Philippe Clement has issued a "wounded animal" warning ahead of Norwich City's Championship trip to Derby on Tuesday.
The Rams finished eighth last season but have had a torrid start to the new campaign, with no home wins on the board under John Eustace.
Clement had to pull off a salvage mission when he first arrived in Norfolk 12 months ago, and understands the threat posed by a squad with their backs against the wall.
"They're not in a good spot, but it's a team with quality, also with their manager, somebody with a lot of quality and also a really nice guy," he said. "When we are in that position, and our club was there last season, then fans become more negative.
"That can create tension in your group and on the pitch, so it's like a wounded animal, and you always need to watch out with wounded animals because they can become really dangerous.
"So we need to be really prepared for that, going there, but to play our kind of football. That's this league, and that's why everybody loves this league also. There's never a game that it's decided before the game is played.
"The first in the league can lose against the last in the league. It's really competitive, and you need to be on your toes. And it's relentless with a lot of games and a lot of periods with games every three days.
"Then you have the circumstances with injuries and missing players, and finding solutions. That's why, as a manager in the Championship, it's also really interesting because it's never boring.
"They're very direct. They use their offensive players really well with the qualities they have in all the duels, so I expect a game where we need to be really strong in the duels.
"But not only that, to be good on the ball also, because if you don't control the ball, you cannot control the game."
Eustace has looked to bolster his backline with a short-term deal for former City defender Shane Duffy.
"I loved the time with Shane," said Clement. "He was not in his best spirit. He had several injuries when I first came and afterwards also, but he was brilliant in the dressing room, and he stayed positive all the time.
"He was also at every home game sitting behind the bench, when he was not in the selection, and really supporting the team like the biggest fan in the club, so I really enjoyed that time with Shane, and I wished him all the best after the season with finding a new club.
"We wanted to go younger in that position, to work for the future, and that's why Bruno (Alves) came into the building. I hoped that Shane could find a good team. It took some time, but I think Derby is a really good team. It's a big club, and it's a good challenge for him again.
"It's good for him to have this structure in his life to train every day, and also the atmosphere of a team around him, because he's a really good lad."
Oscar Schwartau is available after sitting out the 3-2 Watford win with a neural problem, but Kenny McLean (ankle) and Pelle Mattsson (hamstring) are doubtful. Clement delivered a positive fitness update on Papa Amadou Diallo at Colney on Monday, who has been missing with a quad issue since September.
"He's on schedule and he's doing individual stuff outside," said the City chief. "He's making more and more accelerations. Not full sprints yet, but I expect him back in a few weeks.
"Oscar has been training now three days again, so he will be back in the selection, but Kenny and Pelle we still need to assess if it's possible or not."
Clement knows the value of backing up those comeback wins over Charlton and Watford with another three points.
"That would be very important if you can make three consecutive wins in a row and that's our target," he said. "But we know it's going to be a tough game to win, and we need to assess now really well how people came out of the Watford game and how fresh they are. Whether we need to make changes, and how many changes you need to make towards this game.
"There were a lot of positives from the weekend. The two goals we conceded were the big negative, because the team started the game really well, on the front foot, dominating the ball, creating chances.
"It was all there, and then one kick deep and they can be in front of our goal. I know Myron (Boadu) already a long time, and he's a really good finisher, and he has really good speed also, so those were also two top finishes.
"But you dominate everything, and you give two goals away, so that's for sure a negative. A lot of other things were really positive in that game, so you need to show both, and if you play that game, and you don't take these two isolated incidents, then I think it was one of our better games of the season."
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