All the pressure is on Aberdeen going into their League Cup semi-final against St Johnstone on Saturday.
That is the blunt message from the Saints camp as the Perth team prepare to take on the Dons at Tynecastle.
Manager Tommy Wright has been keen to contrast the weight of expectation on Derek McInnes’s team with the rather more relaxed feeling around his own club.
Asked if the heat was on the Pittodrie men, Wright replied: “It is, yes, because they are a bigger club and their history will tell you they have won cups, leagues and European trophies.
“St Johnstone have never won a senior trophy in their history, so the pressure is on Aberdeen.
“If St Johnstone lose it will be a case of ‘Ah well, they did well to get to a semi-final, it’s only little St Johnstone.’
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“If Aberdeen lose then it’s another defeat in a semi-final. I think they have lost their last five, and for it to get to six will be tough for a club of that size, one which is expected to win.
“Everyone is predicting that they will win, their league position suggests they are a stronger squad (than St Johnstone), but I have total belief in my team.
“Semi-finals and cup games are unusual. The history of these matches is littered with defeats for teams that are expected to win.
“I’m hoping we can perform as well as we can and if we do then we can cause an upset.”
The Dons are best-priced 11-10 favourites to win with the bookies, with the best price for Saints to succeed 11-4.
Also, the crowd split will be roughly three to one in Aberdeen’s favour, but Wright doesn’t feel that will necessarily be a bad thing for Saints.
“It can be a help for a team and it can be a hindrance as well,” he said,
“In the first game of the season Aberdeen dominated for 80% of the game against Kilmarnock and were 2-0 up, but then Killie came back and the atmosphere of the 15,000 crowd changed.
“Derek will use it as a plus, but if we play then it can turn into a negative.”