Hibernian and Aberdeen last met in May, with the Dons running out 4-0 winners at Easter Road
Scottish Premiership: Hibernian v Aberdeen
Venue: Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen Date: Tuesday, 26 November Time: 19:45 GMT
Coverage: Listen on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Scotland Extra/Sounds 810MW, live text coverage on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sport website & app, highlights on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Scotland from 22:55
David Gray says at no point during club discussions has he felt he is about to lose his job as Hibernian head coach - despite his side currently sitting bottom of the Scottish Premiership.
But he is under no illusions that it is "a difficult moment for everybody" at Easter Road as they head into Tuesday's visit by second-top Aberdeen sitting a point behind city rivals Heart of Midlothian after a run of eight games without a victory.
Gray says he has "been in constant communication" with both chief executive Ben Kensell and sporting director Malky Mackay since Saturday's 4-1 defeat by Dundee.
Asked if, during those chats, he ever felt "this is the end", he replied: "No, not until someone tells me otherwise. Until someone tells me otherwise, I am going to give everything to this football club - and always have done - and I firmly believe that, given time, I will turn this around.
"I also appreciate, how long do you give it if you can't win games of football? I am not going to sit here and shy away from that.
"I am not going to sit here and say everything's all right - of course it's not. But it isn't going to change by me feeling sorry for myself or starting to doubt what I'm doing."
Gray admits that his players are "low in confidence", but his key message to them is the "need to roll your sleeves up", with the "incentive" being that a second league victory this season would take Hibs above Hearts and off the bottom of the table.
Not for the first time this season, Hibs surrendered a lead after having a player sent off as they lost at Dens Park, but Gray is emphasising the positive of another good start.
Aberdeen counterpart Jimmy Thelin's main theme to his players is making sure they, in turn, take the game to Hibs from kick-off.
The Dons suffered their own setback on Saturday as their unbeaten league run since the Swede arrived from Elfsborg this summer ended with a 2-1 loss to St Mirren that allowed reigning champions Celtic to open a three-point gap at the top.
"I don’t think there is going to be any impact at all on our behaviour or our belief," Thelin insisted. "A season is long and we are not alone in the league - there are a lot of good teams.
"This is still a long-term process - nothing has changed in that."
Thelin says it is "better to focus on what we can do" rather than how Hibs - "a good team with strong individual players" - might respond to their latest setback.
The Aberdeen boss was disappointing with his side's first 20 minutes in Paisley.
"I think we are going to see a different approach from our players to how we start the game - that is important for us," he added.
Match statistics
Hibs have gone four home games - since their one league win this season, against St Johnstone - without a victory and eight overall.
St Mirren on Saturday ended Aberdeen's 10-game unbeaten away run, which included six this season, but the Dons have now drawn one and lost one after four straight victories.
No side has won fewer home games in the Premiership this season than Hibs' one and they are winless in their last four league matches on home soil (drawing twice).
After losing their last league meeting with Aberdeen 4-0 in May, Hibs are looking to avoid suffering successive such defeats for the first time since a run of three in November 2020.
Aberdeen are looking to win two away league games at Easter Road in a row for the first time since May 2019.
Winger Martin Boyle has been directly involved in 10 goals (six goals, four assists) in his last 13 Premiership appearances against Aberdeen for Hibs, including nine (five goals, four assists) in his last seven at Easter Road.
