Tony Mowbray expects a clearer picture once West Bromwich Albion's two matches over Easter, at home to Stoke City and away to Norwich City, have been played.
As the Coca-Cola Championship season enters its final stage, Albion still have an outside chance of finishing in the top two and gaining automatic promotion to the Premiership.
Realistically, however, the play-off positions look more likely and the Albion manager is interested in building momentum because even a top-six finish is not guaranteed.
Albion's 2-1 victory away to Queens Park Rangers last week stopped the rot after a poor March and, while Mowbray will not rule out a top-two finish, indications are that Birmingham City, Sunderland and Derby County will fight it out for the automatic promotion positions.
Albion face a difficult match tomorrow at home to Stoke, a physical team who still have a chance of finishing in the play-off positions.
"We will have a clearer picture after this weekend," Mowbray said. "It will probably make it clearer coming out of Monday's game whether the top two is still achievable, I would suggest. I would say it is pretty unlikely to be definitive on whether a top-six finish or not.
"Our goal is to try to win both games. That's what we've got to strive for as we do every week. In slightly different ways, they are two huge challenges for us.
"On Saturday we are going to have to deal with the physicality of Stoke and they are still harbouring hopes if they can win this game of still getting in touch with the play-off positions. They will not be lacking motivation.
"We've got to match their physicality, they do have big strong players and they do defend extremely well and have not conceded many goals. It is a big challenge for us on Saturday but one we believe we have got the talent to overcome, I would suggest.
"Then on Monday it is Norwich. They do try to play with the ball on the ground. A different type of challenge.
"More of a footballing game I would suggest, and let's hope that can suit us and we can come out with the six points over the two games."
Albion have lost to both Stoke and Norwich this season but there is no talk of revenge at The Hawthorns.
"We've got enough motivation in our team to not worry about revenge," Mow-bray said. "That will not come up in my team talk.
"In both games, we could have had different results. We lost both 1-0 but we have enough quality in our side to give both sides problems. You've got to apply yourselves and work extremely hard to achieve anything. Hopefully we can marry the two together, compete like last Saturday and hope the quality in the side will win the game."
Albion have already proved this season that they can go on long, unbeaten runs. They will need another in the final six matches if they are to have a hope finishing in the top two. They are seven points behind Birmingham, who occupy second position and have a match in hand on Albion.
"It is within the powers of our team to go on a run like that," Mowbray said. "And you hope that you can find that consistency just at the right time, which would be now, and if we were to win the next six we would go pretty close to the top two.
"The teams above us might lose all their games. Preston have lost the last two.
"I am sure they would have been hoping to take points from the teams fourth bottom and second bottom of the league [Leeds United and Queens Park Rangers) and yet lost them both."
Darren Carter has declared himself fit after suffering with a groin injury. The Albion midfield player was substituted at half time against QPR with the problem but has rejoined the squad.
"We've had one or two players miss a day or two of training this week because they haven't felt well," Mowbray said. "But I think everyone will be available for selection. Darren is fine and has trained the past couple of days."
There is a slight fear that Neil Clement, the Albion defender, might need a rest after sustaining a foot injury which has limited his training this week while Paul Robinson, the left back, has a minor groin injury.
