Dean Smith admits Aston Villa's stars have become so determined to win that players have started squaring up to each other in training.
Villa defeated Millwall on Easter Monday to record 10 successive wins for the first time in their history - beating a record from 109 years ago.
It booked the club a Championship play-off spot ahead of Sunday's trip to Leeds.
Villa boss Smith admits his squad have become so competitive , even training is fiercely contested.
He said: “The day before the last game I have got players going nose-to-nose.
“I am not going to get in the middle and catch one.
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“I will leave that to them.
“They are quite competitive but they are also reasonable and know where the line is and they sort it out themselves.
“You can see the tempo in training going up and us having to put the reins on them to stop over-training at times.
“When you have that you know you have a real competitive nature.
“They are pushing each other.
“But it is the environment we have created because we want to see winners and losers on the training ground as well as in matches.”
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Villa's red-hot form has coincided with the return to fitness of Jack Grealish, after 14 games out with a shin injury, and the January loan signing of defender Tyrone Mings.
Smith also credits a half-time team-talk at Stoke in February, when they trailed 1-0 before rallying to draw 1-1, before going on their winning run.
He revealed: “I am not one who goes in the dressing room very often and lets rip at players so it probably has an effect when I do.
“I felt at that time we were individuals and had to get back to playing as a team.
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“But to think about going and winning 10 straight games from there, I would have thought you were a bit crackers.”
Despite his side's outstanding form, Smith is taking nothing for granted going into the play-offs after Fulham beat Steve Bruce's Villa at Wembley last season.
He added: “Unfortunately as a football club we lost at the final hurdle last year and that is in the memory banks for quite a few people here.
“But there is an awful lot of belief and smiles on the faces at the moment.”
