WHO ARE YOU KIDDING?

Gordon says Dons are fooling no one by claiming they can’t win the title

NICE try, lads, but you’re fooling no one. As far as Craig Gordon is concerned, Aberdeen’s determined effort to play down their Premiership chances is a mere modesty act.

While most at Pittodrie have been keen to portray this as Celtic’s title to lose, Gordon would argue that taking 35 points from the last 39 tells the real story about the capabilities of Derek McInnes and his players.

The Parkhead goalkeeper is adamant that tomorrow’s eagerly-anticipated meeting should be considered a bona fide championship showdown.

He pays little heed to the persistent public caution emerging from the north east.

‘I think they’re at it,’ said Gordon, beginning to grin. ‘They know they have done very well and have strung a lot of good results together.

‘They can say what they like in the Press, but they know they are in with a chance. They are not that far behind and it makes for an exciting league and an exciting game tomorrow.

‘It’s good to be put under pressure, to try to deal with that and come out the other side.

‘When you play for Celtic, there is pressure in every game. I’m delighted to be here and to be involved in it.

‘ Do I see Aberdeen as genuine challengers? Absolutely. They have strung a lot of big results together. Now this game on Sunday is a big one. We know that and we’ll be right up for it.’

Celtic hardly need any additional incentive to try to put some daylight between themselves and their on-form visitors.

Yet they will approach the game still burning with a sense of injustice about events in the San Siro on Thursday night, when they tumbled out of the Europa League after a 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan following the 3-3 home draw.

The performance of Slovakian referee Ivan Kruzliak — who sent off Virgil van Dijk in the first half — generated real anger within the Celtic dressing room.

Gordon believes that maelstrom of emotion can now be channelled into a positive force as they look to take out their frustration on Aberdeen.

‘That anger and hurt is something you can use in the next game,’ he insisted. ‘You use it as motivation.

‘We will get together as a group of pl ayers and c hat about what happened. I’m sure it will make us stronger in the run-in.

‘There are still a lot of big games coming up. We can feel very proud of what we have done, especially in Milan. We can use it to try to push us over the line and get a good end to the season.

‘We have had a couple of wins against Aberdeen so far this season (both 2-1 Premiership victories, at Parkhead in September and Pittodrie in November) but I don’t think they’ll have any fear coming to play us.

‘They might think that us going down to 10 men in a hard game in midweek might be to their advantage.

‘But, at the same time, everything we have been though in the San Siro will bond us closer together and make sure we come out fighting.’

Gordon i s well placed to j udge Aberdeen’s credentials as challengers, having been part of the Hearts side which split the Old Firm nine years ago.

Infamously, Vladimir Romanov sacked George Burley as manager early in the campaign, when the Tynecastle side were unbeaten and top of the table. Part of Gordon will always wonder ‘ what if?’ when he thinks back to that season.

‘Yeah. I think we could have gone a lot closer,’ he reflected. ‘ There were certain things that didn’t go our way.

‘I remember a game around New Year when Celtic beat us 3-2 at home. I think if we had won that, it would have been back to a one point difference or something.

‘ Takis Fyssas was sent off for a challenge on Shaun Maloney, which I didn’t agree with and still don’t to this day. I could name the referee as well but I won’t!

‘That was the day that probably put the nail in our coffin, although we kept going and managed to get second place. But that gap had gone to seven points rather than one, so that was just about the end of that (in terms of the title).

‘Are there similarities with Aberdeen this season? They seem to have a great team spirit. You don’t string all those resul ts together if you are not all pulling in the same direction.

‘They seem to have the formula right at the moment. They have got some good players and they are scoring goals. So it is a good challenge.’

On a more personal level, Gordon endured two years of injury misery before rekindling his career by becoming Fraser Forster’s replacement at Parkhead. The prospect of now ending this season with up to three domestic medals must be all the more tantalising for having come through such difficult times.

Yet the 32-year-old refuses to allow himself to visualise such an outcome. His entire focus is simply on blanking out Aberdeen to take the next step on the Treble trail.

‘ It’s still too early to tell,’ said Gordon. ‘There is still a possibility we could end up with nothing.

‘We have to do our jobs and make sure we are winning games. If we do that, then we’ll get the rewards.

‘We have been playing well and I thought we did so again against Inter in difficult circumstances. We have a good group of players and a good team spirit. That’s what you need to have a successful season.’