Aberdeen

Glen Schreuder
Fan writer

Can Aberdeen build on the much-needed win over Kilmarnock?

It was backs to the walls at times last midweek at Rugby Park but another 1-0 away victory brought some feelgood factor to the Dons.

Dylan Lobban, 16, became the latest graduate of the academy to make his Aberdeen debut.

He was a shining light in a defence that has the fourth best record in the league - 11 goals conceded in 10 games - despite our lowly position of ninth.

We saw why with a resilient second-half performance as Kilmarnock laid siege to our goal at times.

Winning 'ugly' and grinding out a victory like that should give this team confidence. Not just for Thursday night's trip to face an AEK Larnaca team yet to concede in the Conference League, but for the upcoming Premiership games against Motherwell and Hearts.

We haven't had all the luck, maybe we finally got some of what we have been missing. Now to keep it consistent.

Glen Schreuder can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen are "saddened" following the death of former defender Willie Young, aged 73.

Young made 188 Dons appearances between 1970 and 1975 and scored 14 goals.

He moved to England, initially with Tottenham and subsequently played for Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Norwich City, Brighton and Darlington.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time," Aberdeen said on X.

Image source, SNS

Hibernian are closely watching midfielder Dante Polvara, who is out of contract with Aberdeen next summer and has yet to agree an extension. (Record), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

Sportscene pundit Neil McCann analyses Aberdeen's 1-0 victory at Kilmarnock and the influence of Stuart Armstrong.

Image source, SNS

Victory over Kilmarnock in midweek on was much needed for Aberdeen after the 6-0 thrashing by AEK Athens and league defeat to Hibs.

Jimmy Thelin has been under the spotlight amid the Dons' early-season struggles, but Scottish coach and analyst John Walker says the club may have to go through a turbulent process to reach their future aspirations.

"That's their third clean sheet in four league games" he told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"If you take the AEK Athens battering out of that, I think you would be hard pushed to say Aberdeen aren't slightly getting together with the new signings they've made and getting a wee bit of a semblance of form back.

"I just sometimes think Aberdeen fans are quick to jump on it.

"They're building what they're building, appointing new heads of recruitment, bringing in a manager, trying to bring in a new style, they're trying to set themselves up for success over maybe five or 10 years rather than the next 18 to 24 months.

"They won a Scottish Cup six months ago. Rangers fans would kill for that now. So I do think sometimes you maybe just have to suffer a little bit.

"I know the form at the end of the league last season was dreadful. I know they were terrible going into that cup final, but they finished it off with a cup win against Celtic to get into European football.

"I think Aberdeen will be fine - it just depends whether the fans are willing to go with them or not."

Swansea City striker Bobby Wales is attracting increasing loan interest from both sides of the border after Aberdeen failed to secure a deal for the former Kilmarnock player in the summer. (Aberdeen Live), external

We asked for your views after Aberdeen returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory at Kilmarnock.

Here are some of your comments:

Andrew: A classic case of smash and grab. The xG of 0.07 for the Dons would suggest we were lucky to get three points but the first-half performance was fairly dominant. The second half was however a hard watch, some very desperate defending. Killie shelled in balls to the box but our much-criticised defence stood strong. Hard watch at times but definitely something to build on.

Eric: We needed something from this game and a win is a win. It wasn't pretty at times but the fight was there. We really do need a settled side, as at times there was no cohesion at all, but they all put in a shift. Great to see Dylan Lobban getting involved as we must have homegrown young talent coming through.

Andrew: An ugly, welcome three points. The last two away results are just what we need to grind out in this league.

Rory: I support Jimmy Thelin now. He has won three league games in a short space of time. Added to European pressures, he has done well. He has switched Aberdeen from being cut adrift to now four points clear of bottom. And looking up the table. He deserves patience now.

Fred: Great to get a win and very pleasing to see Lobban getting a start. A clean sheet is a real bonus but where are our strikers? I hope this is not another false dawn.

Ed: Three vital points, what a relief, but again we were so slow with and without the ball in both directions. Jogging not running and we couldn't string two passes together. Are the Dons just really unfit or have they been at the Pittodrie pies? Jimmy still just about has my vote (better than a Warnock), but we need the basics to be better please.

