The loss was the heaviest he has suffered in his six years at the club.

McInnes pointed to having eight players missing through injury as a factor in the Ibrox loss, but admits it is "no excuse" for the manner of the reverse.

"It was a tough, humiliating experience on Saturday. That's the way it is sometimes," McInnes said.

"I'm struggling to think of anything much lower than that, to be honest. It was difficult, trying to stop the bleeding, watching it in front of you.

"The reality is we have eight players that would have been stripped, probably five starting. Not many teams carrying a squad like ours can cope with that.

"There are certainly a lot more reasons for how we can do a lot better, and that's what we're aiming to do."

Andy Considine will be available for Saturday's game with Hibernian after a bout of sickness, while long-term absentee Scott McKenna has returned to training.

McInnes spoke recently about being disappointed with how managers had faced criticism early in the season, but accepts such brickbats will come.

"If we don't win games, especially at a club like this, you get criticism - you don't sign up to be a manager and expect it all to be plain sailing," he said.

"When you don't win you give people the opportunity for people to have a go, when you do win, you keep them quiet for a while. That's just the way it is."