DEREK McINNES, the Aberdeen manager, believes Celtic not claiming back-to-back trebles this season would be seen as a disappointment given their resources.

The Glasgow club have won the last four domestic trophies up for grabs while currently holding an eight-point lead in the SPFL Premiership ahead of starting their Scottish Cup defence at home to Brechin City later this month.

It was McInnes’ Aberdeen who pushed Brendan Rodgers’ outfit the hardest last term only to finish 30 points behind in the league and be beaten in both the Betfred Cup final and narrowly in the Scottish Cup final in May.

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The Pittodrie manager recognises it’s up to Aberdeen and the other clubs in the top flight to break Celtic’s dominance of the Scottish game, but he admits the Glasgow side must be viewed as overwhelming favourites on all fronts.

“That’s the challenge for us all to stop it,” said McInnes, speaking at Aberdeen’s training base in Dubai.

“It is tough. They have lost their domestic unbeaten run recently and it was always going to be tough to stop that.

“Celtic are so far ahead resources wise that I think it would be seen as a disappointing campaign if they didn’t win a treble to be honest.

‘They should be favourites in every domestic competition - huge favourites. And it’s up to the rest to find a way to stop that and get our own clubs winning something.”

Breaking part of that cycle was Celtic’s 69-game domestic unbeaten run being brought to a halt by Hearts last month, proving that under Rodgers the Parkhead club are beatable against Scottish opposition. It’s the falling of a record though that McInnes believes won’t be of significance to his own side.

“I don’t think that comes into things with our players. It doesn’t I’ve us any extra confidence,” he said. “We’re always quite confident ahead of the games against Celtic.

“We know we have to be near our best to get a result while that doesn’t need to be the case for Celtic.”

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Meanwhile, Aberdeen yesterday announce the signing of Manchester City starlet Chidi Nwakali on loan until the end of the season.

The 21-year-old central midfielder has been brought in by Derek McInnes who hopes to bolster the Pittodrie club’s challenge in the second half of the campaign.

A Nigerian Under-20 cap, Nwakali has been on loan in Norway with Sogndal and Start but is now eyeing a call up to the full international set up ahead of this year’s World Cup.

He is currently with Aberdeen at their luxury Dubai training base and terms were agreed yesterday morning, subject to a work permit.

“Manchester have been keen for players to come to Aberdeen and develop their game time with us,” said McInnes.

“This is one we have been working on for the last couple of months and I’m delighted to get it done.

“Chidi is hoping to make the Nigerian World Cup squad and he is with us here in Dubai.”