This time a fortnight ago, Steve Bruce was supposedly bracing himself for the bullet from Birmingham City.

Now, four successive wins Iater, Bruce's Blues are above local rivals West Bromwich Albion in fourth place in the Championship, through to the last 16 of the Carling Cup, and bubbling with the sort of confidence that suggests they can keep this run going a bit longer.

But, just as there was an all-important inclination not to panic in the boardroom when Blues were losing, so there is now a similarly fierce determination in the dressing room not to get too carried away now that Bruce's men are winning again.

"There was a real pressure on us two weeks ago," said Blues' on-loan midfielder Fabrice Muamba, ahead of Saturday's trip to the team just below them in the table, Plymouth Argyle. "And it is the sort of pressure that would start again if we do not keep up our run of results.

"But, right now, we just have to keep our feet on the ground and keep working hard for the team.

"We know we're a good team, we're full of confidence and we're not afraid of anybody. But we won't go shouting about it."

Admittedly, Blues' luck has changed for the better.

Stephen Clemence's fortuitous, late deflected winner against Derby County at Pride Park, DJ Campbell's opener in the 4-2 Carling Cup win at Sheffield United and the goalkeeping blunder for Nicklas Bendtner's headed winner to beat Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena on Tuesday night were all a case in point.

But Muamba insists the spirit in the dressing room has not altered in any other way than the restoration of the sort of confidence that comes through winning games. And, from the team meeting ahead of the crucial win over Derby 12 days ago, through the controversial loss of skipper Damien Johnson in Saturday's controversy-ridden win against Albion to the midweek win at the Ricoh, there has been an obvious bonding together when Blues have most needed it.

"We had a meeting and we talked about it," said Muamba. "And, yes, we've had a little bit of luck when it mattered. But people can now see we're performing well, defending well, attacking well and taking our chances.

"Nobody can stop us on the run we're on at the moment, but that is something that has come through hard work.

"It's all changed for the better for us, but that's football. That is why this is the greatest game ever.

"We just have to work hard, keep going and you never know what will happen."

The feeling of team unity has been harnessed by the return of two reliable stalwarts in Clemence and Martin Taylor, who had the honour of being unveiled as Blues' new skipper at the Ricoh in Johnson's absence on Tuesday night. But, however well a team is playing, there is still a need for sharpness in front of goal. And, in seven-goal top scorer Nicklas Bendtner, they have just that.

"I'm happy for him," said Muamba, who like Bendtner is on loan from Arsenal. "He had not scored for a couple of games. And it is always good for strikers to score goals, as it means they stay confident, but he deserved his bit of luck for the goal because he works hard for the team."

Bruce too was pleased with on-loan Denmark striker Bendtner, but he also insists he can get even better.

"He is still learning the game," said the Blues boss. "And he has got a bit to do, but we can all see his talent and he is going to cause a lot of other teams a lot of problems."

While Bendtner looks certain to return to North London a better player for his Blues experience — whether that happens in January or at the end of the season — Muamba is more intent for now on learning a bit more of his craft in the Championship.

"At the moment, I am just trying to give everything I can for Birmingham City and to concentrate on getting the club back to the Premiership. Right now, the team are doing well but, if I can do well within that, it makes it even better."