HE may not quite be ready to follow the advice of Ronny Deila and take to touting Aberdeen for their first league title in more than three decades, but there is certainly a sense of Derek McInnes entering his side’s latest encounter with Celtic with a more publicly assertive attitude.

Deila has made it clear that, were he in charge at Pittodrie, he would be shouting from the rooftops about his desire to win the Ladbrokes Premiership. McInnes is a little more pragmatic, holding the opinion that what he says on television or in the Press has no effect on his players.

He has certainly lit the touchpaper under tonight’s match in the Granite City, though. A sell-out crowd will welcome the defending champions north as they patch up their wounds from the weekend’s League Cup loss to Ross County the way Jonny Hayes would deal with a dogbite and they will take their seats in the belief that this a Celtic side to be ‘got at’.

McInnes does not use those words exactly. He is far too cute, too risk averse, to go quite that far. His views are clear, though.

With Jason Denayer and Virgil van Dijk having left for pastures at the end of last season, Celtic are not the defensive unit they were. Far from it. Jozo Simunovic, their most significant signing, is out for an extended period with knee ligament damage.

Deila may actually have to consider fielding Efe Ambrose again. McInnes talks several times a week to Jim McIntyre, the Ross County manager and his former Dundee United team-mate. You can be sure they have exchanged detailed notes on how best to capitalise on what McInnes recognises as a new-found vulnerability.

“I think what’s clear is that Celtic, when they are in full swing, are still a real tough team to keep hold of and restrict,” he said.

“While they have found scoring goals to be fine this season, as they normally do, they have conceded far more than in previous seasons.

“I think they have already conceded two more in the league than they did in the whole campaign last year. They have let in 40 goals in all competitions, so that would suggest there is an area there

that they haven’t been as tight in.

“Denayer and van Dijk was as strong a centre-half pairing as the SPL has seen for many years.The fact they have conceded more goals than they normally do may be a reason why they may seem a bit more

vulnerable.

“Their results have been good of late, up to the semi-final, and they have scored plenty of goals. They are on a good run themselves and they are a good side, but we are confident we can create problems for Celtic with our attacking play.”

Whilst McInnes is not the type to indulge in the kind of hyperbole best left to the likes of Alan Stubbs as he bids to sneak in ahead of Rangers for the Championship, he insists it would be wrong to suggest that his team have not approached past skirmishes with Celtic very much on the front foot.

“We always have a go against Celtic,” he remarked. “This is an opportunity for us to go and try to beat a team close to us in the league.

“Wherever you are in the league, it is important that you try to inflict damage on the teams round about you. We have managed to win two out of two against Hearts in the league and we are going to try to get our second win against Celtic.

“The benefit of that would be clear to see.

“We take confidence from the fact we are in good form and have beaten them already this season with 10 men. With a strong crowd behind us, we will try to do that again.”

Even sticking to his mantra that it is no more than three points up for grabs, the same three points secured when they won against Dundee last time out, he finds it difficult to pull away from admitting that tonight’s match is a little different.

“It is the same three points, but when you play teams round about you, it is sometimes a wee bit more than that,” he stated.

“With 15 games to go, we have a squad that I totally trust to get results and get that job done. We have always backed ourselves against any opposition.”

McInnes brings Simon Church, brought in on loan from MK Dons, into his squad after getting that transfer over the line on deadline day. The 27-year-old has 33 caps for Wales and the very definite incentive of holding onto that place for the European Championship finals in the summer.

He does not see himself as a direct rival to established centre-forward Adam Rooney, though. Indeed, he believes he can help Rooney earn his own spot at Euro 2016 with the Republic of Ireland.

“He has proved he can score goals at this level and I wouldn’t say I am coming here to take his place,” said Church, who forced his move from MK Dons after hearing McInnes was interested. “I can play alone up front or as part of a two and I am here to further my career.”