Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes says Ross County’s last visit to Pittodrie was the perfect example of how ruthless the Staggies can be when they hit top gear.
The Dons will start as firm favourites when the sides meet this afternoon with the Reds chasing a fifth successive victory, while County are without a win since mid-August.
But the Staggies ran out shock 4-0 winners at Pittodrie on the final day of last season to spoil Dons midfielder Barry Robson’s final appearance before retirement.
Two of County’s scorers that day – Alex Schalk and Liam Boyce – are absent for today’s meeting but Dons manager McInnes is wary of the out-of-form Dingwall side.
He said: “If you are not at it then Ross County can hurt you, they showed that last season.
“In the last game we rested players and played youngsters – as well as Barry Robson – and they showed how good they are.
“They have players who can hurt any opposition in this league, they have had good results away from home at Hearts and Rangers.
“They are very solid and strong on the road, we have watched their games and Jim McIntyre has them well organised.
“County have an experienced squad, going to Ibrox and Tynecastle didn’t faze them and they won’t be fazed coming here.
“Craig Curran is coming back, so their squad is strong, especially adding the likes of Chris Burke and Ryan Dow.
“They have a good thing going there, they have an ambitious owner and an ambitious manager.
“They want to be the best they can be, their players want to be the best of the rest this season and when you look at their team you can see why they have that confidence.”
After defeating Kilmarnock 4-0 in their final game before the international break, McInnes says the Dons cannot wait to get back on the pitch this afternoon.
He said: “The international break sometimes helps because you can get a bit of respite but this time round we could have done without it.
“We had the momentum going but just because we had that doesn’t mean we will automatically keep it going now.
“We have to make it happen, I want the same kind of performance we had against Kilmarnock.”