Aberdeen’s summer signings assessed in 3-1 friendly loss to Ipswich Town.
Five of Jimmy Thelin’s seven summer signings appeared in the 3-1 friendly loss to Ipswich Town, and we look at how each fared against the English Championship side.
As Aberdeen’s pre-season came to an end with a 3-1 defeat to Ipswich Town, Australian winger Nicolas Milanovic was the standout among the summer signings.
On his half-time introduction, the 23-year-old showed attacking intent and creativity right away and was unlucky not to score on his Pittodrie debut.
Kjartan Már Kjartansson, who played holding midfield, and Adil Aouchiche, who played No. 10, both impressed.
Australian international Kusini Yengi will have felt frustrated having been starved of quality service.
That frustration will have intensified when his replacement Peter Ambrose scored with his first touch only a minute after his introduction.
As the final pre-season friendly, the starting lineup indicates Thelin’s likely selection to face Hearts at Tynecastle in the Premiership opener on Monday, August 4.
The only summer signings to start were Australian international striker Yengi and Sunderland attacking midfielder Aouchiche, who was on loan.
Milanovic, Kjartansson, and Alfie Dorrington appeared from the bench in the second half. Goalkeeper Nick Suman was an unused substitute, while 29-year-old left-back Emmanuel Gyamfi was ruled out due to injury.
Gyamfi, who was signed from Bundesliga 2 club Schalke on a four-year contract, has missed all pre-season friendlies due to injury.
Adil Aouchiche
Perhaps the summer signing carrying the highest burden of anticipation with supporters due to his impressive CV.
Attacking midfielder Aouchiche is on a season long loan from Premier League Sunderland as he bids to reignite his career.
He became French giants Paris Saint-Germain’s youngest ever scorer at the age of 16 years, five months and was tipped for the top of world football.
Aouchiche, a French midfielder, became one of Europe’s hottest rising stars after scoring nine goals in five games at the under-17 Euros. As a teenager, he was linked with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Arsenal after being compared to Ballon d’Or winner Zinedine Zidane.
Aberdeen have the option to buy Aouchiche for a club record £1.5 million. The question is whether he is worth Aberdeen triggering the right to buy clause.
Aouchiche played in the middle of an attacking trio, with Topi Keskinen on the left and Shayden Morris on the right.
The three were cheering on striker Yengi. The French playmaker was adept at finding gaps between midfielders Azor Matusiwa and Jack Taylor. In the eighth minute, Aouchiche delivered a perfectly weighted lofted pass in behind the defence to set up Yengi’s run.
Boss Jimmy Thelin stated that the midfielder had the ability to break down defences, and that pass demonstrated that ability.
Moments later, he demonstrated his eye for goal by cutting inside and unleashing a curling right-foot shot from the edge of the box that went inches wide.
Aouchiche appears to have the skill, vision, sharpness, and confidence to take advantage of even the smallest space around the 18-yard box.
Auochiche excels at quick, intricate passes and movement to free up space in congested areas.
Aouchiche’s sloppy play almost cost the Dons in the 36th minute when he was dispossessed by Jack Clarke on the left touchline.
It sparked a quick attacking move, with Aberdeen eventually scrambling clear and blocking two Ipswich shots inside the box.
Aouchiche was replaced in the 78th minute following a solid Pittodrie debut that showed glimpses of his creative potential.
Kusini Yengi
Australian international striker Yengi has started all three pre-season friendlies, indicating that he will lead the attack against Hearts in the league opener.
Yengi signed a three-year contract with the Dons on free after his contract with Championship Portsmouth expired. Capped eleven times.
Yengi helped Australia qualify for the World Cup next summer, scoring six goals in seven qualifying matches.
With the exit of Kevin Nisbet (Millwall) and Oday Dabbagh (Charleroi) after the end of loan deals in the summer the onus is on Yengi to deliver goals.
Yengi started his goal-scoring streak with the opener in a 4-1 friendly loss to Premier League Fulham in London last weekend.
However, he was unable to build on his first goal against Ipswich Town due to a lack of quality service. Fulham are a team Aberdeen could face in the Europa League play-offs and European league phase.
So the Dons must devise a strategy to consistently get the ball to the striker against this level of competition.
He found it difficult to win high balls when up against centre-backs Jacob Greaves and Republic of Ireland international Dara O’Shea.
Yengi had a half-chance early in the first half after meeting a corner into the box, but his 12-yard header was blocked by a defender. In the 55th minute, the striker was alert enough to latch onto keeper Alex Palmer’s parry of a Leighton Clarkson shot.
However, defender Greaves slid in and took the ball off the striker’s boot as he prepared to shoot from close range with a superb tackle.
In the 58th minute, he won a header on the edge of the box and nodded down to Milanovic, who fired a shot that forced a save.
Yengi was replaced by Peter Ambrose in the 78th minute, and the substitute scored less than a minute later.
Nicolas Milanovic
Australian winger Nicolas Milanovic was the best of the new signings against Ipswich.
Supporters are hopeful that he will ignite a creative spark in Scotland and across Europe.
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