Derek McInnes

“I'm absolutely delighted with that level of performance tonight.

“You can win games and you can be satisfied by winning a game. You can be really pleased with players playing well within the team but I thought individually we had such a high level of performance tonight.

“Behind every team performance there are strong individuals and tonight in every department and every player got on top of their direct opponent.

“I think that to produce such a level of performance, to score as many goals and threatening to score more was way above what we expected tonight.

“I think we've seen goal of the season tonight with Ryan Christie. I think his goal – having seen it again – is top drawer.

“You take satisfaction from any victory and some are easier on the eye than others. We have threatened to do this and we've had a few four nils this season and our goals for column is really pleasing, we've managed to score a lot of goals this season and really spread them about.

“I think at one point in the game when it was 6-0, we'd just missed another chance to go 7-0 up and I'm thinking this could be right up there. It was so enjoyable watching the team tonight.

“You enjoy watching them play, you enjoy watching them move the ball and working off the ball for each other, but I enjoyed the intensity of how we got about our work tonight. We really never gave Motherwell any let up or any chance to get their heads up and play.

“I think the work rate was excellent.

“I know Gordon (Strachan) was here tonight. I don't often say this because I respect his job as international manager and everybody is telling him to pick this and that player, but Ryan Jack and Kenny McLean are international players. They showed that tonight, for me they are going to have good Scotland careers. I thought both of them did themselves no harm in front of Gordon tonight.

“I thought McLean's range of passing and his energy was outstanding, Jack is just getting better and better. We did that tonight without Graeme Shinnie who has been arguably our best player this season as well. “It was a brilliant night's work for us, the three points was the most important thing but to have that performance is so pleasing.

“We threatened to score a lot more. We were incisive, we were bright, created a lot of opportunities and their goalkeeper has made a couple of good saves.

“The only negatives, and it is a tiny negative, is the two goals from set pieces. But I am not going to dwell on that.

“We thought long and hard about changing it at the top end of the pitch tonight because Jayden and Miles have been champing at the bit but Adam has a brilliant record against Motherwell. He reminded me of that after I had named the team! I think he had scored nine goals in eight games prior to tonight – or so he said!

“You look at Adam. He can go three of four games without scoring but then there is a pattern, he scores and then goes off on a run again. It was a hat-trick.

“We said to the players there it is important they go right through the finishing line this season. I think the winter break has helped us. The last few years we have struggled without having a break. The winter break was very important for us this year.

“We have a good squad and they are all eager to play their part. Christie has been waiting to get on and show what he can do. Ryan has a couple of goals now. We have players making an impact from the bench. It gives me confidence that we can finish the season strong. It is how you finish a season defines whether a team has had a good year or not. We have put ourselves in a good position now but it is important we keep striving for improvement, we keep striving for the same results.”

“We have a good squad and they are all eager to play their part. Christie has been waiting to get on and show what he can do. Ryan has a couple of goals now. We have players making an impact from the bench. It gives me confidence that we can finish the season strong. It is how you finish a season defines whether a team has had a good year or not. We have put ourselves in a good position now but it is important we keep striving for improvement, we keep striving for the same results.”