Hibernian “want to be minimum third”, says manager Lee Johnson, who admits “there is a work in progress to get there” after a dismal run of results.
They have slipped to seventh place in the Scottish Premiership following five defeats in their past six games.
However, the Edinburgh club remain just two points behind Aberdeen in third, albeit having played a game more.
“Someone mentioned we have finished third three or four times in 35 years so we have to be different,” he said.
“Not necessarily to over-complicate things but be better at what we do over a period of time so there has to be a collective.
“Focus always turns to the manager based on results and, with the social media element that can fire a particular theory, feeling or pattern very quickly, it becomes something you have to manage.
“But it doesn’t stop you doing your job in the correct way and I feel here that I have the support of everybody and feel like we are going to be successful.”
Hibs, who were booed off after Tuesday’s 2-0 home loss to Ross County, travel to bottom-of-the-table Kilmarnock on Saturday.
When the season resumes after the World Cup, they face a tough sequence of fixtures, taking on Rangers, Celtic and Hearts over the festive period.
‘I can cope with criticism when it’s fair’
And former Bristol City and Sunderland boss Johnson will hope to have some of his senior players back from injury by then, including Martin Boyle, Kevin Nisbet, Kyle Magennis, Aiden McGeady, Jake Doyle-Hayes and Harry McKirdy.
“I can cope with criticism when it’s fair,” he added. “My feeling is to dig in and instil confidence in the players to get a performance that will bring us a win against Kilmarnock.
“As a football manager, part of the role is to make peace with the worst-case scenario and that allows you to be bold. The one thing that can never be thrown at me is that I’m not bold in terms of decision-making.
“I have always felt like that, I played like that in terms of having no fear. It is my personality.
“I don’t always get it right but the way for us to improve is to have longevity, to have the same manager, to have four, five, six transfer windows.
“We want to be third, minimum, but it is a work in progress, to get there in my eyes.”
