Aberdeen striker Adam Rooney reckons Dundee demolition will give Rangers food for thought

ADAM ROONEY reckons Aberdeen have given new Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha food for thought after demolishing Dundee.

The Dons were untouchable in the City of Discovery on Friday night, notching seven goals without reply as they tightened their grip on second place.

Gers gaffer Caixinha, whose side face Aberdeen in a crunch clash one week today, had a front row ticket in the Dens Park directors’ box.

And Rooney – who notched his 100th Scottish league goal on the night – believes Rangers’ Portuguese manager ought to be spooked by the red-hot Reds.

“I am sure anyone watching our performance against Dundee would take a lot from it,” said Rooney.

“We were dominant but we won’t focus too much on that.

“We have a big game on Tuesday and we need to make sure we take care of Inverness, who have picked up a good few results of late.

“They will be desperate to get a result themselves.

“We just need to make sure we get to the same standards as we did against Dundee and it will be enough to win the game.”

Those standards were sky-high at Dens Park.

Not many teams score seven goals twice in seven weeks, but Aberdeen have managed it, having turned Motherwell over 7-2 in February.

They have also won 14 of their last 16 games.

Rooney reckons that is because Aberdeen are currently playing the best football of Derek McInnes’ spell as manager.

But he is aware that, with a third consecutive second-place Premiership finish on the line, and a game against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Tuesday, complacency could be a killer.

“We need to keep playing the way we have been and if we do it will be hard for others to catch us,” he said.

“That depends on us performing like we did in Dundee.

“We can’t take it for granted we will go out and win games like we did on Friday.”

Rooney’s confidence ahead of Tuesday’s battle against a former team-mate’s side in Inverness speaks volumes about the atmosphere in the Dons’ dressing room.

Yes, the Caley Jags have struggled this season.

But Rooney knows better than most that their manager, Richie Foran, will never settle for anything less than success.

Former Inverness striker Rooney has kept an eye on his old team – and he believes his old teammate can keep them in the Premiership.

He said: “Richie will be as a manager like he was as a player.

“He will be hard-working and his desire to win, even if it was at table tennis, screams out of him.

“He will be no different from his players. He will demand that.

“They are in a difficult position but I have been keeping an eye on them because Richie is there.

“They have been unlucky in some games and put in some good performances, including that one against Rangers.

“We know on their day they are capable of causing an upset. I think they will stay up.”

Rooney’s strike against Dundee on Friday night was a milestone.

Yet the Irishman is not yet satisfied – instead he has set himself a new goal.

“I have been trying to get my 100th Scottish goal for the last three games. It just wasn’t coming,” he said.

“Twenty for this season is next in line. Hopefully, I will get there and kick on again.”

On current form, there is little doubt that Rooney is capable of hitting his target – and helping the Dons to a barnstorming finish.

“I think there is enough experience and we know we have a good group of lads who are capable of achieving things,” said the Reds’ top scorer.

“There is a motivation because we lost a cup final earlier in the season and we want to try and finish off on a high.

“There is still a lot to play for with a couple of teams chasing us and we want to make sure we are the best of the rest, although Celtic are way out in front.

“We also want to try and get to another cup final.

All the boys are up for it.”