so much which could happen in the league. Fortunately, we’re still in a position where we could do positive things. But we’re far away from seeing where that could go.
“The lads are definitely enjoying their work, enjoying training and enjoying the games. They seem very together. The atmosphere is excellent.
“I keep saying to the players, know when it feels good and understand why, and continue to try to replicate that. That’s just our approach to everything, both with players and staff.”
