IF Aberdeen record many more victories like the one they racked up against Motherwell in their rearranged Ladbrokes Premiership match at Pittodrie on Wednesday night then the clamour to appoint Derek McInnes Rangers manager will become deafening.
The north-east club produced by far their finest performance of the season and demolished their shellshocked opponents 7-2 to move three points clear of their nearest rivals in second spot in the top flight table and improve their goal difference significantly.
McInnes is currently the second favourite to replace Mark Warburton at Ibrox behind only Alex McLeish with most bookmakers – but the odds on him returning to his former club are certain to shorten if his side continues to fare so well.
However, Adam Rooney, who scored a hat-trick in what was his on-form side’s eighth win in nine competitive outings, believes that the better Aberdeen perform the more McInnes will want to remain in situ.
“We’re doing our best to keep him aren’t we?” said Rooney. “I think there’s been 18 managers linked with that job (at Rangers).
“We don’t focus on that, we focus on ourselves.
“We know the gaffer really enjoys it here, as do the players. I think you can see that from the number of players who’ve signed new contracts.
“It’s a good place to be and hopefully we can keep building.”
Rooney, who took his tally for the 2016/17 campaign to 15 with his hat-trick, believes Aberdeen, who take on Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Sunday, can maintain their hot streak of form thanks to the competition for places which now exists in the squad at Pittodrie.
The Irishman revealed that McInnes had toyed with the possibility of dropping him for the visit of Motherwell due to the form of both Jayden Stockley and Miles Storey in training – a possibility which clearly brought out the very best in him.
“Jayden has been excellent when he’s come on in the last few weeks,” said Rooney.
Ryan Christie, the Scottish Football Writers’ Association Young Player of the Year in 2015, has joined on loan from Celtic until the end of the season and netted a sublime goal in what was his first start for Aberdeen.
“Ryan came in and did brilliantly,” said Rooney. “That’s what we need. It’s going to be a long haul until the end of the season and we’ve a lot of games to go.
“We need people fighting for positions and if it brings out performances like it did tonight, then brilliant.”
Aberdeen’s run of form has seen them overhaul the seven point lead which Rangers held in the Premiership table at the end of last year.
However, Rooney knows they will have to display the same sort of ruthlessness up front if they are to record their third consecutive runners-up finish in the top flight in the coming months. “There’s a long way to go,” he said. “We’re delighted to be in the position we’re in, but it’s too early to say that’s it, we’re going to be in second place.
“We know we’ll have to work hard for it. Hearts and St Johnstone will say they want it as well, but we’re in good form and hopefully we can keep ticking off wins.
“The gaffer’s always on at us to score more -–when we’re winning games 2-0 he wants us to go on and be more ruthless. Celtic do it nearly every week, but he wants us to be more like that.
“It’s something we need to get into our game, make sure once we’re in front we don’t get too comfortable, sit back and be happy with the win, we need to get the goal difference up.”
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