Jimmy Thelin tells Aberdeen stars it's only middle of the race and reminds them European fight is on
Jimmy Thelin has insisted Aberdeen can still have a big season by going on to seal a European return.
The Dons are sitting in fourth place, just behind Dundee United and very much in the hunt for Europe, while they also remain in the Scottish Cup, where they have Dunfermline Athletic at home in the next round. Aberdeen’s recent Premiership form has hit the skids but the Swede hopes his team will have got a shot in the arm from their much-needed cup win at Elgin City at the weekend.
Thelin now hopes they can take it into the Premiership clash at home to St Mirren to get their league form back on-track and pushing for the Europa League and Conference spots. He said: “I think we are in the middle of a race right now and there's still a long way to go.
“We’re still in a good position whatever the run so we have to take this opportunity to try to keep fighting for the European spot and don't give up on anything at all and we need everyone to push for this because it's a culture and it's a belief.
“The more you are the stronger you are as a club and then also the team so we have to believe in this and keep pushing to the end and then make an evaluation and keep building for the next season but right now in the middle of the season we have to keep fighting for something big.”
Thelin was always the top target for Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack when he moved to headhunt him from Elfsborg in the summer. The board remain 100 per cent behind their manager, despite the recent loss of form and have more than backed him already in the January window.
They have already paid out more than seven figures in fees to sign Kristers Tobers and Alexander Jensen and also taken Alfie Dorrington and Jeppe Okkels in on-loan from Tottenham Hotspur and Preston respectively. Thelin has previously worked with Okkels at Elfsborg and the Dons have an option to buy the winger on a permanent basis come the summer.
Aberdeen are still active in the market and are keen to add another striker and possibly a defender if they can. Latvian captain Tobers has been one of their key captures to strengthen their defence.
Thelin reckons he can give Aberdeen something different and can really get them playing from the back. The Aberdeen manager said: “I don't want to put too much pressure on him right now because he's just arrived. But he's good at how we build up the game, how we can break in lines with his passing qualities.
“He's good with his leadership to help align to how we want to work and just experience to live in this football world, like the captain of the national team, it's always good to have this experience. He's still young, but still has a lot of experience to help our own younger players in the backline to take a step or bring more leadership.”
The likes of Duk, Angus MacDonald, Jack MacKenzie, Jamie McGrath and Ross Doohan are all out-of-contract in the summer. The club has made offers to some of those players but it is looking increasingly likely that most of them will move on.
Thelin knows there could be bids in the window but admitted the contract negotiations aren’t something he would go public on. He said: “No, I don't speak about negotiations in this room. We have some talks like I told you before and we stay with that.”
The Swede has also hinted that talented teen Fletcher Boyd could be set for more involvement in the first team. Boyd burst onto the scene at the end of last season, becoming the club's youngest ever goalscorer at the age of 16 when he netted against Hibernian at Easter Road, following it up with another strike against Livingston three days later.
The Scotland youth international last featured for the Dons in the group stage of the Premier Sports Cup in July but Thelin insists he has been mightily impressed from what he has seen from the attacking midfielder in training. “I think he's doing really well and let's see in the future”, he added.
“Now the games didn't go the way we want so the space was not really there (to play him) inside the game. But when he's playing with us in the training session he has some really good qualities. Then he has a journey to make to cope with intensity.
“But when he has time on the ball he's a really, really good player. Then we just make the whole picture, the picture of him one step more and give him the time he deserves..”
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football.
