Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin reveals lessons learned in first season at Pittodrie.

Aberdeen manager Thelin discusses what he’s learnt on a personal and football level following his debut season at Pittodrie, when he won the Scottish Cup.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin admits he learnt vital personal and football lessons after a turbulent first season at Pittodrie. On April 16, last year, the Swede was formally announced as the Dons’ 25th permanent manager, despite the team finishing in the bottom six of the Premiership. Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack and the club’s administration pushed hard to keep Thelin, as Swedish top flight club Elfsborg were unwilling to let him go. Prior to joining Aberdeen, Thelin led Elfsborg to second place in the Allsvenskan.

Thelin did not start at Pittodrie until mid-June, having chosen to stay at Elfsborg until the Swedish top division took a mid-season break. Thelin has won the club’s first Scottish Cup since 1990, just a year after coming at Pittodrie.

Season of extremes delivers lessons

In a season of extremes, Thelin sprinted out of the blocks to record an astonishing 16-game unbeaten start to his Aberdeen career, including 15 wins in all competitions. Aberdeen was once the only team in Uefa’s top-50 European divisions with a perfect record in all competitions.

The Reds then crumbled, losing 6-0 in the League Cup semi-finals to Celtic before going 14 games without a Premiership win. The Pittodrie board supported Thelin in the January transfer window, as he boosted the squad and helped the Reds recover from their form slump.

‘You learn a lot about yourself’

When Thelin was originally appointed chairman, Cormack acknowledged that attaining success would “take time” because he is a “team builder”. However, in his first season, Thelin won silverware and will now use those lessons to improve on his Scottish Cup victory.

Thelin reflects on his first year in Pittodrie, stating that adjusting to a new environment, country, league, and colleagues is a constant learning process. “You learn and adapt.” “You learn a lot about yourself. “It’s been a really exciting year, so coming here was a great decision.” “I only have great feelings regarding my stay in Scotland since there are so many pleasant emotions in this nation. “Everyone is constantly living the game. “Even during an attack or corner, the fans generate a lot of noise. “They are incredibly passionate. It’s great.” Thelin is now having a well-deserved rest in Sweden after ending the campaign on an historic high with Scottish Cup glory.

Thelin closing in on summer signings

However, Thelin and his recruitment team’s job for the summer transfer window is not yet complete. Kusini Yengi, 26, an Australian international striker, has signed a pre-contract and will join on a free transfer after his contract with Championship Portsmouth expires. Thelin signed talented left-back Emmanuel Gyamfi to a four-year contract from Bundesliga 2 team FC Schalke 04. Gyamfi, 20, came through the Schalke development system and spent last season on loan at VVV-Venlo in the Dutch second division.

Aberdeen has also signed Australian winger Nicolas Milanovic for roughly £400,000 from Western Sydney Wanderers. Milanovic, who was just named A-League Player of the Year, has committed to a contract that will last until summer 2028. Aberdeen has the option to extend the arrangement by another year. Nick Suman, an Australian custodian, will also join Aberdeen once his contract with League One Cove Rangers expires later this month. Talks are progressing with a number of transfer targets.

Thelin acknowledged that he is not the only Pittodrie player to have faced a steep learning curve in Scottish football this season. During his first two transfer windows as Aberdeen manager, he brought in several players from abroad clubs.

‘You could see in Alexander’s face, he couldn’t believe it’

They also needed to adjust to the game’s intensity, toughness, and speed. Thelin describes how a “really hard tackle” gave January signing Alexander Jensen an unexpected welcome to Scottish football.

He stated, “I enjoy the league; the Premiership has a great level of intensity and the game flows very well. “There is heavy contact and a fast tempo. “Sometimes there’s no free kick, so you just keep going. “I recall Alexander Jensen’s first home game, and he was on the receiving end of an extremely harsh tackle. “He turned around at the referee, who had just said play on, and Alexander’s face showed that he couldn’t believe it. “He was thinking ‘what the hell’, but he got up and started running again. “The players have to adapt quickly and they have done that.” Thelin will lead Aberdeen to the European group stages in the coming season.

The Dons have qualified for the Europa League play-offs, and their opponents will be revealed when the draw is conducted on August 4. If Aberdeen wins the play-offs, they will enter the Europa League with eight games remaining till mid-January.

If Thelin’s side loses the play-off, they have the option of sliding straight into the Conference League, where they are guaranteed six more games until December. Thelin has already signed four players, but plans to strengthen more during the summer transfer window in preparation for a European league campaign. However, he feels that the players already at Pittodrie are improving. He said, “It seems like only yesterday that I arrived here; time has flown by. “Here in Scotland, football is really intense, and with so many games over the winter, time just evaporates. “Progressions have occurred throughout the season in both games and training. “We are taking steps all the time, and we hope to improve in the future.”

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