Gerhard Struber says Bristol City will need to be wary of Derby's development when they meet at Ashton Gate on Friday night (20:00 GMT).
The Rams picked up their first point of the season as they grabbed a late 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture at Pride Park in August, but have climbed the table to sit a point behind the Robins on the fringe of the play-off places.
Struber told BBC Radio Bristol: "Derby showed the past few months really good development, very clear, very pragmatic, top in transitions, in counter-pressing. It's very interesting to watch.
"They have improved many things [since we last played them], especially their directness.
"We have to be on the highest level of pressing. In our transitions we have to be sharp and clear, very compact – it's super important, especially against a team with an approach like that."
Defender Rob Atkinson will miss the game with an ankle injury which could rule him out for a fortnight, and Struber said: "He's a really big one for our success. He's big in aerial duels and super reliable, in set-pieces he's really helpful."
The Austrian however revealed midfielder Joe Williams could be involved after his own ankle injury, while Max Bird might be back in time to face Port Vale in the FA Cup fourth round on 14 February.
Struber expects some surprises in the final three months of the Championship campaign but is hoping the Robins can achieve a finish which "makes everyone really happy".
He said: "In the end we will see some surprises in this league, I am convinced about it, especially what's going on behind us.
"We have all the power in our team, in our performance, every game we want to bring out the best possible.
"In the end the table will hopefully look in a direction which makes everyone really happy."
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