Stephen Glass needs no reminding of where Aberdeen sit in the cinch Premiership and is looking to start the move upwards at home to Livingston on Wednesday night.
The Dons have two wins from their last 16 games in all competitions and are eighth in the table with 15 points, five points ahead of bottom side Ross County.
However, in a tightly-packed top flight, the Dons are also only three points behind sixth-placed Hibernian, albeit the Easter Road side have played two games less.
“We are well aware of where we are because we have not been picking up points,” said boss Glass, who hopes to have captain Scott Brown fit after he went off against his former side Celtic at the weekend with cramp.
“You get reminded constantly how…it depends how people want to ask the question, you are three off where you should be higher up the table or three, five, whatever off the bottom end.
“But the important thing for us is to control what we can control and that is trying to get three points on Wednesday night and then, when we do start looking at the table later in the season, we are where we should be.
“But we know that wins get you to where you need to be and that is what we need to focus on.”
Glass expects Livingston to be “a difficult team to play against, we are aware of how much of a battle the game is going to be” but is looking forward to a busy December with Livi the first of six fixtures.
He said: “It gives us an opportunity to win matches, which is what we need. I am welcoming the opportunity of the amount of games coming up and I think the players are too.
“Any time there have been a run of fixtures they have looked hungry to impress and keep going.
“If you win, it is a great chance to build momentum and if you don’t get what you think you should have it is a good chance to get back on board quickly.”
While Brown is expected to take his place in the Dons side and Funso Ojo returns from suspension, Dylan McGeouch is out with a calf injury sustained at Parkhead.
Glass said: “Dylan won’t make it. Scott has a very good chance of making it and we will add Funso back in, other than that we are as we were.
“Dylan will probably miss the next couple of games and we will assess it after that, but he doesn’t look good for this week.
“Scott had cramp. He is continually getting assessed, he was on the grass doing something light and we are hopeful that he makes it.
“You all know what Scott Brown is like as a player and a person, if he has a chance of being out on the pitch he will be and he will make sure that the rest of the staff know that he wants to be.
“Hopefully we have that opportunity to see him tomorrow night.”
