Aberdeen are on course for a record-breaking season but manager Derek McInnes rates the current Celtic team as the strongest Hoops side he has faced as a manager.
The Dons amassed 75 points in finishing runners-up two years ago and, having reached 61 points with eight games remaining this season, they can surpass that tally.
But it has not been enough to prevent Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic team being crowned champions for the sixth season in a row, with the Hoops winning the title thanks to a 5-0 demolition of Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday.
The Aberdeen manager is proud of his players’ accomplishments this term but is also impressed with the form of the champions, who are unbeaten domestically and have dropped just four points all season.
McInnes said: “If someone told me we’d be 10 points clear of Rangers, 20 points clear of Hearts and 18 clear of St Johnstone, who were the three teams we thought we’d be in a fight with this year, I would have been delighted.
“But without question this has been the strongest Celtic team I’ve faced. I said if they kept the focus they had throughout November and December that they would be difficult to stop.
“They’ve given no encouragement to anyone. I think that the points tally that they may well get will probably surpass the majority of title-winning teams there have been in their history. I think that you can just admire the work that has been done.”
McInnes has his own goals to aim for with the Dons closing in on second place in the league and preparing for a Scottish Cup semi-final meeting with Hibernian at Hampden on April 22.
The Dons can extend their lead to 13 points on Rangers by beating Caley Thistle tonight and the Gers are due to visit Pittodrie on Sunday.
Clinching runners-up spot is within Aberdeen’s grasp but McInnes is not looking any further than the visit of Richie Foran’s side tonight. Kenny McLean netted twice as the Dons came from behind to win 3-1 in the last meeting of the teams at Caledonian Stadium in November and McInnes is keen to keep the focus on tonight’s opponents, who are fighting for their place in the Scottish Premiership.
He said: “The objective at the start of the season was to be as competitive as we could in the league, try to beat our points tally and try and win two cups.
“We’ve been to one cup final and it didn’t go the way we wanted but hopefully we can get to another and make a better fist of it.
“But for now it’s important that we just concentrate on the Inverness game. The only objective at moment is to win all three points against Inverness.”