Derek McInnes has claimed that his Aberdeen side are heading in the right direction despite suffering a 4-0 defeat to Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic.

An emphatic win for the hosts in Glasgow moved them a step closer to retaining the title, but McInnes refused to be too critical of the Aberdeen players when reflecting on the performance.

"Celtic showed exactly why they're top of the league because they've got players who can exploit those moments of lack of concentration. There is a lot to like about my team," the Aberdeen boss told reporters.

"I'm not going to sit here and be critical of them because the fact you guys are here and excited about the game in March is because of their efforts and that shouldn't be forgotten.

"There is an acceptance that maybe we are not quite ready to go and take them on but there is the feeling we can improve and that's the target for any team."

The defeat leaves Aberdeen six points behind Celtic, who have a game in hand at the top of the table.