Arnason has the Old Firm in his sights

WERE he minded to do so, Kari Arnason could present a compelling statistical breakdown of Aberdeen’s progress over the past year. Laid out in prosaic terms, it would pretty much dispense with the need for any debate.

But the Icelandic defender understands that gaining three extra points from the opening 22 games of this season doesn’t quite shut down every argument.

Not when Celtic have twice run out 3-0 victors against the Dons. And not when Rangers have beaten them twice in a week.

Eight points adrift of Brendan Rodgers’ men in second place going into the winter break, pride at a job well done by Derek McInnes’ men in the first half of the season is tempered with an appreciation of the need to take ownership of some bragging rights when hostilities resume.

‘We have 43 points which is an improvement on last year because at the turn of the year the team had 40 points,’ said the veteran defender.

‘That is a positive but the negative is we haven’t done well enough against Celtic and Rangers.

‘We need to improve against them, we have to do better in those fixtures.’

In the case of Celtic, that’s borne from a need to bloody the nose of the champions for the first time since Rodgers took charge.

In Rangers’ instance, Arnason (below) feels a victory should only be a reflection of the disparity in quality between the two sides.

‘I think we have a better team than Rangers, so we should be beating them more regularly,’ he offered.

‘Celtic have a strong squad but I thought the goal difference in the second game against them wasn’t reflective of our performance.

‘I thought we deserved more from that game but that’s no excuse. We should be doing better against them.

‘Rangers went to Celtic Park and got a point, so we should be able to do that as well.

‘The first game against Celtic wasn’t good enough but in the second I felt we played better.

‘So it’s a matter of improving against them further as the season goes on.

‘But if you look at the league tally things are positive, we will have our break and hopefully come back stronger for the second half of the season.

‘We have been improving. At the start of the season, we ground out results and it wasn’t always pretty.

‘But we have come a long way since then. It has been steady improvement and we have to build on that in the second half.’

Whatever the frustrations Arnason felt at signing off for the winter break with a goalless draw against Hearts on Saturday, he needs no one to remind him that such matters are always relative.

In his previous spell at the club, season 2011-12, the notion of Aberdeen seeking to finish second for a fourth successive campaign would have seemed absurd. They ended up ninth that term and in those days were adept only at treading water.

‘I have enjoyed it a lot since coming back here,’ added the 35-year-old. ‘The biggest difference is Aberdeen are better than they used to be.

‘We go into every game trying to win it and confident we can, that’s the big difference.

‘Last time I was here we had difficult times and it wasn’t easy. There is a better feeling about the club and about the city now.

‘There are more people coming to the games. That’s a big positive and the town itself is more upbeat about the football club.’

Now up to speed after a sluggish start to the campaign, the veteran desperately wants to maintain his momentum. A key part of the Iceland side which took Euro 2016 by storm, the chance to etch a similar story in Russia this summer is gilt-edged.

‘I want to play as many games as I can,’ he added.

‘Hopefully, I will get a chance to do that. I would like to extend my contract here but I need to be playing for that to happen.

‘At the end of the season, if I can do that, then there is a World Cup with Iceland. ‘My wife had a baby recently, so it has been a very positive time.

‘The World Cup is there next summer but, as a footballer, you can’t look too far ahead. You just have to focus on what you are doing right now. ‘My focus is on Aberdeen and doing well for the club this season.’ Saturday’s stalemate with Hearts was a missed opportunity. The kind that will need to be taken in the second segment of the season if the critics aren’t to be given statistical armoury to launch at McInnes’ side. ‘It was just one of those frustrating games where you can’t score,’ reflected Arnason.

‘I felt we did quite well in the game and had enough chances to bury it, but we just couldn’t put the ball in the net.

‘I think if we had scored early in the game we would have gone on to cruise it but Hearts made life difficult for us.

‘They got a clean sheet and I think that was their prime target before the game.

‘We did everything but score but we will take the positives.’