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Press and Journal
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Scottish Cup: Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin grateful for pre-final advice from Sir Alex Ferguson
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin is grateful for the advice he has received from club legend Sir Alex Ferguson as he bids to bring the Scottish Cup back to Pittodrie. Sir Alex, the Dons' greatest-ever manager, has been in touch with Thelin in the build-up to Saturday's cup final meeting with Celtic at Hampden. The Aberdeen boss has expressed his gratitude to Ferguson, who also consoled him following the Dons' League Cup defeat by the Hoops in November. The Aberdeen manager said: 'He has been in touch and I have some advice also. 'He's a really nice gentleman and it's good to talk to him sometimes. 'It's nice to follow in his footsteps now our focus is on the Scottish Cup.' The spectre of Ferguson and the club's legendary Gothenburg Greats side, who dominated Scottish football in the 1980s, looms large over Pittodrie. But Thelin is far from daunted by the challenge of trying to attain a modicum of the success the all-conquering Aberdeen side of 40 years ago achieved. The Swede relishes the task – and hopes his players will do so, too. Thelin said: 'I think you can always use history in different ways. 'Sometimes we can keep doing what we want to be and try to come back to be a stable team and fight for these titles and try to win. 'That's the first thing – but you can't carry the weight from the past. That's different. You have to try to create a new story and focus on this. 'That's what it was then and it's incredible, but we are trying to push for a good future. 'That's why we said we're trying to build a stronger team for every season and nothing has changed there. 'Now, in this moment, we are in the final of the first year and we're going to try to do something good with the time we have here.' The Dons last won the cup in 1990 when they beat Celtic 9-8 in the first final in the competition's history to be decided on penalties following a goalless 120 minutes. Thelin would love nothing more than to end that long wait, but he knows there are no guarantees of success. He does, however, offer a promise his side will give their all at Hampden. The Aberdeen manager said: 'First of all, it's easy to take things for granted. It was eight years the last time we were in the Scottish Cup final. 'You can end up in the final, but you can't promise things. You can promise that it's going to be a really good achievement, and the players understand and try to catch the moment. 'We can't do more than the best we can do and hopefully that's going to help us to win it. 'We know we have a really good opponent on the other side, but a cup is a cup and a final is a final.' For some of Thelin's squad, including Hibs-bound Jamie McGrath, the game at Hampden will be their last appearance in an Aberdeen shirt. That's why the Dons boss hopes everyone involved realises the opportunity they have to leave their mark on the rich history of the club by achieving something only a select few have had the chance to experience. He said: 'So many things happen in a team in one year. 'I saw some videos from the season start in my first week here and some came from the friendly games and it's incredible how much has happened. 'Even the players who have come and left. It's a lot. 'A lot of changes happened this year with players and even staff. It's gone so quick. 'Don't take things for granted because football is quite a long career – but it's also a short one. You never know what's happening in the future. 'Sometimes you get injuries. Sometimes you go to another club that is really good, but can't have this level to reach the finals. 'So, catch this moment. That's the message we have.' The showpiece occasion will be the first final of Thelin's managerial career and it has captured the attention of his homeland. Thelin has attracted media attention and well-wishers from Sweden in the build-up to the final. He said: 'The Scottish Cup is the oldest competition, that's what people I know also know. 'They think it's an amazing moment, an incredible moment. Everybody, of course, is wishing me luck and every footballer luck in this moment.'
