SOME 31 years ago, when the pre-knighted Alex Ferguson was about to leave Aberdeen for Manchester United, one last bid was made in an effort to get him to stay in the north east of Scotland.

The legendary Richard ‘Dick’ Donald quite simply offered his manager the entire football club.

“It was a wonderful gesture from a wonderful chairman,” recalled Fergie years later.

Read more: Aberdeen to let Rangers speak to Derek McInnes - if Ibrox club agrees to pay £1.5m compensation​

Stewart Milne, the chairman today, won’t offer Derek McInnes all of Aberdeen, from the floodlights to the fittings, but the next few days could well be the most important in the club’s history since 1986.

It’s going to be a fascinating watch.

Should Rangers, as many expect, make a move for McInnes, and get their man, it will be the biggest setback Aberdeen have suffered since their most successful manager moved south after winning all there was to win.

The man in Ferguson’s old office doesn’t have a European trophy and three league titles to his name, these are very different times, but the 46-year-old will be incredibly hard to replace if, and it remains an if, he says yes to a return to Ibrox.

Being manager of Rangers is a bigger job than the one McInnes’s currently has. But, in 2017, is it a better one?

What McInnes must way up is whether it is going to be worth the hassle – and there will be bags of that in Glasgow – to be the Rangers manager when Celtic (probably) win a record ten league titles in a row.

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The man has a lot to think about and a lot to give up if he does leave,

Celtic are an excellent side and last Wednesday the gap over their closest challengers appeared to be even bigger than it was last year.

And yet, Aberdeen sit one point behind Brendan Rodgers's still invincible team.

Will Celtic win the Premiership? Absolutely and with something to spare.

However, a quarter of a season has gone and there is hardly anything between first and second, and this is after Aberdeen lost Niall McGinn and Johnny Hayes, plus what seemed like an ideal move for Shaun Maloney fell apart.

During Saturday’s 2-1 win over Ross County, McInnes was as animated as ever; barking instructions to his players from first to last.

There was no hint this was a farewell. But if it was, at least his team won.

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Aberdeen went behind to an early Michael Gardyne goal before the excellent Ryan Christie scored a superb equaliser and then the even better Kenny McLean converted a penalty just after half-time.

Christie, on-loan from Celtic, did well after the match to handle what in football parlance is known as a hospital pass.

Did he believe that these days moving from Aberdeen to Rangers was a backwards step?

After some deliberating and much smiling, the ever-polite Christie said: “I don't know. It depends on what the manager is thinking. If he thinks he can take them to second spot, then so be it.

“But I’ve loved working him during the time I’ve been at Aberdeen. It’s a credit to him that we’ve maintained second place over the years. He is the main reason I came up here."

To be continued.