ROSS READY TO ADD TO GLASS’ PROBLEMS

JACK ROSS knows much of the narrative ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Pittodrie will be centred on the occupant of the opposite technical area. After going ten games without a win, Stephen Glass this week received public backing from Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack to remove any doubt about his immediate future. Expressing sympathy for another manager could seem condescending within a necessarily cut-throat business. Ross prefers to talk of respect. He has the utmost regard for Glass, but this is not the time to allow a revival in the north east. Not when Hibernian have a point of their own to prove. Angered by last week’s dismal 3-0 home defeat to Dundee United, Ross (right) is adamant his side must forget any issues facing the opposition and ensure they get back to a more familiar version of themselves. ‘The focus has always been on us delivering a performance that is much more like us,’ said Ross, when asked if Hibs could capitalise on a lack of confidence at Aberdeen. ‘I know a lot of attention will be given to Stephen and his team’s position and where their mindset is at. But for us, on the back of last week’s game, it made no difference who we were playing this weekend. ‘I have respect for Stephen, like I have for every manager in the country. Football management has always been a tough job, particularly nowadays when the want for change is frequent. ‘I want to add to his challenges at the moment by winning the game on Saturday but I’ve got the utmost respect for him.’ Given the talent assembled at Pittodrie, Ross certainly doesn’t rule out Glass being able to transform his team’s campaign in the weeks and months ahead. ‘The expectation for Aberdeen is always to be challenging at the top part of the table and they’ve obviously done so for a number of years,’ continued the Easter Road boss. ‘I think that was the expectation on them again, as it usually is for us as well. It’s still relatively early in the season and there are a huge number of games to go.’ Amid his passionate BBC Sportsound interview of support for Glass (left), Cormack claimed managing Aberdeen was ‘possibly the toughest’ job in Scotland after the Old Firm. ‘He should try walking in my shoes then,’ quipped Ross in response. Being in charge of Hibs certainly wasn’t joyous last weekend. Ross was scathing about his side’s ‘lazy’ and ‘selfish’ play as United romped to a victory that saw them leapfrog their hosts. Asked if he had seen a response to those words from his players, Ross said: ‘Yeah, I generally always have done here. ‘I have always only delivered publicly what I have said to them privately. They are also honest and understand when we fall short of the levels we are normally at. ‘It hurt us to come out of the top four for the first time in 18 months. But the challenge is to get back there as quickly as we can and we have a chance to do that at the weekend.’