Alan Stubbs insists Hibs’ Scottish Cup hoodoo won’t be a factor when they run out to face Dundee United.
The Easter Road men are dogged by the fact they have not won the country’s premier knockout competition since 1902 and have lost 10 finals since.
As they attempt to get past the Tangerines in order to take on either Celtic or Rangers in the season’s showpiece occasion on May 21, Stubbs played down talk of a jinx.
He said: “Actually, believe it or not, I think that has been spoken about less this time than it was last season.
“I have said all along that the only way you are going to change it is by getting to finals.
“You can’t change it by reaching a quarter-final or a semi-final.
“So we intend to try and get to the final by beating Dundee United on Saturday.
“I don’t look upon it in terms of what it would mean to me to win it.
“The most important thing would be what it means to other people.
“The satisfaction I would get would be from the look on other people’s face – that would be the most satisfying thing about it.”
Hibs are looking to get to their second cup final of the season, having lost to Ross County in the League Cup version just last month.
Stubbs hopes his players will use that experience to spur them on to even better things this time.
He said: “When you are a player – and I’m still a novice in terms of management – whenever you lose a game of football you want to make sure the next time you go there is a positive experience.
“Whether or not it is a driving force for them to turn the result around, the players have to do whatever motivates them the most.
“Whether they think it is revenge, whether it is memories of losing that game, they have to prepare and get themselves motivated.”