Defender Anthony O’Connor is thrilled the Dons have proved the doubters wrong this season by holding on to their position as best of the rest in Scotland, but still reckons their accomplishments are overlooked.
At the start of the season, many predicted a Rangers side which featured the likes of veteran midfielders Joey Barton and Niko Kranjcar would provide the only challenge to Celtic’s attempts to win a sixth successive top flight title.
With seven games remaining Barton is back at Burnley after a dismal and controversial spell at Ibrox while Kranjcar has missed most of the campaign through injury and it is the Dons who are on course to achieve a third consecutive runners-up finish.
The Dons host the Light Blues on Sunday and a home win would all but end any danger of Rangers catching Derek McInnes’ side.
O’Connor admitted he and his team-mates were bemused by the manner some people wrote off the Dons before the campaign got under way.
He said: “At the start of the season and before a ball was kicked all the talk was about Rangers coming back into the league.
“It was all about Celtic and Rangers and we were just going to be the team who finished third or fourth.
“We knew what we were capable of and we wanted to put a bigger challenge up to Celtic, but with their finances they pulled away and have won the league now.
“People probably wrote us off at the start of the season but we have shown how good we have been all season.
“We haven’t lost many games and we are on a great run of 10 home games and Pittodrie is a bit of a fortress at the minute.
“We will look to keep that going on Sunday.”
In one of Pedro Caixinha’s first interviews after being appointed Rangers manager in succession to Mark Warburton, he challenged his players to end the season in style by winning the Scottish Cup and finishing second.
The Portuguese, pictured, felt two wins against Aberdeen would get them right back in contention with Derek McInnes’ men but O’Connor says the Gers have their work cut out if they are to end Aberdeen’s 10-game winning run at Pittodrie.
He said: “It is easy saying that, but they would have to come and beat us twice. That isn’t going to be easy.
“What he said doesn’t bother us too much because we just go on to the pitch and do our business.
“It galvanises us to win more when people are talking about us. People are talking about Rangers, they are there every time I watch the news.
“We are the ones who are in second place and people should be talking about us a bit more.
“Rangers are a good team and a massive club. It is going to be tough, but we are going to show how good we are and try to take away three points.”
O’Connor knows a positive result against Caixinha’s side would go a long way to assuring Aberdeen finish in second spot behind champions Celtic.
He said: “We are in the driving seat at the minute. I wouldn’t say it would kill them off but it would probably put them on a bit of a downer, thinking they are finished.
“It is important to us, but there is a long way to go.
“The split isn’t far away and we will be up against good teams.
“We have some tough league games coming up plus we have a Scottish Cup semi-final so there is still a lot to play for.”