Aberdeen manager Barry Robson is confident his side will overcome the challenge of juggling domestic football with European commitments.
The Dons have looked jaded in both league displays after the Europa League play-off double-header against BK Hacken of Sweden.
Their wait for a first league win continues following a 2-0 defeat by Hibernian at Pittodrie on Sunday.
Robson’s Reds also struggled at St Mirren the previous weekend but managed to earn a point in a 2-2 draw from their trip to Paisley.
The frustration among the Aberdeen support was palpable at Pittodrie as jeers rang out at the end of Sunday’s loss to the Hibees, who recorded their first league win after an 8-0 aggregate exit to Aston Villa in the Conference League.
With the Dons facing further European tests in the group stages of the Conference League against Eintracht Frankfurt, PAOK and HJK Helsinki between September and December Aberdeen face six further Sunday domestic fixtures.
Robson insists his side will get to grips with the challenge European commitments brings domestically.
He said: “I know other Scottish managers have spoken about this and there are times where teams have struggled.
“We’re experienced in what we’re doing and we will stay level headed and patient. Can we play well every week? No we can’t, but we can fight in every game.
“We will have to alter the way we play sometimes to combat the difficulties which come our way. There are going to be days when it’s going to be tough.
“Hopefully we can get a bit stronger as we go, more players will be up to speed and we can get a bit better in the Sunday games. We will get better.”
Europe part of the learning process
Robson will draw on his own experiences as a player to help his players, many of whom will be playing in the group stages of Europe for the first time in their careers, in the months ahead.
Jonny Hayes, Or Dadia, Rhys Williams, Leighton Clarkson and Stefan Gartenmann are the only players at Pittodrie with European group stage experience.
The Dons manager scored on his Champions League debut for Celtic in a 3-2 home defeat by Barcelona in February 2008 and was also part of the Hoops squad for their Champions League campaign in the 2008-09 season and in the Europa League in 2009-10.
He believes the lessons learned were invaluable.
Robson said: “Europe is difficult. There’s a different atmosphere and feel to those games and you are coming up against very good players and teams.
“I was lucky enough to play a lot in Europe and I felt I got better with every game.
“Looking at our squad we’ve got a lot of inexperienced players in terms of being involved in European games.
“They will learn more from the opportunities they will get in the months ahead.
“We’ve achieved group stage football for the first time since Jimmy Calderwood was the manager and the players should be proud of that.
“We showed against Hacken, the Swedish champions, we have quality and can score goals but we need to be at our best.”
‘It is going to be difficult at times’
It has quickly become apparent juggling the Europa League participation alongside the challenge of lifting his side up the Premiership from its current 11th place is going to be a delicate balancing act for the Aberdeen manager.
But having brought 13 new players to the club in the summer transfer window the Dons boss remains convinced time is the one quality he needs most for his new-look squad to get up to speed.
Robson said: “This is nothing new to me. It maybe is to the fans who expect blistering performances but we know it is going to be difficult at times.
“We’re trying to put together a squad here and we’re still getting players bedded in.
“We had eight loan players last season so we’ve had to rebuild the squad and we’ve brought players in so we can freshen it up at times.
“We don’t want to see players pulling calves or hamstrings then being out for weeks or months at a time.”
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