What do Stephen Robinson, David Gray and Neil McCann have in common? All three are under-fire Scottish Premiership managers whose teams feature in the last eight of the Premier Sports Cup - and each is in desperate need of a pressure-alleviating victory. At least one will not be afforded that reprieve on Saturday as McCann's Kilmarnock and Robinson's Aberdeen face off at Rugby Park ( ) after Gray's Hibernian have visited third-tier Ross County (15:00).
Fan discontent risks intensifying around the three bosses amid challenging starts to the campaign, so could this weekend shape the futures of their managerial tenures? With the opportunity to book a semi-final place at Hampden up for grabs, BBC Scotland looks at the potential significance of the League Cup quarter-finals. Fans furious with Robinson, but what is going wrong at Aberdeen? 'Gambling & guessing' - Gray faces up to Hibs slump Kilmarnock earn first point with goalless draw at Aberdeen This time last year Robinson's St Mirren were working their way towards a stunning League Cup triumph.
The final win over Wilfried Nancy's Celtic in December confirmed to many that the Northern Irishman was ready to move up the Scottish football food chain. That said, it took two months for Aberdeen to make their move for the former Motherwell boss - who also took the Fir Park side to the final of this competition in 2017 - bringing an end to a questionable recruitment process. Despite his cup success, Robinson was not the first pick for much of the Dons support, arriving with form of two wins from his final 16 St Mirren matches.
He might not even have been the Aberdeen board's first pick after Jimmy Thelin's exit. The head coach joined with the Pittodrie club embroiled in a fight to avoid a relegation play-off and dragged them out of trouble with three victories in nine games. However, this season has started with four points and two goals in five Premiership fixtures, turning up the heat from a growing number of disgruntled fans.
Robinson has attempted to hush the negative noise by referencing a huge turnover of players and that, in all competitions, Aberdeen have begun the campaign with six wins in 10 - five of which were against lower-league outfits in the League Cup groups. A comment about travel being a contributor to the Dons' alarming performance level after last weekend's turgid goalless draw with Kilmarnock irked an already frustrated fanbase, who want fewer excuses and improved showings from a side lacking imagination and inspiration. A 3-0 victory over Dundee in the previous round has been the standout display from Robinson's team so far this term.
A repeat at Rugby Park on Saturday would ease the pressure somewhat and offer supporters a Hampden date to look forward to. Kilmarnock, along with Falkirk, are one of two clubs to have a worse Premiership record than Aberdeen this season. The goalless stalemate McCann's men played out at Pittodrie last time out told the tale of two teams low on confidence, but the Ayrshire side were at least able to prevent their goals-conceded tally of 14 in five league games rising.
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