Aberdeen

Hearts started their Scottish Premiership campaign with a comfortable win over a wasteful Aberdeen side at Tynecastle.

Aberdeen fans, what did you make of your side's performance?

Give us your thoughts here.

Read the full match report here.

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin: "In the first half we were disappointed with our performance because they won the battle with second balls.

"We had to do better. In the second half there were less mistakes and we created chances, but 50-50 duels we have to do better in the future.

"We knew what we were going to face today. It's going to be a different type of game against Celtic."

Aberdeen have been drawn against FCSB of Bucharest or Kosovan side Drita in the Europa League play-off round.

The first leg will be played at Pittodrie on August 21, with the return match a week later.

Dons fans, what do you make of your potential opponents? How confident are you?

Have your say on the draw

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Hearts midfielder Beni Baningime is out with a knee injury but Christian Borchgrevink and Calem Nieuwenhof both hope to be available after their recent hamstring issues.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin expects to have everyone available apart from injured defenders Emmanuel Gyamfi and Kristers Tobers.

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Graeme Shinnie is urging Aberdeen to be more consistent this season as they prepare to open their Premiership campaign away to Hearts on Monday night.

After an impressive start to the 2024/25 campaign, in which they won nine of their first 10 league games, Jimmy Thelin's side had a difficult spell.

The north east club would go on to win the Scottish Cup, defeating Celtic at Hampden, but captain Shinnie is looking for more than silverware this season.

"The big thing for us this season, away from trophies and silverware, is consistency," the midfielder told RedTV, external.

"Last season we lacked consistency, we were at opposite ends of the scale - we were either very, very good or very, very bad.

"We started off like a house on fire then we went on a horrendous run of not winning in about 14 games. We managed to get back on track, had some great had after that and we put ourselves in a position to fight then lost the last four games.

"It was so up and down, then we go on to win the cup. The inconsistency was so bad for us last season.

"We want to change that, we want to be more consistent and if we can do that it will be a good season."

We asked for your views on how Aberdeen are shaping up for the new season, which gets under way at Tynecastle on Monday.

Here's what some of you said:

Graham: It's a bizarre start to the season. Selling one of our better strikers who actually scores goals, and going after an unproven young Serbian striker. It would make sense to get the young striker if we had an established proven goalscorer that he could learn from. I fear for the worst against Hearts on Monday as they seem to be banging in goals right now. Hopefully we'll be decent, but we definitely need a proven goalscorer at Pittodrie as soon as possible. Fingers crossed.

Cameron: It scares me the thought of where are the goals coming from. I just can't see the season ahead being any different plus they concede for fun. Bottom six.

Malky: The league is going to be extremely strong this season. I don't think we are well equipped at all, and I know that's going to raise some eyebrows. Having seen the Ipswich game, the amount of times we were so, so easy to play through remains a complete concern to me, they were very similar to our cheap goals conceded last season. I fear we lack cutting edge up front. Emmanuel Gyamfi injured and Graeme Shinnie as the only left-back fills me with utter despair as well. I'm going to predict we will struggle this season.

Justin: I still believe Aberdeen need more depth in the squad but no doubt a lot will be done in the final moments of the window, but after winning the Scottish Cup how can you be anything but optimistic? Let's go.

Liam: It's still incredibly worrying that we haven't brought in an established striker by this point, while letting Pape Gueye leave. Kusini Yengi hasn't done anything to ease our worries during pre-season. We need to go and spend money to bring Kevin Nisbet back.

Dundee United are interest in bringing Liverpool's Luca Stephenson back to Tannadice on loan, while Aberdeen are also keen. (Liverpool Echo), external

Read the rest of Sunday's Scottish gossip.

AC Milan striker Marko Lazetic is keen on a move to Aberdeen, with personal terms not expected to be an issue, but negotiations continue between the clubs over the 21-year-old. (Sky Sports), external

Turkish club Kasimpasa agreed a fee of £864,000 to sign 26-year-old striker Pape Gueye from Aberdeen on Friday. (Sky Sports), external

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has told his side it is time to "leave behind" their summer of Scottish Cup celebration and focus on striving for success in the new season.

Thelin, whose team kick off their Premiership campaign at Hearts on Monday night, said: "When you are in this competitive game, you have to celebrate the victory with all your friends and the staff and the players, the supporters, and enjoy it.

"But now it's back again to another season and you have to leave it behind and focus on another season.

"It was a great summer, but now we're looking forward to a new season."

A top-six finish and Scottish Cup win would have been the choice of many Dons fans prior to the start of last season. They may even choose it again this year.

However, their league form was inconsistent to say the least.

Their well-documented downturn in form saw them take a dive in late November and suffer a dismal run of 12 games without a victory.

