Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin says his side cannot afford to be fooled by Hibernian’s lowly position in the Premiership this season.
The Hibees are bottom of the Scottish Premiership with one win from their opening 13 league games, while the Dons are looking to bounce back from their first loss of the league season – Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by St Mirren – when they travel to Easter Road on Tuesday.
Thelin knows Hibs are under pressure at the foot of the table, but believes focusing on the league standings would be a mistake for his side.
The Dons boss said: “You see the quality of the individual players, how they can be one against one. They are at a really high level.
“I think it will be difficult.
“If you watch the table, you can think one thing – but I think that’s a big mistake.
“They are a good team and they have strong individual players, so we have to be really sharp tomorrow.
“I think it is better to focus on what we can do.
“I don’t know how they are going to prepare themselves… maybe they use this run to also try to be better.
“For us, it is more important what we do and (that we) don’t think about their situation.
“Hibernian have created some really good opportunities inside the game, then some goals have gone against them, but I still think it’s a good team.
“I know their manager is probably a really hard worker and they are going to try to find solutions.
“The most important thing for me is how we want to act.”
Thelin surprised by Hibees’ plight
The Dons boss is surprised to see Hibs struggling at the bottom of the division, but insists the Leith outfit can still turn their fortunes around.
When asked if he was surprised at Hibernian’s poor start, Thelin said: “Yeah, but the season is not over yet.
“It happens also in Sweden sometimes. We have some clubs there that have been really big clubs, but you get in this (poor) period and then how you get out of them is the most important thing.
“So football, that’s why it’s a so passionate sport because it’s really complex sometimes how you can get stable over some years and it takes time to build a consistency that can be good every year.
“When you’re building sometimes you can take some steps backwards and then you get two steps forward.
“I don’t know Hibernian as a club – I don’t know the people who work there. I don’t know so much about it.”
Thelin’s focus is on Aberdeen as Hibs’ David Gray feels heat
It has been a season of surprises in Scottish football’s top-flight so far – with the Dons second in the table, while Hibs, Hearts and Kilmarnock make up the bottom three.
Thelin, however, claims his focus has been solely on his own team.
He said: “I didn’t put the teams in specific order before the season starts, but I know they are a well-run club and they want to achieve things.
“But I didn’t think so much about if this team was going to arrive here or if this was going to be a challenge.
“I just focused on my first year in Scotland and in this league and the first month in this club.
“Of course, they hired me for some reason and what is my belief and how can I share this with the club and the identity the club already has; and try to build something strong from this point of view.
“I don’t think it’s much about the other teams.”
While the Aberdeen manager has paid little more than a glance towards Hibs, Thelin is sorry to see Hibs boss David Gray under pressure at Easter Road.
He said: “For me, it’s always humans and that’s our job and the world is what it is – but I always try to respect them.
“I’s always difficult when things get tough, but hopefully I’m sure he has a good team surrounding around him and focus on the right things.”
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