That was quite an event at a vibrant Pittodrie on New Year's Day.

 

A pleasingly filled stadium, a convincing Aberdeen win over St Johnstone, and further chat and debate about the ability of Derek McInnes's side to pose a title challenge to Celtic in the Premiership.

For a few days at least Aberdeen are top of the table. Even if Celtic's game against Partick Thistle had gone ahead, and Ronny Deila's erratic team had won, only two points would be separating the clubs at the halfway point in the campaign. This is intriguing: can Aberdeen go stride-for-stride with Celtic to the tape in May?

It shouldn't be able to happen in the slightest. Financially, Celtic are on a different planet to Aberdeen. Their most recently published revenue was £65m compared to Aberdeen's £11m, and Celtic's annual wage-bill is circa £33m compared to Aberdeen's £6m. If it wasn't so tedious you could go on and on with such figures. The fact is, if Celtic are to lose the title, it would require some rank-bad football management by Deila, some dire under-performing by players, and probably also a spate of injuries.

And yet, if managers are the focal point of a football club, then this is where it gets interesting. Because Deila and McInnes are suffering extremes of fortune right now, and it may well linger.

A 15,000-plus crowd at Pittodrie on New Year's Day said everything about McInnes's appeal among the Aberdeen faithful. The Pittodrie manager has roused his football club, claiming a trophy in his first season, and now, after some stodgy moments, leading his team on a run which has seen them surge up the table.

McInnes is youthful, articulate, and with that mysterious quality called "presence" about him. He has led his team back into the last four of the League Cup and has revived the career of players such as David Goodwillie. Right now McInnes looks every inch the type of manager that Aberdeen fans have craved for years.

Deila? You hear no such consensus. Wherever two or three Celtic fans are gathered there is argument and dispute about their Norwegian manager. The evidence so far about Deila's ability to enhance Celtic amounts to one step forward, one step back. One minute the Celtic fans are hailing this young coach, with his fresh approach and new ideas. The next, they're wanting him packed back off to Stromsgodset.

In football, giants are occasionally slain, but in cups far more than over nine months of a league campaign. It is a relative rarity. Arguably, in Scotland's top division, it is 31 years since there was a genuine earth-off-axis title triumph, when Dundee United achieved the feat in 1983, and that was because United had a near-genius in Jim McLean. As good as McInnes is looking, he has a way to go to being that.

Yesterday, having witnessed this Aberdeen revival of recent weeks, I was keen to harvest the opinions of Dons fans who watch their team week in, week out. So I took to Twitter to ask them: realistically, can Aberdeen challenge Celtic for the title this season? From among a spate of responses I received these.

Ross Fotheringham: "Heart says 'yes', head says 'no'. Celtic have got to get better - they surely can't get any worse - and can spend in January if panic sets in."

Matty B: "Of course we can, if we continue to get tough and knuckle down. And having a full Pittodrie is like a 12th man."

Ross Jessiman: "No, as we can't strengthen in January. Also, we don't have a depth of squad if we pick up injuries. Loving it, though."

Ewan Watt: "[Yes] if we stay injury-free, and Celtic stay in the Europa League. Still don't think we can do it, though."

Lewis: "Yes, because of Derek McInnes and Ronny Deila."

Ray Matthew: "Not without adding a couple of players to our squad - we're short on cover in central defence and left-back."

Kenny Stewart: "If we could start the same XI ever week, then perhaps. Unfortunately we don't have any squad depth. Look at the bench."

Matthew Carle: "We can. But will we? I have my doubts. I think Celtic will be prove to be a bit too strong."

David Moir: "If we can win the next two then yes, absolutely. Ronny Deila is about 15/20 points worse than Neil Lennon. 80 points the target."

A recurring theme in these and other responses was "strength in depth" - and Aberdeen perceived lack of it. Barry Robson, Russell Anderson and Willo Flood are all long-term injury victims, and McInnes's squad will probably be unable to withstand any further setbacks.

Already etched in the mind of Aberdeen fans and some media observers is the date of Saturday February 28, when they are due in Glasgow at Celtic Park. This is nine Premiership fixtures away, and the pressure is on McInnes and his players between now and then to stay tethered to Celtic and then inflict some damage on them that day.

Despite their current well-earned euphoria, the wariness of some Aberdeen fans seems justified. In two league matches so far against Celtic, Aberdeen have lost twice, which surely gives Deila's team a psychological edge. That said, both Deila and Celtic look so vulnerable and erratic, who knows their state in eight weeks' time?

A Scottish Premiership title run-in, which no-one expected in August, would be a thrilling and unusual prospect. Even Derek McInnes himself has previously stated as a plain fact that Celtic would win the title. Well, right now, as things stand, you're left feeling less sure.

For those outwith the west of Scotland, it is enough to see the current revivals being enjoyed at Dundee United and Aberdeen. Whatever else is wrong with Scottish football, these aspects have looked very good.