Upfront Derek McInnes has revealed he used slights against Aberdeen to fuel a siege mentality during his seven years at Pittodrie.
The 50-year-old admits a conscious effort was made to play things down in front of the media, but remained "bullish" about his side's trophy chances behind closed doors.
McInnes says those who assumed Rangers' return to the Premiership would automatically lead to Aberdeen losing their spot as Celtic 's biggest challengers sparked something from within.
It certainly had a desired effect for the Dons, as they finished second best in four consecutive seasons and were clear of the Ibrox side in their first two years back in the top flight between 2016 and 2018.
And McInnes is now urging Hearts to show total belief when they travel to Ibrox next weekend in a mouthwatering top of the table clash
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, he said: "It's still early but there is nothing wrong with getting excited, that's why supporters love their team and enjoy going to the games.
"I say this fully aware that during my time at Pittodrie I tended to play it all down.
"As a manager, you are always conscious of who is reading your words in the newspapers, who you might annoy or motivate with a sound bite on the radio or TV.
"So we decided to keep a lid on it to the point where we were really bland and boring in what we said publicly.
"But privately, behind closed doors and inside that dressing room, my message was totally different. I was always bullish. We always felt we could win cups and I was happy to put that out there every time.
"But in every league campaign we were motivated, too. When I first took over, people used to say 'wait till Rangers come back'. We twice finished second.
"Then it was Hibs and Hearts coming up and we dealt with that, too.
"When you get to the last round of games, ten to go, that's the time you can really start to sniff it.
"Until then, it's important you keep everybody on an even keel but Hearts, unbeaten in the league after eight matches, will fancy their chances against Rangers next Saturday.
"They have to go to Ibrox feeling like a big club. They should go into the game with a swagger."