Watch the highlights as Aberdeen overcome Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership (UK only).

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen picked up their third domestic victory of the season and, while it was a much-needed win, it was far from convincing.

For the first half against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, they were well on top. They had four shots, three on target, as well as two efforts inside the box.

And they made their advantage count when Stuart Armstrong scored the only goal with 18 minutes on the clock in Ayrshire.

But the second half was an entirely different story for Jimmy Thelin's side.

Kilmarnock started on the front foot and even had a goal disallowed for offside in the early stages of the second period.

As the clock ticked down, they kept pushing and Aberdeen had to put in a serious defensive shift to keep their precarious advantage intact.

"We've played a game where we've had the majority of the ball, the majority of chances, majority of corners, all the pressure," Kilmarnock manager Stuart Kettlewell said after the final whistle.

And he wasn't wrong. Kettlewell's side had 11 shots, 10 of which came inside Aberdeen's box. They also had 19 touches in the penalty area (compared to the visitors' five) as well as 39 final third entries (Aberdeen had 34).

Kilmarnock put in 25 crosses (Aberdeen had three) and won six corners compared to Aberdeen's one.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Opta

"The amount of balls that went into their box in the second half was quite unbelievable," former Aberdeen captain Willie Miller said on Sportsound.

"It just kept coming, waves of attack. It wasn't silky soccer it was straightforward to put the Aberdeen defence under pressure.

"Aberdeen at times were riding their luck and getting bodies in front of strikes from inside and outside the box, clearing ones off the line."

Thelin's side made 12 tackles in the second half and won six of them while committing 17 fouls and picking up six bookings for their trouble.

But the Dons head coach hailed his players' mentality to come away with a much needed victory in Ayrshire.

"We have to have this fighting spirit to take three points," Thelin said. "It was a really important win for us.

"Also, the way we win the game, we know [Kilmarnock] are good in these situations around the box, how they can overload the box, their set plays, they are a really strong team there.

"I'm really proud of the players."

Aberdeen recorded successive away league wins for the first time since September 2024 to move up to 10th in the Scottish Premiership and level with Kilmarnock.

Read the match report here.

Give us your thoughts here.

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin tells BBC Scotland: "It was a really important win for us. Also, the way we win the game, we know [Kilmarnock] are good in these situations around the box, how they can overload the box, their set plays, they are a really strong team there.

"I'm really proud of the players. Of course, Dylan [Lobban] made his first game today and did super good. A lot of young players now are pushing for game time and when they get the chance, they are ready.

"Our supporters travelling down here on a Wednesday night support us in a tough situation. We need that energy and we need them all the time. It was good to give something back today. I think we are in this together. It's not for me or for us, it's for our fans and our club. The belief is still there.

"The energy is there every day in the training session, but we have struggled with the rhythm of the game. We have struggled in some parts with individual responsibility in the 50-50 duels, but the players showed they can do it. Now we just need to find the consistency.

"We have to have this fighting spirit to take three points and we did it really well today."

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Penny for the thoughts of Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack as he took his seat at Pittodrie for Sunday's spirit-sapping defeat at home to Hibernian, a game that kicked off about 30 minutes after the first Dons manager he sacked had led Hearts eight points clear at the top of the Premiership.

In fairness, Derek McInnes' time at Pittodrie was reaching a natural conclusion when it happened. Having not been backed in his final transfer window, a summer departure was always in the offing regardless of Cormack pushing the button and replacing him with Stephen Glass.

But as McInnes leads a surprising title charge from his new home in Edinburgh, Cormack's heavy investment in the Jimmy Thelin story is not looking too clever.

The brief respite brought by wins over Dundee and St Mirren has been replaced by a mortifying record European defeat in Greece and a 2-1 loss to Hibs. For anyone who watched the latter, David Gray's side were worthy of a much more emphatic scoreline.

It is now seven wins in 36 Premiership matches going back almost 12 months, two shy of a full campaign quota of fixtures. For context, automatically relegated St Johnstone won nine of their 38 games last season.

In truth, Aberdeen didn't look like a side capable of coming from a goal down against Hibs. Thelin has only overseen a comeback victory in the league twice since taking over, against Hearts and Motherwell in home games last season.

