NOTTINGHAM Forest have already proved they can be among the Championship promotion contenders this season, says Stuart Pearce.
But the Reds boss also warned the rest of the Championship his side are only going to get better.
Forest reaffirmed their position at the top of the table and extended their unbeaten start to the campaign with a thumping 4-0 win over Reading at the City Ground.
And, when asked if his players are starting to believe something special is on the horizon this season, Pearce responded: "Yes, I don't see why not.
"It would be easy for me to throw cold water on that, because there is a long way to go.
"And we do have to take every game one at a time and I have to evolve a squad situation where every player who plays is under pressure for his shirt, from somebody outside the team.
"But if we can do that, I think that – with the ability we have in the squad and, on top of that, if we have the hard-nosed professionalism needed to put into place everything that we ask of them – we do have a chance."
Pearce does warn Forest must keep working to improve however – but, equally, the manager very much believes they can do exactly that.
"We have to keep getting better. It is such a long season and it is such an unforgiving league. Myself and the coaching staff are under no illusions, when it comes to what we have to do, to get out of this league," said Pearce.
"I have been promoted out of this division with Forest and with Manchester City and I know that we will have rocky periods during the season.
"I am also looking at the likes of Norwich and thinking that they have a decent team and at Watford, Cardiff and Wolves, just to name a few of them.
"You know well that it will be a tough league and you cannot take your foot off the gas for one moment. But the exciting thing for me is that I believe I have got a squad that will evolve and get better. We can still get stronger."
Winger Michail Antonio was at the centre of Forest's win, netting two goals and setting up another for Matty Fryatt.
Pearce will have thought twice about keeping him in the side following a lacklustre display at Bournemouth that saw the £1.5m signing from Sheffield Wednesday substituted at half-time.
But, even at 24, the manager admits Antonio is a player with impressive talent, but also a few rough edges that still need ironing out.
"Antonio can be an enigma at times. I took him off at Bournemouth because I thought he was really poor. But he responded with a fantastic performance and a couple of goals," said Pearce.
"He is a real threat when he gets turned and runs at players and he is a real threat in the air. He is an outstanding talent who we have to nurture. I think the best of him is still to come.
"I hope there is a competition developing between he and (Britt) Assombalonga, when it comes to the goals, with both of them on four now. I really do. Fryatt has chipped in as well, so we do have a lot of threat."