Press and Journal
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen Tactics Watch: How Dons beat Celtic in Scottish Cup final - after lessons of 5 previous meetings this season
Given the pre-match build-up and recent fixtures between Aberdeen and Celtic, one might wonder if the Hoops' name has already been engraved on the Scottish Cup for this season. Saturday's final appears to be an impossible job for the Dons – but what lessons can be taken from the fixtures so far this season and applied by Jimmy Thelin's Reds to end Brendan Rodgers' unbeaten record at Hampden? Firstly, it would be remiss not to consider the possibility Thelin goes with an alternative approach and devises a specific game-plan for this match. St Mirren and Hibernian have given Celtic trouble with their 5-3-2 setup, and the extra insurance at the back might allow the team to be more aggressive further up the field. Of course, all tactical formations and systems have advantages and disadvantages – certainly ones which have not been put into practice in prior matches. I'm working on the assumption Thelin will not change too much in his approach, given the consistency of his setup so far this season, and he will look for a perfect execution of plan A to keep Aberdeen competitive. One stat we know Celtic will come out on top of in the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen is possession. The Reds will need to stay compact between the units, but since the defensive line is unlikely to be too high – given the opposition's pace – we'll probably see another mid-block, with more aggressive presses on certain triggers. For the most part, in the previous meetings this term, when Celtic have built out from the back, Aberdeen have retained their 4-4-2 shape with one of the forwards pressing the centre-back in possession and the other stopping the pass to Callum McGregor. Even in last week's match (5-1 loss at Pittodrie), Pape Gueye and Kevin Nisbet denied the Celtic captain passes quite well. The danger, however, is when Celtic skip a line and hit the two higher midfielders, like in this example in the League Cup semi-final (6-0 Dons defeat): From the image above, we can see McGregor will be open for a bounce pass from Arne Engels, while (though not even in shot) there is also the potential for a centre-forward to drop into the space between the two centre-midfielders, who may push up to mark the midfielders tightly. In light of this, one of Thelin's biggest selection decisions will be whether he goes with Gueye or Jamie McGrath as the no.10. McGrath played there in the Aberdeen v Celtic League Cup semi. But, at Pittodrie in December (1-0 loss to Reo Hatate's 78th-minute goal), in the howling wind, he dropped a little deeper and followed McGregor more closely. In this situation (above), Dons wideman Topi Keskinen would then mark the Celtic centre-back if the ball was switched. Perhaps the weather played a part, but Aberdeen were able to stay in that game for the whole 90 minutes, and it took a moment of magic to separate the two teams. My unqualified hunch is Hibs-bound McGrath may get the nod on Saturday. One pass of major concern in the hammering last Wednesday was the out-ball to James Forrest on Celtic's right wing – which was often on due to the Dons' narrow shape. Wingers will be another question mark, and if we go with McGrath starting, then I think Jeppe Okkels may get the nod to guard the Dons' left flank, with Keskinen on the right, and Shayden Morris left on the bench and saved for the latter stages. The early period of the game at Hampden is likely to be one of the best opportunities for Aberdeen to score a goal, particularly with Celtic committing players, especially their full-backs, further up the field, into the build-up. Last year, it was a fine passing move in the cup semi-final between Aberdeen and Celtic which created Bojan Miovski's chance – and Aberdeen scoring first changed the tempo of the match. At Parkhead, in the second Glasgow Premiership meeting of this season (again, a 5-1 Reds defeat), Oday Dabbagh, Okkels, and Kevin Nisbet all had good opportunities to put the Dons ahead, and at Pittodrie in the first match, Leighton Clarkson spurned a golden chance to level late on. Sometimes it doesn't even get to the chance, as the final Aberdeen pass fails to find the right man. Contrast this with the opening 2-2 draw between the teams at Celtic Park in the autumn, and in particular the quality from McGrath's pass and Ester Sokler's finish to pull the Dons back to 2-1. Aberdeen will get some openings, but their key players will have to step up and deliver quality when it matters most. Once we get into the rhythm of the game, Aberdeen have been able to negotiate the early stages fairly well versus Celtic. But then it all seems to go awry around the 25-minute mark… Let's take a look at when Aberdeen have conceded against Celtic: Those goals in bold have come from one of two sources – corner kicks and counter-attacks. Aberdeen's woes at set-pieces were again exposed in defeat at Dundee United on Saturday, as, for the third game in four, they conceded from a corner or free-kick into the box. The team's strategy for defending dead-balls is rightly