Andy Hinchcliffe is in no doubt Nottingham Forest will finish in the top six as he urges them to adopt a 'play-offs mentality'.
The former England defender believes Friday night's home defeat to Millwall spelled the end of their automatic promotion hopes, but they are well track for the Championship's end of season showdown.
With that in mind, Hinchcliffe says they need to shift their mentality in order to be prepared for a shot at the Premier League.
"It's certainly not failure to finish outside the top two. It's been a sensational season for Forest to make the play-offs," he said on the Sky Sports EFL Podcast.
"It's getting into the play-off mentality. It's really important for Lamouchi to instill that into his players.
"You might think it's too early with nine games to go. It isn't.
"It's going to be a new experience for them and getting prepared for what's ahead is key to being successful.
"They'll be taking the next five or six games saying let's get those out the way.
"You don't want to say we're planning too early, but get the mindset. It's all new to Forest.
"If they can go into those games in a positive mindset and not feel like they've missed out on the top two, it's a massive positive for Forest to get in the play-offs this season."
