Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has said that speculation over his future may well have affected his players recently.

McInnes turned down the chance to speak to Rangers last week when they made an approach about their managerial vacancy. That came after weeks of talk about the Aberdeen manager and the Ibrox job, during which the Dons lost twice to Rangers and weren't at their best.

After goals from Adam Rooney, Kari Arnason and Ryan Christie wrapped up three poinst at McDiarmid Park, he said that the situation may have subconsciously affeted his squad.

"It's an easy thing to assume and you may well be right," he said. "But I felt we were really convincing at Kilmarnock.

"It was a very Aberdeen-type performance but we followed it up with two disappointing results against Rangers, who played very well, especially at Ibrox.

"But when you don't win games its easy to assume the focus is on something else, like the speculation.

"But the players are taking responsibility for the game. You'd need to ask them if subconsciously they are in a better frame of mind but the work we've been doing is the same.

"Over the last few years we've raised the standards and been used to winning so when wins don't come so freely it can be seen as something dramatic.

"We are not used to that so it's good to get back to winning ways.

"To get three goals and a clean sheet at such a difficult venue is a good night's work. You can't be much more pleased."

St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright said his team played their own part in the defeat and had to look at their performances.

"We have too many defeats this year, Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen twice now and Hearts, who are all big clubs but they used to hate coming here," he said.

"We haven't done the little things well tonight. You can't say Aberdeen ripped us apart, you could say we probably ripped ourselves apart by giving the ball away too cheaply at times and then the way we finished the first half, you think we can play a bit.

"But too often this season we've not done the basics well enough and not to take anything away from Aberdeen - they're a good side - from my point of view we didn't do the basics well enough."