Until now, Cormack and his board have continually backed Thelin but with Kilmarnock to come on Wednesday night in Ayrshire, that Scottish Cup victory is doing some very heavy lifting right now.

Image source, SNS

• Kilmarnock's Stuart Kettlewell has lost eight of his 11 games against Aberdeen as a manager in the Scottish Premiership (W2 D1 – including as joint-manager with Steven Ferguson at Ross County), although did win his most recent 2-0 with Motherwell in January last season.

• Kilmarnock have won their past four home league games against Aberdeen - as many as their previous 24 beforehand (W4 D5 L15).

• The away side has lost nine of the past 10 league matches between Aberdeen and Kilmarnock, with the exception a 1-0 Killie win at Pittodrie in December 2023.

• Kilmarnock have only won one of their past six home league games (D2 L3), losing as many of those fixtures (3) as they had in their previous 17 (W9 D5 L3).

• After beating St Mirren 1-0, Aberdeen could secure successive away league wins for the first time since September 2024 (run of three).

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has already had "some really good conversations" with new sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel and says "the picture we share is really aligned".

The Dons this week confirmed the German will be responsible for "all football and performance areas" when he starts on 10 November.

He joins a club who have won just three of 15 games across all competitions this season and are currently second bottom of the Scottish Premiership.

Speaking prior to Wednesday night's league trip to Kilmarnock, Thelin dismissed the suggestion Pfannenstiel's impending arrival could threaten his future.

He said: "No, we are totally aligned with what we want to do, I think we always need to help each other to achieve our goals in working at this club and where we want to be in the future.

"Of course me and Lutz speak sometimes about what we are looking to do going forward and we have some ideas so I am looking forward to seeing him when he arrives here.

"We have had some really good conversations and the picture we share is really aligned and he is really hungry and he is looking forward to coming here to start working."

Since Thelin arrived at Pittodrie in the summer of last year, the club have regularly stated they are working to a three-year plan.

However, while he delivered Scottish Cup glory last term, the Swede is coming under mounting pressure amid their disastrous start to this campaign.

Far from feeling threatened, he is welcoming the arrival of Pfannenstiel as he looks to get the club moving in the right direction again.

"Sometimes people are too protective, but I am a simple guy who likes cooperation and we try to involve everyone at this club to make the responsibility," Thelin added.

"If it is the physios, the fitness coaches, everybody has to be on top of their job and you more sometimes don't think that you know everything, you need more people with knowledge.

"We have a big squad and we need to support and help all of those players to make the next steps."

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock keeper Max Stryjek will be out with a health issue for another 16 weeks. Lewis Mayo (calf) and Jamie Brandon (ankle/groin) are serious doubts while Kyle Magennis is back after a muscle complaint.

Djenairo Daniels remains sidelined after undergoing knee surgery while Marley Watkins is working his way back from a heel injury along with Matty Kennedy.

Aberdeen remain without Emmanuel Gyamfi and Kristers Tobers (knee) and will make a late decision on Alfie Dorrington.

Marko Lazetic aims to become Aberdeen's top scorer this season. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen striker Marko Lazetic admits his side need to do much better to meet the "the standard of this club."

The Pittodrie side's miserable start to the season continued with a 2-1 home league defeat to Hibernian on Sunday.

That came just a few days after they were humbled 6-0 in Greece by AEK Athens in the Conference League.

With the pressure building on manager Jimmy Thelin, the Dons head to Kilmarnock sitting second bottom of the table and desperate to start turning things round.

"We believe in each other a lot in the things that we are doing and the things the coach wants us to do," Lazetic, who scored Aberdeen's only goal against Hibs, said.

"It is football at the end of the day, it is going to happen sometimes, you don't do exactly the things you are supposed to.

"But I feel like if we just keep doing them, try to do it on an even higher level, we are going to succeed in what we want to do."

"We need to remember who we are playing for. We are playing for Aberdeen so as a player who plays for Aberdeen and all of these other guys I know we believe that we can do much better and that we need to do better because that is the standard of this club.

"So hopefully we go out tomorrow and start winning games."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has been speaking to the media before Wednesday night's Scottish Premiership trip to Kilmarnock.

