SO the Invincibles have done it and Brendan Rodgers and his Celtic squad have won the domestic treble for the fourth time in the club’s history.

Well what’s all the fuss, I hear you say, as undoubtedly Celtic have by far the greatest resources of any club in Scotland and should win everything. That is for the rest of Scottish football to worry about, but I think I have just seen the team that might well stop the Hoops in their tracks as they seem to be heading inexorably to 10-in-a-row and maybe more. It is not Rangers. Frankly, on all known form and the current state of things at Ibrox, it is really difficult to see how Rangers are going to threaten Celtic’s dominance for some years to come.

Manager Pedro Caixinha is ambitious but given the continuing off the field problems which the club reportedly has, I cannot see him rebuilding Rangers for at least another season, and he may not get that long.

On Saturday we saw one club who may well become the main challengers to Celtic over the next few years. Aberdeen played their wonderful part in a highly exciting Scottish cup final, and fantastic credit must go to both teams for producing such a wonderful game in Scottish football’s showpiece.

Had Aberdeen taken any of several chances, they might well have prevented Celtic from setting all those records, and the fact is that if Celtic were not around, it would be Derek McInnes and Aberdeen who would have won the domestic treble.

They just failed at the final hurdle. At the end of a long season, it was clear that several Aberdeen players were almost out on their feet towards the end of the match, when Celtic’s superior fitness ultimately told. Had the game gone into extra time I fear Celtic would have steamrollered the Dons and that would have been very unfair.

As it was, we saw a real battling performance from Aberdeen and manager McInnes’s tactics were spot-on especially in the first half when his men pressed Celtic in the way that very few teams have done this season. When McInnes in the second half kept exhorting his players to press further upfield and they simply could not do so due to Celtic’s move up the gears, the writing was on the wall, and Tom Rogic’s run proved it.

That tactical nous is the main reason why I think that Aberdeen must hold on to McInnes at all costs. He has already been linked with the Sunderland job, and any other vacancies that arise down south – there will be a few over the summer – will see him automatically nominated for the position if not by the press then certainly by the fans of many clubs who have seen what he’s achieved at Aberdeen where he has consistently shown excellent qualities as a manager.

How can Aberdeen stop Celtic’s league run? There is no secret to winning the league title in Scotland. You simply have to be better and fitter than the next best team for the whole season, and Celtic achieved that by simply refusing to countenance defeat. That could be the remaining vital element that McInnes needs to inculcate into Aberdeen. They have the talent, they have the players. and they have the motivation, but you sense that Celtic always have that must-win quality about them, while Aberdeen are not under that pressure.

Saturday showed that a well-organised organise team prepared to run itself into the ground can rival Celtic for 90 minutes, but of course it is that extra minute or so and what you do then that defines champions. Celtic often had to grind out results this season though of course we remember more their flair play and goals. That is what Aberdeen must learn to do.

The only other clubs with the status and resources to even think of rivalling Celtic are Hearts and Hibs.

Neil Lennon’s men are back in the top flight and he will make a decent fist of getting them as far up the table as possible. I predict Hibs will finish in the top six at the end of next season and may even get a European place.

Hearts are rebuilding under Ian Cathro and contrary to the received opinion in some parts of Edinburgh he will be given the time and resources to get Hearts back at least to where they were under Robbie Neilson. Ann Budge runs a very tight ship at Tynecastle, which of course will have its new stand in a few months’ time. I would not be surprised to see Hearts take inspiration from their new surroundings and really challenge Celtic.

Again I come back to Rangers, and the big question that everyone is asking is will Dave King and his cohorts provide the money that the manager needs to invest in the squad? King can say all he wants that he has already provided millions, but that is not what the fans are looking for.

They’re looking for more millions to be spent on better players and it is very difficult to see where that money is coming from, given King’s much reported problems with the takeover panel and the South African authorities, not to mention Mike Ashley.

That is why I say Aberdeen will take on the mantle of being the nearest challengers to Celtic for some time to come. Saturday showed it is a very tough ask to beat Celtic, but Aberdeen have proven that they are up for it and have shown they could well interrupt the momentum of Celtic.

They are the Invincibles just now, but even the greatest of sides eventually falter, and it’s Aberdeen who are best placed to profit.