There has been no shortage of former Aberdeen favourites tipping the Dons to end a 30-year-wait for a title but manager Derek McInnes says such talk will not derail his players as they aim to extend their winning run against Dundee today.
Bobby Clark, Neale Cooper, Brian Irvine and even Paul Hartley, the manager of today’s opponents, have been among those claiming the Dons are capable of defying the odds and preventing Celtic from claiming a fourth successive title.
But manager McInnes, whose Reds have a four-point lead at the top of the table, says his players will not allow talk of becoming genuine title contenders make them lose focus of the task at hand of earning a ninth win in a row.
He said: “I think it is easy for other people to say that. For the supporters it is a great thing to talk about and feel good about.
“The players, alongside myself and Tony Docherty, never get too carried away when we win a few games and we never get too down when we lose a couple.
“We have a way of working and I don’t think the players are looking further than the next game.
“It is important that it is the case. I understand the spotlight is falling on us a bit more and that it is exciting for everyone that there is a challenge.
“There are five teams within a few points of each other at the top and that’s brilliant. It is good to have that competition and makes things look a lot healthier.”
More than 16,000 supporters are expected at Pittodrie for the 200th league meeting between Aberdeen and Dundee.
David Clarkson’s last-minute winner gave the Dark Blues a 2-1 victory in November’s Scottish Cup meeting but McInnes is feeling confident about a different outcome today.
He added: “The performance was very good that day but we were punished for a lack of concentration in the last minute of the game.
“The concentration we have shown since has been excellent and the clean sheets we have had would suggest that to be the case.
“I felt for the players as they had put so much into the performance. The irony was when we beat Dundee 3-2 at Dens in October I wasn’t totally satisfied with the performance but we won the game.
“A good performance doesn’t always get what it deserves but it gives you a better chance of winning.
“The players are relishing the challenge and we know if we play well we will be difficult opponents for Dundee.”