under the microscope, and the opposition are targeting specific zones and players: Perhaps having Kristers Tobers and Mats Knoester man-mark Celtic's biggest aerial threats – presumably Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales – might be worth sacrificing Thelin's zonal system for on this one occasion. Regarding counter-attacks, Aberdeen have been burned by Celtic's pace several times this season, most notably in the League Cup semi-final, when the Dons were ruthlessly torn apart twice before half-time. The question is whether this Aberdeen side are capable of both playing to their manager's style AND not leaving this opportunity for Celtic on the break? In Thelin's system, both full-backs are encouraged to attack when the ball goes forward. This certainly helps the team keep possession in the attacking half and develop numbers-up situations. But Celtic's pace on the break will be too much if they are given the chance to exploit space as we saw at Hampden in the League Cup and at Celtic Park in the 5-1 defeat. Aside from maybe leaving the non-ball-sided defender home when attacking, quick counter-pressing and tactical fouls will be vital for stopping Celtic breakaways. In this instance, we'd be looking to central midfielder Ante Palaversa to show positional discipline and awareness to stop attacks at-source: From a data perspective, there was not too much difference between Aberdeen's lauded 2-2 (4.17 – 0.99) draw at Parkhead and their pilloried 6-0 mauling at Hampden (3.23 – 0.32). The xG (expected goals) scorelines are in brackets. Celtic actually had 30 shots in the 2-2, but only 14 in the 6-0. Suffice to say, and we know data does not account for all the elements of the game, but it is obvious luck could play a part in Saturday's Scottish Cup final. Aberdeen's job is to ensure their luck counts, by restricting Celtic's shooting opportunities, being good at set-pieces (attacking and defensively), and taking advantage of rare mistakes in their rivals' build-up. In 1970, a questionable penalty decision set the Dons on their way to cup glory. In 1990, they would win in a remarkable penalty shoot-out. On the other hand, in 2017, Kenny McLean was inches away from connecting with Jonny Hayes' cross – and would have won Derek McInnes' Aberdeen team the cup if he had. If the game can be kept to fine margins, we have seen this season Aberdeen have players who can deliver some magic at a key moment. But we'll need a perfect implementation of plan A to make any magic matter. Mitov; Jensen, Tobers, Knoester, Shinnie; Clarkson, Palaversa; Keskinen, McGrath, Okkels; Nisbet.
Scotsman
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Ex-Hibs ace strikes to sink Easter Road men as Dons win
It had to be Kevin Nisbet, didn't it? Just as Hibs had a new club record of 18 straight top-flight games without loss just within their grasp, up popped the former Easter Road favourite with an absolute wonder goal. The Aberdeen striker's sumptuous, lobbed finish beyond a helpless Jordan Smith secured a home victory for the Dons with all sorts of implications in the race for European places. Jimmy Thelin's men are now level with David Gray's side on points, although Hibs remain in third place on goal difference; already, it feels like this race to be Best of the Rest will go right to the wire. In a Hibs team missing the injured Lewis Miller, opening the door of Warren O'Hora to return on the right side of the back three, the visitors had to defend a lot of crosses in opening exchanges that saw both sides create chances. Rocky Bushiri, a man who has stamped his name all over this fixture in the past, had the distinction of blocking a shot at both ends of the park – one from Topi Keskinen, the second an unintentional stop on team-mate Jack Iredale's goal-bound effort – in a crazy 20 minutes that also saw Martin Boyle rip one shot wide and Josh Campbell hit the post with a header. Kieron Bowie, promoted from the bench after his two goals in the ritual dismemberment of Dundee last time out, looked a handful from the outset, occupying defenders and running channels to good effect. Hibs also had a scrappy 'goal' disallowed for a foul on the keeper. Gray's men would have known that a draw suited them, of course, in terms of fending off Aberdeen's challenge for third place. But that didn't stop them from giving as good as they got. Chris Cadden probably should have crossed instead of shot with an opening that fell to him, allowing Leighton Clarkson to clear. And Campbell miscued a shot from decent range at a reasonable angle. Aberdeen throwing Hibs-bound Jamie McGrath into the contest was certainly a bold move, as Sir Humphrey would put it. Aye son, go on and play yourself out of Europe next season … As it transpired, Nisbet was the man to make the difference, picking up a half-cleared ball just outside the box and finishing with impeccable technique. It looked like he enjoyed the moment, to say the least. 1 . GK Jordan Smith 6.5/10 Could do nothing about the goal. Really good in his distribution, both with feet and through some excellent throws. Made an excellent injury-time stop from Dabbagh to keep it at 1-0. | SNS Group Photo Sales 2 . RCB Warren O'Hora 6/10 Irish centre-half marked his first start since March with an assured performance, slotting into a defensive unit comfortable in playing a high line. | SNS Group Photo Sales 3 . CB Rocky Bushiri 6/10 Involved in a lot of goal mouth action at both ends. Could he have got more on the clearing header that fell to Nisbet? | SNS Group Photo Sales 4 . LCB Jack Iredale With the ink on his new three-year deal barely dry, Iredale brought his usual aggression and discipline to a solid defensive display. Sacrificed late on as Hibs went for broke. | SNS Group Photo Sales
