Aberdeen defender Mark Reynolds is confident manager Derek McInnes will assemble an even stronger squad to challenge Celtic next season.
The Dons were unable to prevent Celtic claiming a domestic treble in Saturday’s Scottish Cup final, with Tom Rogic scoring an added-time winner for the Hoops after Jonny Hayes’ early opener was cancelled out by Stuart Armstrong.
It was the second time the Dons have been beaten by Celtic in a final this season – and a sixth loss to the Hoops in total – but this was a much closer contest than the 3-0 defeat in November’s League Cup final.
McInnes must prepare for change, with midfielders Ryan Jack, Niall McGinn and Peter Pawlett among those moving on. But Reynolds has faith McInnes will be able to find better replacements.
He said: “It is always tough when players go. They have been a huge part of what we have achieved here.
“I’ve always said the strength of Aberdeen is in the squad. We don’t really have many individual match-winners, but we have a strong group.
“It is going to be hard to get players to come in and play at that level and fit into the ethos of the club. But the manager has done it before, so we have faith in him and I’m sure he will bring in players of the same quality if not better.
“We have done well to stave off bids when other clubs come in to raid the team, it has been surprising how little movement there has been. But it had to come and now we have players moving on. The manager is going to be busy bringing in recruits and Aberdeen is an attractive proposition.
“We still have good players and we want to push Celtic as hard as we can next season.
“When we regroup there will be positives to take into the new season.”
The Dons manager has also been linked with the vacant job at Sunderland following the departure of David Moyes but Reynolds is hopeful McInnes will not be going anywhere.
He said: “There are always going to be admirers. If you are doing well that is always going to happen.
“It doesn’t surprise me. If a manager is doing what he is doing on that budget with the constraints at Aberdeen then there will be interest.
“Given the football we have been playing it is no surprise. But we still have a lot we hope to do and we want to push on and be successful next season.”
Opinion – Page 23