Aberdeen can do more than beat Rangers to all but secure second place in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.
They can send the Light Blues a message it is them and not Celtic who new manager Pedro Caixinha should be concerning himself with next season.
Aberdeen are having a fine season. They’ve reached one cup final, are 90 minutes away from another and on course to finish runners-up for the third year in a row.
But given Celtic’s outstanding season few would bet against next season being anything other than a seventh title in a row for the Hoops.
Ronny Deila is gone and has been replaced by a man who is a substantial step up in terms of managerial quality in Brendan Rodgers. The result has been clear for all to see and reinforces the importance of having the right man in charge of a football club.
Derek McInnes remains that man for Aberdeen but we have no idea if Caixinha is the right man at Ibrox. Sunday is his first acid test.
Caixinha is in his honeymoon period in Scottish football but a resounding win for the Dons at Pittodrie will not go unnoticed by the Gers support desperate to see their side restored to its former glory.
It’s going to take time, investment and good signings to get there but poor Pedro will find the first two qualities in short supply, especially if Aberdeen beat his team handsomely.
It must irk McInnes and his players that they are seen as an irrelevance when it comes to Rangers, especially when they have proven themselves to be a superior team only for the new manager to claim his side was only two points behind the Dons and not eight when he first arrived.
His reasoning? Well, we’ve to play Aberdeen twice so that’s two wins. I’m paraphrasing but you get the message. You can bet it was heard loud and clear at Pittodrie.
Whether it was arrogance or confidence is open to debate but for all the bluster which invariably comes out of Ibrox these days one undisputable fact remains.
Aberdeen have qualities Rangers yearn for – consistency and quality.
Dons supporters, ask yourselves how many Rangers players would you have in the current Aberdeen team? How many Aberdeen players do you think could do a job for Rangers?
That’s the difference. Aberdeen are better. In every department. Goalkeeper, defence, midfield and attack. They’ve scored more goals home and away and conceded less too.
The stats don’t lie.
The Dons were four points behind Rangers and one ahead of Hearts following a goalless draw with St Johnstone at Pittodrie on December 10.
Ten home games later, all of which have been won, and the Dons find themselves 13 points clear of the Gers and sailing off into the sunset.
Rangers have to topple Aberdeen before they can even entertain the notion of beating the team in green and white hoops across the city.
Aberdeen supporters will be desperate for their side to show the new Gers manager and his players that will be far tougher than he thinks on Sunday.