Press and Journal
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin reveals why he has no hesitation playing Hibs-bound Jamie McGrath against third-place rivals
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin says he will have no hesitation in playing Jamie McGrath in the third-place shootout against Hibs at Pittodrie. Republic of Ireland international midfielder McGrath will join Hibernian in the summer having signed a pre-contract agreement with the Easter Road club. McGrath's contract with Aberdeen expires at the end of the season and he has agreed a deal with Hibs until summer 2029. The 28-year-old opted to join Hibs because Aberdeen would not offer him a four-year contract. Aberdeen held lengthy negotiations with the midfielder, but were unwilling to offer the length of contract McGrath wanted. McGrath returned to action after three months out with a shoulder injury when coming off the bench in the Scottish Cup semi-final win against Hearts at the weekend. Aberdeen and Hibs are both battling to finish third in the Premiership, which could be rewarded with a Europa League qualifying round slot. McGrath may be leaving Pittodrie at the end of the season, but Thelin says the midfielder is still 'hungry' to shine for Aberdeen. And he reckons the Hibs-bound player will be key in the fight to finish third against his future club. Thelin said: 'There are no worries when you know the person and how much Jamie contributes here. 'I know how Jamie's focus is and how hungry he is to play for Aberdeen as long as he's here.' Signed in summer 2023, McGrath has scored 16 goals for the Dons and made 76 appearances. Asked if there was any concern about extra pressure on McGrath because he is facing his future club, Thelin said: 'I don't have any concerns about the situation. 'There is no doubt there at all. 'It is different characters and different personalities. 'I know Jamie really well and am 100% convinced he is really happy to play, and he will be an important player on Saturday for us also.' Aberdeen trail third-placed Hibs by three points going into the first post-split fixture in the top six. A third-placed Premiership finish could secure a second qualifying round slot for the Europa League. Hibs delivered a pre-match boost by securing manager David Gray on a new three-year contract after masterminding a resurgence in form. Gray's assistant head coaches Eddie May, Liam Craig, and Craig Samson have also extended their contracts with the Easter Road club. Under Gray, Hibs are currently 17 games unbeaten in the Premiership – equalling the club's post-war record. Thelin said: 'We all know the importance of the game. 'It is an exciting part of the season now. 'We are on a good run now and our players are ready to put in a strong performance to try to get the points. 'Our performances are more stable and that has put us in the position to compete. 'It is vital for us to win against Hibs. 'How we attack Hibs will be really important, also how we approach the game and how we come out at home at Pittodrie. 'I think it's going to be a really intense, fast game due to the way both teams are playing. 'We will be prepared for the clear directness Hibs have inside a game.' A pivotal sliding doors moment in the race for third can be pinpointed to Aberdeen's 3-3 draw against Hibs at Easter Road in late November. Hibs gaffer Gray was under immense pressure, having secured only one win in the opening 13 Premiership games to leave them bottom of the table. In contrast Aberdeen were in red-hot form and sitting second in the Premiership. The Dons netted in the 95th minute to go 3-2 up and looked set for a vital win. However, they conceded a leveller in the 96th minute. Had Aberdeen held on for a win they would have moved 25 points clear of Hibs. It was the catalyst for Hibs' revival… and the Reds to suffer a crash in form. Thelin said: 'I don't think like that about one specific game or one specific moment. 'You can't do that because there are so many matches and you can only take decisions that are right in that moment. 'So the thing you should focus on is where you are right now, which is the three-point difference with Hibs and an important game on Saturday. 'We've got five games left and are looking for a third spot in the league. 'It's so tight in the table and we haven't talked about Dundee United yet and the games they have to play. 'That's why it's so difficult to predict right now and we have to give our all on Saturday.'
Press and Journal
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Willie Miller: Could Aberdeen v Hibs give us Jamie McGrath's Charlie Nicholas moment?
