ALL good things must come to an end. Pedro Caixinha believes it may already be approaching for Aberdeen.

The Dons will confirm their status as best of the rest once again in the coming days as they round off the campaign against Rangers and Partick Thistle.

But it is not that second place that Caixinha has his sights set on. As one term ends, another will quickly begin as Rangers look at top spot in the Premiership once again.

Read more: Aberdeen captain Ryan Jack is a player I like, says Rangers boss Pedro CaixinhaGlasgow Times:

For many, it is Derek McInnes’ side that the Light Blues must attempt to overcome before they can consider making a challenge for the crown that Celtic have owned for six successive seasons.

Yet Caixinha believes it will be a challenging term in more ways than one for his Pittodrie counterpart as Rangers seek to accelerate their own upward trajectory.

“No, I think at that moment they start this cycle of this project Rangers was not in the Premiership,” Caixinha said.

“I think they really take good advantage of it because they were the second team in the country until now.

“But if we can reduce the distance we will be looking for things to be different next season regardless of whether the difference is one point, three points or even if we are on the same points.

“But I do believe that football is moment and is having to do with cycles. Derek did a fantastic job, but I do believe that Aberdeen’s cycle is about to, not to end, but needs to be renewed in my opinion.

Read more: Aberdeen captain Ryan Jack is a player I like, says Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha

“Teams have cycles, teams have good cycles, three years or four years that they are doing good, but I believe they need to change something. I am talking about the immediate side.

“When I analyse the teams we are going to play I know that (Ryan) Jack is going to be out of contract, I hear that (Niall) McGinn is going south, you hear that maybe another couple of players may leave the club.

“It means that they need to have a new beginning, a new cycle and they need to make a new renewal.”

Having continued their recovery from successive Old Firm defeats with victory against Hearts on Saturday, Rangers will now bid for a hat-trick of wins for the first time under Caixinha’s guidance tomorrow night.

A win at Ibrox would take them to within three points of the Dons but a far inferior goal difference means second place won’t be at stake during the final 90 minutes of the campaign against St Johnstone this weekend.

Attentions will then quickly shift to next term. While McInnes has been able to build season by season, Caixinha will have just a couple of weeks to put his Ibrox blueprint in place.

“I am not caring about them,” he said. “We are the only team in the world that comes from the fourth division to the Europa League qualifiers and all the time the team has been growing.

“To arrive on the top you need to be detail orientated. Sometimes a short or a small step needs a lot of work.

“I believe we are a couple of steps behind, but we need to establish the next step with maturity and experience in order to establish the levels, the base and the core regarding to the future.

Read more: Aberdeen captain Ryan Jack is a player I like, says Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha

“I believe this is the moment to do it and I believe the work that we are doing will get it next season and the season after.”

Caixinha targeted second place and Scottish Cup glory when he was appointed as Mark Warburton’s successor in March. Both goals will be missed, though.

The gap to Celtic is considerably larger than the one to Aberdeen but it is that deficit that Rangers will seek to close as quickly as possible.

“Here, we always think about the first position,” Caixinha said.

“It’s not quite the same, but you can think of an example where you have eight swimmers in lanes. The difference between the first one and the rest can be one second sometimes.

“Do you think the guy who is just below the first one is going to look to the seventh position?

“No. He is going to look to whoever is first. That’s what we are doing.

“Our aim is to be up so we cannot look for Aberdeen. If we are just coming now and we finish, say, three points or one point below them, that’s nothing. That’s nothing in a season.

“You need to take care of yourself, know that the steps you are taking are the right ones, and keep working.”