Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes insists the time to judge the Dons will be at Christmas when the league table starts to take shape.
McInnes admits they have become used to the winning feeling at Pittodrie and the enhanced expectations have magnified the scrutiny on their opening five games.
Motherwell come north tomorrow a place behind the Dons in ninth and while their position is not ideal, McInnes reckons it is too early to be making judgements on where his side can finish this campaign.
McInnes said: “If I was (Hearts manager) Craig Levein I would be looking at the league table every 10 minutes but I think most managers are not looking at the table just now. It’s usually around Christmas time you can look at it and get a rough idea where you’re likely to be.
“For us it’s important to just knuckle down, stay quiet and get on with the job. In previous seasons that’s what we have done and I am confident we can do it again. A draw is perceived as a defeat here, which is fine.
“Sometimes a point can be a good point but the majority of the time a point is never enough for Aberdeen and there is nothing wrong with that. The Kilmarnock defeat was our first in the league for a while and there were reasons for it.
“Nobody knows the importance of winning games here more than me, we have become used to winning. When wins are not coming as freely as you want them to, you just work harder, be more concentrated and hopefully get a settled team on the pitch. Talking about the situation and worrying about it isn’t what you need.”
He has not had his problems to seek in terms of team selection with long-term injuries robbing him of Mark Reynolds, Tommie Hoban and Greg Tansey, while Lewis Ferguson, Scott Wright and Frank Ross will miss out this weekend.
There is some good news, however, with James Wilson fit to play after a hamstring injury and Mikey Devlin available again after suspension.
McInnes added: “Once everyone is fully fit I believe the squad is strong. We had eight out last weekend and more than half of those would be starting. Usually at this stage of the season we have got a settled team on the pitch and we look to start going.
“But this season it has been a bit more difficult because of the amount of injuries we have. Hopefully now we are getting players back we will get stronger and if everyone plays to form then I think we have a strong group.
“We have drawn at McDiarmid Park, at Easter Road and have drawn with Rangers. In each of those games, in isolation, those are not bad results but the perception is that when you’re not winning games alongside them it’s frustrating. Nobody wants to win more than we do, we know the importance of winning games.
“It’s important to stay calm, work through it and hopefully the injuries clear when we get through it. We normally get to 12 games and that’s when we usually plateau out for the rest of the season.”