Steve Cooper says Nottingham Forest have much more progress to make under his stewardship, having overseen his first 10 games as manager.
The Reds have turned their form around under the Welshman, climbing to within six points of the play-off spots after falling to just one defeat since he replaced Chris Hughton.
But Cooper says they still have a long way to go as they look to close the gap on the Championship’s top six.
“We’re not at the level that I want us to be at yet,” he told NottinghamshireLive.
“I’m really happy with how the players apply themselves every day. I’m really happy with how the staff look like they are really on board with what we are trying to do.
“I feel like every day the attitude and commitment is right, and we’re making steps towards building the identity of not just how we want to play, but how we want to work, how we want to behave, and the culture we’re trying to create. But we’re not there yet.
“There’s a long way to go.
“I feel like we are making some progress with some things. But any sort of journey to success or getting to the next level comes with ups and downs - that’s results on the pitch, injuries and other setbacks along the way.
“We’ve got to make sure that with the bits that go well and the setbacks, we really commit to what we believe in and how we’re going to work.
“Hopefully, through the long run, we make progress.”
Cooper says he does not want to differentiate between the two different managerial reigns at the City Ground this term, preferring to look at the campaign as a whole.
“It is difficult to judge the progress we have made,” he added, ahead of this evening’s clash with Luton Town.
“I don’t like saying it’s been 10 games for me and the staff, because it’s about the club and it’s about the season. We’ve just added to the journey.
“I don’t really think like that. I think, ‘okay, this is where we’re at now’. We started the season not when I and some of the staff walked in, it was before then.
“We’ve just jumped on the bus at a different bus stop. We’re on the journey.
“If you think about it as being 10 games it means there’s a bit of ego involved and a bit of self-interest. That’s the last thing we need here, and I won’t allow it.”
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