Is It Over For Jimmy Thelin at Aberdeen?
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin is under growing scrutiny following Saturday's 2-0 loss to Motherwell at Fir Park.
The defeat leaves the Dons rooted to the foot of the Scottish Premiership table, goalless in the league and with only one point from their first six games, and the Dons are now odds-on at the betting sites for a bottom-six finish.
Here at Free Bets, Kai Watson has taken a closer look at Thelin's potentially precarious position at Pittodrie.
Not only have Aberdeen not won a game in the Scottish Premiership so far this season, they haven’t even scored a goal. They currently sit bottom of the Scottish Premiership having lost five of their opening six with their only point coming in a 0-0 home draw vs Livingston a couple of weeks ago.
Since then they’ve also been knocked out of the League Cup, after losing 1-0 against Motherwell at Pittodrie last weekend and the last time they won a competitive game was the 3-0 win against Morton in the previous round of the League Cup in August.
Before that, aside from the Scottish Cup Final win, the Dons last win was April 26th against Hibs. How much more credit does the 47-year-old Swede still have in the bank?
For the most part, they had a really strong transfer window, particularly at the end. They managed to bring in Jesper Karlsson on loan from Bologna, who was electric for AZ Alkmaar just a couple of seasons ago. His relationship with Thelin is thought to be the main factor behind the move because he definitely would’ve had more attractive offers on the table (no offence Aberdeen fans).
Then they managed to bring back Kevin Nisbet who, after a tough start, ended last season in good form and even managed to get a Scotland call-up on the back of that. He hasn’t quite hit the ground running yet but still was a great signing on a permanent deal, on paper at least.
Then the day after the window shut they brought in Stuart Armstrong on a free, an experienced Scotland international that knows the league very well, good business, right? He put in a really strong performance last midweek against Dundee United but that wasn’t enough to prevent them losing 2-0 at Tannadice.
On paper, Aberdeen have a strong squad with a decent amount of depth but they lose a lot of dynamism in the midfield when Sivert Nilsen and Shinnie play together, or sometimes even when it’s just one of them. They have other options that can play there but, for now, it just seems to be a rotation of either Nilsen and Shinnie with Armstrong.
For me personally, players like Ante Palaversa, Dante Polvara and Leighton Clarkson need to be starting more games for a better attacking threat but is Thelin willing to change formations? I think he’ll be disappointed in the output in forward areas he’s getting from the likes of Topi Keskinen, Nicolas Milanovic and Adil Aouchiche alongside Kusini Yengi who’s had a tough start to life.
Aberdeen actually looked decent on Saturday and probably would’ve gotten another draw had it not been for a howler from the usually reliable Dimitar Mitov. The fans seem very split on this, plenty want Thelin gone and a fresh start but there are also a large group who are still behind the man that won them the Scottish Cup last season.
There is potential that he can turn it around but the tactics and starting eleven need to change, the forwards need to start putting the ball into the back of the net and they need to cut out the silly mistake.
The bottom line is that Aberdeen have won five league games in the last 33 under Jimmy Thelin, that is a quite incredible stat, especially when you consider how they started last season.
Do you think he can turn it around, or is it game over?
Scottish Football at Free Bets
Keep up with everything in Scottish Premiership betting right here, from the latest odds and breaking news to the best football betting offers.
From managerial changes and Scottish football tips to in-depth match previews, we cover every angle to keep you informed and ahead of the game north of the border.
FAQs
