In November, Aberdeen fans dared to dream of a title triumph. Jimmy Thelin’s unbeaten side have won 10 of their first 11 league games and are joint top of the Scottish Premier League.
But that dream soon turned into a nightmare. Since their 4-1 win over Dundee, the Dons have not won a game. Seven defeats in their last 10 away games have seen the club drop to fourth in the standings, 22 points behind Celtic.
All fans, and Thelin himself, would have expected a clash or two at some stage. But no one would have imagined that results would fall so dramatically. So what went wrong at Pittodrie?
Sunday, January 12th, 2:30 PM
Kickoff at 3pm
One of the following: Injury issues, defensive issues or a lack of goals would be a problem for most teams. But the Dons appear to be experiencing all three, leaving Thelin with “problems” to solve.
Thelin: We need to improve
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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin discusses the club’s winless streak, January transfers and Sunday’s game against Hearts on Sky Sports.
Even when the Dons demolished everything in their path, they still failed to keep a clean sheet. Only three came out during the undefeated league run and no one has come close since.
Once top scorer Pape Gueye was ruled out through injury and the regular flow of goals from the likes of Jamie McGrath, Kevin Nisbet and Topi Keskinen was halted. These defensive issues were highlighted, as was the lack of a cutting-edge spearhead. .
Aberdeen, who sold prolific striker Bojan Miowski for £6.8m in the summer, have had more of the ball in their last 10 games compared to their first 10, but have created fewer clear-cut chances, scored fewer goals and won none of the games. I couldn’t do it.
Plus he had a major injury to deal with. Gavin Molloy, Vicente Besuijen, Ester Sokler and Dimitar Mitov have all joined Gueye.
However, Tellin, who has been in the company for six months, is not panicking despite the poor condition.
“This is football, sometimes we have issues that need to be addressed in the team, in the game, in the performance,” he said. Sky Sports News Before meeting Hart on Sunday, Sky Sports live broadcast.
“We have to improve, even when we have won games we have seen some things we need to improve on in the long term to be a stable and consistent team to fight for a place in Europe.
“Then we had some injuries, but I still think we have a good squad and will give other players a chance as well.
Pape Gueye scored five league goals in as many games before getting injured.
“We didn’t expect to not lose in 11 games, we didn’t expect to not win in 10 games. So we have to find that balance there, try to get better, continue to believe in what we’re doing, and do that. do.” Don’t lose sight of the long term.
“You have to hide your weaknesses and try to show more of your strengths. As a team, collectively, there are areas where we need to improve.”
January signings to strengthen the squad?
Thelin was a quick addition to his group with the arrivals of wingers Jeppe Okkels and Kristers Tobers in the January transfer window, and more could follow.
“You always have the ambition to improve the team,” he added. “It could be through training. Over time, players will grow into better people.
Latvian captain Kristers Tobers moved to Aberdeen this month.
“It also seems like a never-ending story because sometimes you need to recruit to find the right profile. You should always try to get better every week through training, but you also need to build your team for the long term through recruiting.
“Of course, I’ve known Okels for a long time. He’s a good winger, has the ability to run a lot and get behind the backline. Tobers has good leadership and is good on the ball, but the other players are growing up.”
What is the view from the stand?
speaking sky sportsAberdeen fan Gary Scott on the ABZ Football Podcast said:
“What you are seeing now is a team lacking confidence and belief and it is showing in performance and results.
“What we saw at the start of the season were results that covered up obvious deficiencies in the squad and the team.
“We were still conceding silly goals in the final stages of the season, but the win overshadowed it. There was a lot of fanfare, of course, but now the scoring has dried up.”
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Aberdeen lost 2-0 at Motherwell in their last Scottish Premier League game.
“In games it comes down to good margins. In these 10 games we have been on top in some games but failed to convert and then there were spells where the opposition took control and made us pay.
“We’re not taking our chances and still giving up stupid goals. No matter what anyone says, from second to 12th, this league is very competitive and you can’t get points if you don’t take your chances.
“I think Thelin was well aware of what a big challenge he faced when he came to the club in the summer. The last 10 games have shown him that decisively. He will know who the character is. He will now play for us. You’ll find out who will be taking the journey you’ve all heard about.
“If you look at the bigger picture, a comfortable top six finish would have been a sign of progress at the start of this season. As it stands, any fan would have been tied for third and the upcoming Scottish Cup.
“It’s frustrating when it’s open. It looks like Rangers want to gift us the second-place spot, but we’ve shot ourselves in the foot. But if there had been an offer for us in the summer, we would have all taken this start. Hopefully, we’ll be in the running for the win. “We can get back on the road and continue to improve the squad in January.”
