Jimmy Thelin: Why Aberdeen are ready for Premiership opener at Hearts.

Thelin believes Aberdeen are ‘fully ready’ for the start of the competitive season at Tynecastle, and he also identified some areas for improvement in the Dons’ performance against Ipswich.

Despite their differing preparations, Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin is confident his team will be ready for Monday’s Premiership opener at Hearts.

Thelin’s Scottish Cup-winning Dons, who have been guaranteed European league football this season, will not compete in the Premier Sports Cup group stage due to continental commitments and have yet to begin their competitive season.

However, the Jambos won four League Cup games against lower-league opponents.

Hearts, now managed by former Reds manager Derek McInnes, defeated English Premier League Sunderland and English League Two Crawley Town this summer.

Aberdeen, meanwhile, won their first pre-season friendly against third-tier city rivals Cove Rangers, but lost a closed-door bounce game at Premier League Fulham before losing 3-1 to relegated English top-flight Ipswich Town at Pittodrie on Friday.

While Hearts have gained momentum, according to our columnist, Dons great Willie Miller, ahead of the Tynecastle match, Thelin believes his Reds are ready to face one of their expected rivals this season.

Thelin stated, “We are ready for the season to begin.” We’re looking forward to the season starting. “Then, during the season, you always want to improve and grow, but we are completely prepared for the first game of the season.

“I believe we will compete in four different competitions this season, and as a player, you want to perform well in all of them.

“That is why the games against Ipswich and Fulham benefited us. It was quite competitive from our end, which I believe helps a lot because they stretch us and push us to increase the intensity.

“We are improving, and these games will help us move forward. “I think also the first game of the season, all the emotions, all the spirit will also be there.” Aberdeen fans and the new Pittodrie South Stand television screen. Image credit:

Darrell Benns/DC Thomson. The Dons manager added: “On Friday, the fans were at Pittodrie.” Around 13,000 people attended a friendly game.

It was amazing. “I saw the players trying, so I’m not afraid that we won’t be ready in a competitive way.”

‘We’ll focus on way WE want to play against Hearts’ – Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin

Despite Aberdeen starting the season on Hearts’ turf, Thelin hinted that his team will go out to play their game rather than adapt tactically to the hosts’ approach.

He said, “We prioritise the way we want to play and grow. “But, of course, our analytic team has a good report on them and that’s the topic for this week – go through all these games they’ve played so far, the ideas they want to do and then we prepare for that.”

Thelin’s analysis of where Dons could have improved v Ipswich Town

Following Aberdeen’s friendly defeat to Ipswich, centre-back Mats Knoester cited the Dons’ experimentation with a higher defensive line as a contributing factor to the visitors’ three goals.

Manager Thelin agreed, but also pointed out areas for improvement, such as his team not stepping out quickly enough and coughing up too many chances in a row.

He replied, “Yes, we are constantly trying to grow and become more compact. “I believe some parts were quite good, and we still have some minor tweaks to make them better, but some were very good.

“But then, in some moments of the game, when we get, I believe, the first goal, we get stuck in a situation where we don’t really come up.” “They used (exploited) this extremely well.

When they get time on the ball, they accelerate the game, and it happens very quickly.

“These kinds of things are important; how can we better control this aspect of the game? “It’s critical for us to develop in these areas – when we get hurt in the game with the first goal and don’t allow them to get one, two, or three more chances in a row.

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