Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood claims suggestions his club is embroiled in a relegation dogfight are ridiculous.
The Dons sit bottom of the league for the first time in Calderwood’s tenure and the manager admits he is in uncharted territory as a coach.
When asked if relegation was a possibility, he said: “Don’t be ridiculous. Not a hope of that happening. Would you bet against us?
“I have never been in this situation before and I’m not happy with it at all.
“We’ve had a few successful seasons at this club and who is to say it won’t be another this year?
“I know the character of my players and they will bounce back from this.”
Calderwood believes he has seen enough from his players’ performances against the Old Firm this season to back his assertion the current run is nothing more than a blip.
The players and management will return to the training ground on Thursday and Calderwood, who has stayed in Scotland following the weekend defeat, said: “We have proven our ability in the games against the big two and now we have to prove it against the rest of the teams.
“The longer it goes for us to win the harder it is going to be, but the supporters have been brilliant and I think they can see the effort being put in.
“Take Saturday against Hibs, for example. We dominated the game, even when down to 10 men.”
Calderwood knows the pressure is on to get results following the five-game losing streak which has followed the last international break.
Following the first four games, the Dons had amassed seven points which was regarded as disappointing at Pittodrie.
The fact the club has not improved since is of concern, but Calderwood is refusing to panic.
He said: “It’s been a massive disappointment. Even at the last international break I expected us to have more than seven points and I still can’t believe we have lost five on the trot.
“If we were getting hammered I’d be more worried, but I’ve seen enough to know we are capable of competing. It’s a fact, not an excuse, three quarters of the goals we have conceded have been due to individual errors.”
Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Hibernian followed an all too depressingly familiar pattern for the coaching staff at Pittodrie, with Lee Mair the latest incumbent to gift a goal.
Calderwood said: “What is most worrying is the pattern has been the same in every game at home.
“We have come out of the blocks quickly and dominated the opposition but as soon as we have lost a goal we have lost our way.
“The biggest problem for me is the goals we have lost have been ones we can’t legislate for.
“Every member of the defence, including the goalkeeper, has made a mistake at some point which has cost us goals.”