ABERDEEN sent out a further message to Premiership rivals that their reinvigorated squad are deadly serious in their aim to win trophies and to challenge for the title this season.

Goals in each half from an irrepressible Jonny Hayes, making his 200th appearance for the Reds, and US striker Christian Ramirez, inflicted the damage on a Dundee United outfit frequently toiling to cope with the hosts’ passing moves and, at times, exhilarating tempo.

For manager Stephen Glass it was another pleasing display and result as he prepares to lead his team in their Europa Conference League qualifier against Breidalblik in Iceland on Thursday.

“It was a great performance,” he insisted, “especially in the first half where you could see the intent of the group and their desire to reproduce how they performed against Hacken here last week. If we are performing strong at home it bodes well for the season.

“The performance as a stand-alone today was exceptional. We told them not to get bored having the ball as sometimes players can go looking for things that are not there, but they chose the right options at the right moments and look very assured in their choices.”

Tam Courts, United’s rookie boss, may have been pleased with some aspects of his team’s play, but he faces a tough season unless they can effect improvement.

Their best chance came just before the break as an Ian Harkes header was stopped on the line.

Courts said: “The overriding feeling is frustration as Aberdeen didn’t have to work hard for their goals which isn’t something you can usually accuse the team of. We didn’t capitalise at the other end and gave away two soft goals.

“We were starting to grow into the game at the time of Ian’s chance and probably looked like we were passive but when we forced the turnover we were guilty of sloppy play and gifting the ball back.” 

Aberdeen’s ethos under Glass is to retain possession and be patient until a scoring opportunity presents itself. Speculative lobs into the opposition’s goal area are kept to a minimum and there is less reliance on set pieces around the penalty area to bring goals.

Hayes’ release from the left-back position – Jack MacKenzie filled in – allowed the Irishman to occupy the flank normally taken by Ryan Hedges, who’s out injured.

And his energy and pace brought their reward in the 27th minute as he raced on to a ball hoisted over the Arabs’ defenders by Lewis Ferguson and clipped his finish over the advancing Benjamin Siegrist.

It was a goal that saw the visitors perk up and Peter Pawlett, Nicky Clark and Lawrence Shankland proceeded to put greater pressure on the home defence to remind them of their capabilities as front players.

Thoughts of an early retaliation from United were, however, dampened six minutes into the second half as the 6,305-strong Red Army’s ecstasy went into overdrive.

Calvin Ramsay’s tantalising cross from the right was perfectly positioned for Ramirez’s (inset, left) header from the entre of goal wrapped up the game for Aberdeen.