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin has a managerial dilemma over Hibs-bound Jamie McGrath during the pivotal closing stretch of the season, following the Irishman's role in helping the Dons beat Hearts in the Scottish Cup semi-final. McGrath, alongside winning goalscorer Oday Dabbagh and another substitute Dante Polvara, made an influential contribution off the bench at Hampden – with the trio all playing a part in the Reds' 2-1 extra-time victory. Attacking midfielder McGrath returned to the Aberdeen squad on Saturday for the first time since his shoulder surgery in January. While he was recuperating, it was revealed the out-of-contract 28-year-old will be switching to the Dons' Premiership third-place rivals Hibernian in the summer. Now McGrath is fit again, the question is how much his soon-to-be-ex-gaffer Thelin will use him in a final stretch. Aberdeen face five huge top-six clashes, where they will attempt to overhaul Hibs and secure the potential European riches of third, before the Scottish Cup final against Celtic. Dons manager Thelin will have to weigh up two things: The first is McGrath's undoubted ability, because at his best the former St Mirren and Wigan Athletic man would start for most of the sides in the Premiership, and – with five goals and six assists in the first part of the season – has the potential to contribute to a successful end to the campaign. McGrath showed Thelin he has quality and can have an impact on Saturday when he delivered the cross late in extra-time, which, following Jack Milne's initial effort, Dabbagh turned home to knock Hearts out of the cup. You cannot ignore his ability if it could be useful to you, just because he is leaving, and Thelin is an experienced enough manager to know this. This will need to be balanced against the player's decision to commit his future to the very team the Dons are locked in their battle for third with, though. Thelin also midfielders and widemen at his disposal who are staying (or could be staying) at the club beyond this term, and guys he has signed, including Topi Keskinen, loanee Jeppe Okkels and Ante Palaversa – who McGrath replaced at Hampden – who will also be desperate to play their part. But if McGrath is still willing to give his all to the cause for his remaining matches in red, I think they should find a way to use him. Only if there is a sense McGrath is saving himself or holding something back for his new club, can you justify not doing so. Saturday's Premiership post-split opener against Hibs at Pittodrie is an all-important must-win for Aberdeen. They certainly cannot afford to lose and fall six points behind their visitors, not with St Mirren and Rangers away trips to follow. Defeat would likely be curtains in the hunt for third place. Even a draw and allowing their Edinburgh adversaries to retain what is effectively a four-point cushion with the goal difference would feel like a big step towards the Hibees sealing third, and would be a big blow for Aberdeen. For McGrath, this game could produce a moment akin to Charlie Nicholas' 1990 Scottish Cup final shoot-out penalty for the Dons to help beat Celtic before he rejoined the Hoops after the game. But only Thelin will have the necessary insight into McGrath's state of mind to decide if he can feature and be the man who can potentially spoil the third-place party for his next club – it would certainly be an interesting way for McGrath to introduce himself to the Hibs fans! I am backing McGrath's professionalism to do whatever is asked of him by Thelin before he bids farewell to Aberdeen and the Red Army. Oday Dabbagh's winner at Hampden has gone some way to convincing me he is worthy of a permanent contract at Aberdeen. The Dons' passing early on was really poor – something they will not get away with if they want to upset Celtic in the final – but ultimately, they did the most important thing: they won the game. Thelin's substitutes, paired with Hearts' two red cards on the day, helped them disrupt their opponents in a way they had not managed to do prior. Palestine international Dabbagh, after coming on with 10 minutes of normal time remaining, showed his energy, athleticism, enthusiasm and willingness to work hard off the ball and when Aberdeen are defending. The January loanee from Charleroi is a hungry striker, who is clearly desperate to score goals, and you won't see him passing the ball in the box – the area of the park where he really comes alive. Dabbagh – who the Reds have an option to buy this summer – was unlucky not to score earlier at Hampden when he was denied by great stop from Jambos goalie Craig Gordon. But he seems to have the knack and movement to get himself in the right place and was there to capitalise from close range on 118 minutes for his fourth goal in 10 Aberdeen outings. Midfielder Polvara has also made 10 appearances to this point in the campaign, having found himself back on the Dons fringes following a serious hamstring injury last summer. He is contracted to 2026. He should still have a good future at Pittodrie, based on what I saw from him on Saturday. Polvara had a big impact when he came on – he not only had a hand in the winning goal by winning the foul which gave the Dons the chance to score the winner, but was direct in his running. He upped the tempo of the game and brought some forward passing into a midfield area where the Reds had been playing a lot of square and backwards passes.
