Derek McInnes has warned Steven Gerrard that he won’t get things all his own way in the battle for second place.
The Liverpool u-18 coach is expected to put on the brownest of brogues next week and begin work on the latest revolution.
Mark Warburton, Pedro Caixinha and Graeme Murty have all failed to knock Aberdeen out of second place with McInnes looking forward to battling against the latest revolution to emerge from debt ridden Ibrox.
“There will be a perception that we will be swept aside next term,” the Aberdeen boss told the Evening Express. “When Rangers first came up we were told that they would be way ahead of us.
“Many were expecting us to be pushed to the side this season but we weren’t. We are not perfect by any stretch but we are trying to compete with clubs that are miles ahead of us financially.
“It’s been getting more difficult but it’s a challenge we are willing to take on.”
He added: “I expect Hibs to improve and Hearts to maybe do the same. With Rangers you would expect their improvement to be more each year if they make the decisions.
“From the outside Gerrard looks a good decision because he is an impressive guy. If they get the funds and they use the funds wisely then they should be 10 to 15 points clear of Aberdeen and Hibs.
“The fact we have done our job well this season gives us a lot of satisfaction.
“We will try to take good players in this summer to make sure we are just as competitive again.”
Aberdeen have lost Kenny McLean and Ryan Christie from their squad with McInnes looking to strengthen his midfield.
While the Dons have failed to win a domestic trophy their lack of progress in Europe has been a big disappointment.
By finishing second in the SPFL they won’t go into the Europa League until the second qualifying round and will need to get through three rounds to reach the group phase.