Here are the key points from the news conference:

• Thelin has spoken with new sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel "about what we are looking to do going forward and we have some ideas so I am looking forward to seeing him when he arrives here".

• On whether Pfannenstiel's arrival could threaten his own position at struggling Dons: "No, we are totally aligned with what we want to do. I think we always need to help each other to achieve our goals in working at this club and where we want to be in the future."

• On conversations with chairman Dave Cormack after back-to-back defeats, Thelin says: "We are talking about a lot of things but we are together and aligned with what we want to achieve. We want the best for Aberdeen football club, we want to perform better than we are doing right now."

• With Aberdeen second bottom, Thelin admits the league table is "not nice reading just now" and says it is "super important we don't think it is going to fix itself", stressing the need for hard work.

• He adds: "I still believe we are going to find a good performance and start taking points and get over to the other side and start winning games more consistently."

• The weekend defeat was "too easy" for Hibs and Thelin says: "We need to find a way that the players give a little bit more for each other. I think they have a good spirit, I think they will do."

• On Kilmarnock, he says they are a good, consistent team but that his own side have a clear picture of what they need to do.

• Team news – Aberdeen have a couple of injury doubts, while Emmanuel Gyamfi and Kristers Tobers remain out.

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock boss Stuart Kettlewell expects nothing but the toughest of tests against struggling Aberdeen at Rugby Park on Wednesday night.

While the Ayrshire side are looking to bounce back from back-to-back Premiership defeats for the first time this season - to leaders Hearts and Rangers - Jimmy Thelin's side are second bottom of the table, one point ahead of Livingston and with only three wins in 15 games in all competitions.

However, Kettlewell still regards the Dons as "absolutely one of the biggest clubs in the country".

"There're a team that have invested very, very heavily in the playing squad," said the former Motherwell manager, who described defenders Lewis Mayo (calf) and Jamie Brandon (ankle/groin) who came off at Ibrox at half-time on Sunday as "serious doubts", while midfielder Kyle Magennis is back training after a muscle complaint.

Kettlewell added: "You look at the wealth and riches that they've got throughout their group.

"So it's going to be a proper test, no matter what anybody wants to think.

"The last two games we've played Hearts, who are flying high and against Rangers at Ibrox. You don't get a pass, you don't get an easy week.

"For anything that we've had this season, we've had to work exceptionally hard for it. We've had to be really well organised defensively and we've had to handle the ball well.

"As much as the errors we've had in the last couple of games, I don't feel we've handled the ball as well as we have done, which can often take away that threat of the mistakes and the errors in the wrong areas of the pitch.

"So there's a couple of messages for me that we need to get, we need to become more confident again in possession, because I don't feel we've seen too many patterns that we would expect in the last couple of games.

"But we're under no illusion, I think we've spent a lot of time post-Rangers having a look at Aberdeen in great detail.

"They carry numerous threats. They have some real quality and if we allow them to get their key players in possession of the ball, then they can hurt us."

Glen Schreuder
Fan writer

A week is a long time in football - just ask Jimmy Thelin.

From the confidence-boosting win over St Mirren, to an annihilation in Athens and humbling defeat to Hibs, the mood has matched the gloomy weather in Aberdeen.

The defeat in Athens was maybe expected, but the manner was simply unacceptable.

With the Premiership so tightly packed, Sunday presented an opportunity to put ourselves back in the mix after a poor start to the campaign. Instead it was back to the poor, unstructured performances we saw prior to the change in shape against Motherwell.

The word "toxic" was used on this week's podcast, I don't think nor do I want our Scottish Cup-winning manager's achievement in May to be tarnished by our failing league campaign.

While the crowd on Sunday didn't necessarily turn toxic they did head for the exits extremely swiftly when Elie Youan put Hibs two up.

Call it apathy, call it scunnered, there's no getting away from Jimmy being a man under severe pressure.

Wednesday's trip to Rugby Park is a huge night for not only his time at the club but our league campaign.

Glen Schreuder can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

Jimmy Thelin's job as Aberdeen manager is safe, with newly appointed sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel's first job being to help the Swede improve results rather than sack him. (Daily Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.