As a new season dawns for the Dons, will consistency be the watchword for manager Thelin?

"Of course you always want to have that but it's a thing you have to evolve and it's different parts," he said.

"One way is to be even better connected as a team of course and improving other things, how we are when we are under pressure, when sometimes it's not always the perfect game but try to stay in the game and win the games anyway.

"There's a lot of things we have gone through of course and identified we have to be better at."

We asked for your thoughts on Pape Gueye's exit and where it leaves Aberdeen's striking options.

Here is what some of you said:

Justin: If he played like he did at the start of last season and against Celtic in the Scottish Cup final, then he will definitely be missed, but he seemed inconsistent sometimes. A big lad like that must be a nightmare to play against, so we'll see who steps up.

David: No real issue with the sale of Gueye. But where are the goals coming from this season, as most of last season's have left the club! Come on, Jimmy, enough of the winger obsession, we need a proven goalscorer ASAP.

Bryan: Wish Pape all the best, but we need a more consistent striker. Kevin Nisbet had a slow start, but gradually got up to speed. I would love to see him back as he has knowledge of the Scottish game. With Topi Keskinen on the left and Nicolas Milanovic on the right, Nisbet would thrive on the service.

Adrian: Pape played a big part in the unbeaten run, but injury hampered his form. It was great to see him play his part in the final. He looked lost sometimes during games, but at least he always played for the shirt. Hopefully making way for the next Dons star.

David: Selling Gueye is great business, whatever the profit. A dynamic character, but realistically, never likely to be someone relied upon to be a regular starter. Arguably, not a player we will miss. Surely a sign that forward replacements are on the way. COYR.

Sandy: If he didn't want to play, move him on and put the money in the kitty and get Bojan Miovski back.

Kiera: I was looking forward to more dances from Pape, but unfortunately, we aren't going to see any more. Wish him the best in his future endeavours.

Aiden: I think he will be missed as he was a big character and at times a fan favourite. When he was on form at the start of the season before his injury, he was unstoppable, and I hoped he would be able to recapture that form for this season. Aberdeen need to get in another couple of strikers, or we might struggle for goals up top.

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has been speaking to the media before the Scottish Premiership opener with Hearts on Monday night.

Here are the key points from his press conference:

• Thelin enjoyed some "amazing days" in the summer celebrating the Scottish Cup win, but says now is the time to "to leave it behind and focus on another season" which the Dons feel ready for.

• On Pape Gueye's departure, the Pittodrie boss says players leaving is a "normal process of the game," but adds that the club are "always proud of our players and then we wish them luck" when they exit.

• With many Aberdeen fans keen for attacking reinforcements, the Swede says it is a tricky situation as "it is an open window and you're not alone in the market".

• On the prospect of new signings being imminent, he adds the club are "working on [deals], but I can't tell more than that right now".

• Thelin is ready for a "competitive" game with former Dons boss Derek McInnes' Hearts at Tynecastle and there are "a lot of positive things to look forward to".

• On Alfie Dorrington's return on loan from Spurs, Thelin says there was always "dialogue" and it is a "good signing" as the 20-year-old is "more ready this season to compete".

• The Swede wants the Dons to be "even better connected" throughout the side as he looks for more consistency across the season after an up-and-down campaign last time.

• With domestic and European duties to juggle this season, Thelin says the fixture schedule can't be used as an "excuse", adding "we have to prepare ourselves for this".

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Scottish Cup-winning striker Pape Habib Gueye has departed Aberdeen for a "a significant undisclosed fee" to join Turkish Super Lig side Kasimpasa.

The 25-year-old Senegalese forward, who moved to Pittodrie two years ago, scored eight goals in 36 appearances for the Dons.

Gueye's explosive start to last season - six goals in eight games - was followed by a four-month injury lay-off and he struggled to recapture that prolific form.

His last appearance for the club came as a second-half substitute against Celtic in May as Aberdeen triumphed on penalties to win the Scottish Cup for the first time in 35 years.

Dons fans, is it the right call to move Gueye on? And does his exit accelerate the need for Jimmy Thelin to sign another striker?

Tell us your thoughts

Following the release of Richard Jensen, Aberdeen are also expected to offload fellow defender Slobodan Rubezic. (Press & Journal), external

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Defender Richard Jensen has left Aberdeen just under two years after his arrival at Pittodrie.

The 29-year-old joined the Dons in August 2023 and went on to make 41 appearances for the club.

Jensen spent last season on loan with Danish Superlige side Vejle Boldklub.

"We thank Richard for his contributions during his time at Aberdeen," boss Jimmy Thelin told club media, external.

"He has been a model professional and a valuable member of the squad however, at this stage in his career Richard wants regular game time and unfortunately, we cannot promise him that at this moment.

