NOBODY could ever accuse Ryan Christie of not paying attention to his manager.

The attacking midfielder was taken aside for a quiet chat with Derek McInnes after training last week and told he needed to improve his goal return – he had netted just three times in 21 appearances for Aberdeen – in the remaining games of the season.

His response was immediate. Christie scored twice in the first half of the potentially awkward William Hill Scottish Cup tie with St. Mirren at Pittodrie on Saturday to effectively ensure his side’s safe progress to the next round.

The 22-year-old has probably been the north-east club’s outstanding performer in the first half of the 2017/18 campaign. How much more influential will he be for them if he starts to find the target with greater regularity? It is an exciting prospect for McInnes, his team mates and their supporters. And a sobering one for their opponents.

Adam Rooney, the striker who opened the scoring from the penalty spot early on at the weekend and knows a thing or two about putting the ball in the back of the net, certainly feels he is capable of contributing more.

“Ryan is a special player,” said Rooney “He has a few goals now and a few assists so he is doing well. Last season his goals to minute ratio was brilliant for an attacking midfielder. I would say the manager is putting that extra demand on him because he knows he is capable of it.

“I think he has kicked on from last season. Now he is even better. Whether you are winning or losing, he is always looking to get on the ball and to create things. He sucks players in and creates space. He is a special player and we are lucky to have him at the minute.”

Christie will, of course, be unavailable to play for Aberdeen should they come up against his parent club Celtic, who beat them in the Betfred Cup and Scottish Cup finals and into second place in the Ladbrokes Premiership last team, in the latter rounds of the competition. His absence, as has been seen on numerous occasions in the past 12 months, is always keenly felt.

However, the emphatic win over a St. Mirren side enjoying a rich vein of form in the Championship and tipped to cause an upset against their top flight opponents suggested that they could still pose a serious threat without him.

The great enigma that is Gary Mackay-Steven had another excellent afternoon. He set up Christie for his first strike with a cutback from the byline and then rifled in what will be a strong contender for goal of the tournament come May. If the winger can maintain that level of performance, and that is a big if, Aberdeen will flourish in the final third.

The return of Niall McGinn, the fans favourite who received a hero’s welcome when he made his first appearance since returning from Gwangju in South Korea as a second-half substitute, and Stevie May, who had been sidelined as a result of the injury he sustained in the foul by Ryan Jack of Aberdeen last month, increases their options up front considerably.

McInnes has, despite his side being second in the Premiership, struggled to cope with the loss of Jonny Hayes, Ryan Jack and McGinn this season. But it is not inconceivable his side could, with Christie, Mackay-Steven, May, McGinn, Rooney and Greg Stewart now at his disposal, become an even more potent attacking force than before.

“The more good players we have at the club the better it is for everyone,” said Rooney. “It brings competition and everyone has to up their game. Wherever you are playing in this team there is competition for places. There is not one position where there is only one body to fill it. Everyone knows the levels have to be there and if they aren’t then you won’t be in the team for the next game. Hopefully that will make us stronger throughout the season.”

Aberdeen take on Rangers, who have beaten them comfortably in their two meetings this season, in the league at Ibrox on Wednesday night. The game will be a good barometer of how much, if at all, they have improved since their previous encounters with their bitter Glasgow rivals.

St. Mirren have been lauded for the invention in their play going forward in recent months as they have forged eight points clear at the top of the Championship table, but the game at the weekend showed them that their will need to be more to their game than that should they return to the top flight.

The Paisley club failed to match the physicality of their hosts, in midfield especially where Christie, Kenny McLean and Graeme Shinnie quickly seized control, and paid the price for that. They did well to pull a goal back after quickly falling two behind in the first half. Gavin Reilly took his chance well. But the visitors disappointed.

“During the week we talked about how we can’t make individual errors that’s exactly what we did,” said Stephen McGinn. “They are ruthless. We made mistakes and they punished us. As good as we looked going forward at times I think defensively we have to be better when we’re playing better sides.”

McGinn, whose side returns to league action on Friday night with a tricky away game against Dunfermline at East End Park, has no concerns about the heavy de-feat impacting on their promotion push.

“We won’t just write it off,” he said. “We have professional pride and don’t want to lose 4-1 to anyone. It’s not nice. But what we have done this season is bounce back from defeats with wins I think we have done that after every game we’ve lost this season.

“You have to try to deal with setbacks in a positive way so that’s what we’ll try to do. The manager is good when we lose. He keeps things positive and we will be ready to go again on Monday. I believe we are a better side than the scoreline suggests.”