THERE was a strangely valedictory feel to proceedings as Derek McInnes addressed the media on the eve of Aberdeen's first Scottish Cup final since the turn of the millennium. Pedro Caixinha had said earlier this month that the Dons were approaching the end of a cycle and in personnel terms at least the Portuguese might just be right. Ryan Jack, who lost the captaincy this week to Graeme Shinnie, will leave this summer under freedom of contract, as will Niall McGinn. Kenny McLean and Jonny Hayes are two more men attracting transfer interest this summer. And for all that he insisted yesterday that he hadn't reached his "natural end point" at Pittdorie, so too is the manager himself, with Sunderland thought to be interested.

It is anyone's guess how many of the above remain for the club's opening Europa League tie in mid July, but as they walk off towards the sunset, McInnes is determined that those who are leaving should do so in a blaze of glory. It is 350 days since Aberdeen reported for action for pre-season but the manager feels that one last push is capable of landing them their first triumph in Scotland's glamour cup competition since defeating these same opponents in 1990.

"It’s been a huge effort for everybody and we want the players, the ones that are leaving, to go out in a blaze of glory," he said. "Give it everything they’ve got. Even though we are huge underdogs and nobody really gives us a chance, it’s a game we feel we can win.

"It is important how you leave a club, the perception you leave behind," he added. "If we can get a win tomorrow for the players who are leaving it would be a brilliant and fitting ending for what they have given me over the last few years. I’d love to put that medal in their hands but they have to go out there and earn it and it would be the perfect ending to a brilliant season and also the perfect ending for a lot of those players’ careers at Aberdeen. If Ryan [Jack] is selected tomorrow and he’s on the pitch he’ll be as fully committed an Aberdeen player as anyone else trying to win trophies."

As unprecedented an achievement as an unbeaten treble would be for Brendan Rodgers' side, McInnes is adamant that - given their financial dominance in the last five years - Celtic should have done the treble before now. On the "evidence we have in front of us", he feels they will also win the league again next season.

"We’ve got to recognise the efforts of Celtic this season, they’ve had loads of plaudits and rightly so," said McInnes. "But I’m surprised a Celtic team hasn’t won more trebles over the last few years and I think with the vast difference in resource then I don’t think it’s too surprising for them to pick up a treble, to be honest."

While the accusation was also levelled at his own side yesterday that they should have made Scottish Cup finals more frequently in recent times than they have - teams like Gretna and Queen of the South have reached this stage since they last did - Aberdeen are starting to get used to big matches like these again. This is their fifth semi-final of eight in the cup competitions, and their fourth visit to Hampden this season. They are starting to get used to the routine - even if preparations for the BetFred Cup final in November didn't exactly run to plan so they opted to stay up in the North East for most of this week.

"In November, our training pitches were a bit of a mess so we went to St Andrews," said McInnes. "But the pitches were frozen there. So we were scrambling about. Paul [Hartley] gave us Dens Park and put the heating on. Tommy [Wright] gave us St Johnstone. Both clubs charged us right enough! But what I would say feels different is that it feels far more relaxed."

That 3-0 BetFred final was perhaps the least impressive performance of a five-match series against the Premiership Champions where they lost all five, by a combined 12-2 scoreline. While the wide open spaces of Hampden Park are night and day from the tight confines of Pittodrie, the two most impressive - from McInnes' point of view at least - were the last two, which ended in a 1-0 defeat at Celtic Park and a 3-1 loss at Pittodrie.

"When you play against a team of Celtic’s level you want to try and deny their better players opportunities and space to work," said the Aberdeen manager. "But we have players who enjoy playing with space too. We are happy to make it a running game when we have good possession.

"I would say there’s been spells in all the games when we’ve done okay other than probably the cup final," said McInnes. "But primarily our focus is on the last two games. A 1-0 defeat at Celtic Park, while a set-play separated the teams on the night. Celtic only had one shot on target at Parkhead that night. The last game at Pittodrie, I’m not going to glorify a defeat but there was a lot in the game we were pleased about. We’ve had a good season up until now, but it could be a brilliant season by winning the Scottish Cup."