Dundee United’s John Rankin insists the Tangerines can’t just ignore the league table and wish their troubles away.
Instead, Rankin argues they should keep reminding themselves of their Premiership predicament in order to ensure they get off bottom spot as quickly as possible.
Working under new manager Mixu Paatelainen, whom Rankin describes as having an “aura” about him, the Tannadice midfielder is confident that the little shoots of positivity that grew in the Hearts game an improved attitude and workrate can eventually lead to better performances and results in the weeks ahead.
Climbing up the table will be anything but easy, though, with the home loss to Hearts that began the new era followed by a trip to Celtic Park this Sunday.
Then comes a match against high-flying Ross County at home, Hibs away in the League Cup quarter-final, a trip to Aberdeen then a game against bogey team St Johnstone at Tannadice all over the next month or so.
Rankin, however, promised that the United players get it and stressed they will be listening intently to what Paatelainen tells them before striving to make it work on the park.
The former Hibs man, who worked under the big Finn at Easter Road, has obviously bought into the realism that arrived when Paatelainen was appointed last week.
Rankin said: “We can’t block out the fact that we are bottom of the league.
“We are bottom for a reason that reason is that we haven’t been good enough this season.
“It needs to pick up and it starts from now.
“There is no point kidding ourselves on that we are sitting mid-table in a cushy position because we are not.
“We need to fight tooth and nail to get out of this and we thoroughly plan to do so.
“The manager has made his plans known to us that he doesn’t want to be in this position for too long.
“I don’t think there is anyone in that dressing room who wants to be where we are either.
“So blocking out the table is not going to do us any favours.
“We need to look at that table and make it hurt us.
“It certainly hurts us now when we see that we are four points off second-bottom, albeit we are only 11 games into the season.
“There is a mountain to climb for the club at the moment but we can see ourselves climbing it.
“The desire and willingness in the dressing room to get about our business and get ourselves out of trouble is there for all to see.”
Rankin knew what to expect from Paatelainen due to their paths crossing at Hibs but it is still evident from his words that the head coach has made as much of an impression on him as well as on the rest of the United squad.
He added: “When a new manager comes in a place always gets lifted because the players who hadn’t been in the plans before see an opportunity for themselves, while those who were playing have to prove themselves to the new manager all over again.
“So the tempo has been upped but that always happens when a new gaffer comes in. That’s just part and parcel of football.
“But there is an aura about him.
“The boys are probably on their toes at the moment because they don’t know what his thoughts are or how he is.
“He is a big man.
“He has that fear factor just by looking at him.
“The gaffer also has that great presence, with the way he speaks and everything else.
“He is also very knowledgeable about the game and I know that from my time with him at Hibs.
“He is also very passionate and he doesn’t suffer fools gladly.
“To be fair, I don’t think we demand enough off each other on the pitch as a group of players.
“So to have a manager demanding that from us from the sidelines will most certainly ruffle a few feathers.
“But when you are sitting at the bottom of the league, you need that.”