Aynsley Pears says Blackburn Rovers should be targeting a play-off berth but nobody will take their fast start for granted.
John Eustace's side have defied all pre-season expectations by sitting fifth in the Championship table in the week before Christmas. They also have a game in hand which could open a six-point gap of seventh.
Six wins in a row, with five successive clean sheets, has been the catalyst to shoot them up the table. Saturday's win over Luton Town was another impressive display, taking their tally at Ewood Park up to seven and above the six they managed last term.
Belief and confidence is at a high with everyone connected at the club. Pears is not fearful of increased hopes but insists there is a lot more work to do.
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"We just want to win keep winning every game, doing our best and soon the end of the season will creep up on us and I hope we're up there," he said.
"It'll take a lot of hard work, 26 games to go, not even halfway. We know we have a group of players that will be doing everything so we're in that top-six. That is our goal.
"We pride ourselves on being hard to beat, the forwards were great, Amario was unbelievable. It's good, I wish we were playing Tuesday to keep the run going. We will be ready for Millwall because it doesn't fee like we're going to stop. When you're winning and keep clean sheets, you want to play every day.
"The manager gives us a lot of belief. He is a brilliant man-manager, to be honest. He is getting a tune out of everyone and long may that continue."
Rovers' defensive stats are remarkable considering how leaky they were last season. It's 10 clean sheets in 20 games and 16 in their last 30 league outings, stretching back to last campaign.
It is not a run that has been fortunate either. It's been based on a foundation of brilliant defending and restricting the opposition to very few clear-cut opportunities.
Pears has played his part in that and has enjoyed his best run of form of his Rovers career. According to FotMob, his saves have been worth a value of 7.5xG, a tally only bettered by Stoke City's Viktor Johansson.
"I thought we had a great first half, we punished them and we were clinical," Pears reflected on the victory.
"We knew they would put balls into our box but we defended them. I thought it was a well-deserved three points.
"I think we have a great relationship at the back between the five of us, whoever plays. We all put our body on the line and communication is key.
"You see that coming out with the clean sheets that are coming out. It was a big goal of mine to get more than last year and we're on track to do that. Our home form has been very good and we hope that continues.
"The fans make a huge difference coming out and making a lot of noise and supporting us gives you a big boost."
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