Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes believes his club has closed the off-field gap on its rivals and now wants to see his players prove it on the pitch.
McInnes, pictured, moved quickly to put his squad together in the summer while behind-the-scenes changes were also made.
The Dons manager is delighted to see the work paying off.
He said: “There were loads of areas at the club which needed to be improved.
“We had to strip it right back and start again as we were neglecting the players. We have to get our act together in terms of scouting recruitment, sports science, match analysis and training facilities.
“I know there are a lot of other clubs in the league who were doing their jobs better than us and those little percentages matter.”
McInnes, who watched his men win their third game in a row on Saturday while also keeping a third clean sheet, is encouraged by the progress.
He added: “We are not there yet where we can send a team out and it’s all about us. We have to be mindful of the opposition and nullify their threat too. We’ve looked solid enough at both ends of the pitch. Just as it’s everyone’s responsibility to score goals, it’s everyone’s responsibility to prevent them as well.
“That’s something we have done well and we’re looking for that to continue.”
With a busy festive period beginning at second-placed Caley Thistle on Saturday, expectation among the support is growing and McInnes is determined to repay the supporters for their backing.
He said: “We know we are up against a team in good form and in good spirits, but you could say the same about us.
“We need to keep that going but I’ve no doubt we will as the players have given me the same application all season.
“We are the envy of a lot of clubs because of the support we carry and we don’t take it for granted.
“It looks like there will be another big travelling support on Saturday and I think they are encouraged by what they have seen. They are sensible enough to know there is still work to be done and there still needs to be improvement.
“I’m sure that together we can continue to work hard as we need to get performances out of the players on a consistent level. The target is to have teams knowing they are in a hard game against us.”
Aberdeen’s match in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup against holders Celtic at Parkhead on Saturday, February 8, will now kick-off at 12.45pm for television coverage.