"We wish him every success in his next chapter."

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Winger Cammy Wilson has left Aberdeen to join English Championship side Derby County.

Wilson, 18, played for the Under-18s for two seasons and spent the second half of last term on loan with Highland League club Keith.

"Cammy is a committed and talented young player and we understand his desire to have a pathway to first-team football and the security of a long-term contract, something which we weren't able to promise him at this stage," Dons director of football Steven Gunn said.

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• The side playing at home has lost none of the past 23 Scottish Premiership matches between Hearts and Aberdeen (W17 D6) since the Dons' 2-1 win at Tynecastle in May 2017.

• This will be the third time in the 21st century that Hearts and Aberdeen have met on matchday one of a league season, after 2003-04 (Hearts won 2-0) and 2019-20 (Aberdeen won 3-2).

• Hearts have won the opening game in three of their four Scottish Premiership seasons since they were promoted in 2021 (D1), although their last opening-day defeat was to Aberdeen in 2019-20 (3-2).

• Aberdeen have only lost on the opening day in two of their past 10 league campaigns (W5 D3), defeats to Rangers in 2020-21 (1-0) and Celtic in 2022-23 (2-0).

• This will be Derek McInnes' first league game in charge of Hearts, making them the fourth club he has managed in the Scottish top fight (also St Johnstone, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock). He will be only the second manager to take charge of four separate clubs in Scotland's top tier in the 21st century, after John Hughes (Falkirk, Hibernian, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ross County).

Aberdeen have agreed a deal in excess of £850,000 to sell Pape Gueye to Kasimpasa and the 25-year-old striker has now been given permission to open talks with the Turkish Super Lig club and to travel for a medical. (Daily Record), external

Kasimpasa's opening bid for Pape Gueye fell short of Aberdeen's valuation of the striker, but negotiations continue, with the Dons looking for a profit on the £500,000 they paid Kortrijk for the 25-year-old two years ago and the Turkish Super Lig club ready to pay up to £864,000. (Sky Sports), external

Aberdeen have tabled a fresh proposal for 21-year-old forward Marko Lazetic after AC Milan rejected their initial offer as the Serie A club look to recoup much of the £3m they paid Red Star in 2022. (Daily Record), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

It seems like no time since Aberdeen city centre was a sea of red and white as the hordes came out to celebrate the Dons' famous Scottish Cup victory. It was a special weekend for the supporters and the city.

More than three decades of impatiently waiting for the old trophy to return to the Pittodrie boardroom was, as the club say, worth the wait.

That success will rightly be woven through the campaign that is about to begin, but it is back to business for Jimmy Thelin and his players as they look for a major improvement on their 2025 league form which had them rooted to the foot of the calendar year table following the conclusion of 2024-25.

A year ago, Thelin led Aberdeen on a stunning run as they made it all the way through to the November international break undefeated, keeping pace with Celtic at the top along the way.

What followed was equally staggering but for all the wrong reasons as they won just five more league games before ultimately dropping to fifth on the final day.

That was quickly forgotten a week later as Thelin's men produced silverware which is, after all, the be all and end all for any football club.

But the league is the 'bread and butter' as they say and Thelin knows the second half of 2024-25 was not acceptable as he shapes a squad that can deal with the European prize they snatched from under Hibernian's nose that afternoon at Hampden Park along with their domestic form. It suffered badly two seasons ago with Barry Robson ultimately paying the price.

The return of Alfie Dorrington on loan from Spurs could be a masterstroke while the arrivals of Nicolas Milanovic and Adil Aouchiche have the potential to excite the fans. And will Australia international Kusini Yengi be the answer up front as he follows in the footsteps of Bojan Miovski and Kevin Nisbet?

On paper, the signing of 19-year-old Icelander Kjartan Kjartansson looks to be one for the future, but it would be no surprise to see him involved heavily given he has already got over 60 first-team matches under his belt in his homeland. It has shades of Lewis Ferguson who immediately made an impression upon arriving at Pittodrie back in 2018.

The SPFL have handed the Dons about as tough a start as they could have with a visit to Hearts first up - they haven't won at Tynecastle since 2017 - before champions Celtic come to Pittodrie with revenge on their minds after Thelin's men destroyed their treble bid in May.

It is likely there will be one or two more arrivals before the end of the transfer window with others leaving. Vicente Besuijen has already departed for a third loan spell, this time to HJK in Finland, with the likes of Richard Jensen, Slobodan Rubezic and Peter Ambrose also on decent contracts but on the periphery these days.

Thelin and Dave Cormack's well documented three-year-plan is about to enter season two and if it ends with silverware again, nobody in the Granite City will be complaining.