DEREK MCINNES last night insisted nobody in Scottish football truly believed his Aberdeen team can win the league as Celtic captain Scott Brown confidently declared the champions would retain their title for the simple reason his own side are much the stronger of the two.

A win at St Johnstone would take Aberdeen level with the Parkhead outfit at the top of the Ladbrokes SPFL Premiership, albeit some way behind on goal-difference, and talk of the first league win for the North East after 31 years would be hard to ignore.

Brown, however, was adamant his club had nothing to really worry about, while McInnes was happy to play the role of the underdog who few fancy pulling off a genuine shock.

"We were being talked of as title challengers in February into March last year," said McInnes. "But let’s not kid ourselves on, even now everybody - press boys, coaches and managers - I’m sure they would all think that Celtic would win the league.

“I’m not trying to be smart with that, it’s just a fact that Celtic should win the league.

“I said at the start of the season we are trying to improve our points tally but Celtic will still need to come back to us for there to be a proper title race. I don’t think anybody would put hard-earned money on us to win the league. None of you would.

“Celtic should win the league, of course they should. I actually think they should be further ahead than what they are, but they’re not.

"For us, all we are doing is trying to keep ahead of others and improve on last season and for me there is still too much football to be played before we can get involved in looking at anything else. We just concentrate on ourselves.

“I could sit here and say this and that just for effect but our only focus is trying to maintain our form. That’s a difficult enough challenge as it is.

Brown did concede he felt the second placed side would take this most unexpected title race to the bitter end, but remained confident a fifth championship in row would still be heading to the east end of Glasgow.

"There is always a title race but, at the end of the day, we will win the league again. Yes, I’m absolutely certain,” said a defiant Brown. “I think Aberdeen will fight us all the way to the end of the season but we are three points clear, we know what we have to do and we know how to do it.

“We are ahead of them. We have the biggest squad in the league. There are about 26 players in that dressing room now. We can chop and change four, five or six players and they are good players. We’ll see what happens in the coming weeks."

Brown was adamant there was enough experience and talent in the dressing room which would ensure Celtic finish above Aberdeen, who face four away games over their next five matches.

Celtic have an easier run of fixtures coming up and the hope at Parkhead is that the gap, which currently stand at three points, will soon be extended in the Glasgow club’s favour.

“We have the players there who can pull things out,” said Brown. “We have game-winners, we have game-changers, and we have defenders. It’s just not all happening at once at the moment.

“We are still three points clear in the league, that’s what people need to remember. They are still chasing us. But we have the players there and we have two home games coming up, we need to keep it positive. We’ve done it for the last four seasons now. Hopefully we’ll be doing it at the end of the season as well and lifting that trophy.”