Aberdeen

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin: "We felt really well prepared for this game, the fans were here with us and pushed us but the result is not a good feeling.

"There's learning points like how we want to play and how we need to protect each other better. Football is a game of small margins and mistakes can happen but the players need to protect and cover each other better because the opponent today hurt us really, really bad.

"A goal can always happen but the thing is how you react. We need to trust more in what we are doing and what we are good at. We have to stay together and do the basic principles. We need to be more determined and less emotional, that's up to me and my staff to keep working on that.

"We are 11 players who have to defend and we have to do it better but what we do as a team is the most important thing. It's not easy to win games if you get three against you.

"I think a football season can be up and down. The best way to manage it is to focus on the long-term. What counts is how we end but now we have to focus on the short-term and not overthink things.

"We can't feel sorry for ourselves, we can't hide, we have to prepare for the next challenge.

"We shouldn't focus on the transfer window right now.

"Our performance right now is what matters, I'm not thinking about an easy solution from someone else. We have to do things right here.

"Let's see what happens in the future but that's not going to be the way out."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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This defeat makes it six games without a win for Aberdeen and, despite a cracking start to the season which put them nine points in front of Rangers, Thelin's side have now slipped behind the Ibrox club having played a game more.

There were some poor errors at Pittodrie, presumably not helped by the testy conditions, but Thelin urged his side to be more compact before kick off - advice they did not heed.

Now they've got five days to get back on track before they travel to Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock on Boxing Day and they'll be desperate not to slip any further away from the top two.

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Aberdeen forward Vicente Besuijen will be out for four months after surgery to correct a knee issue while defender Jack Milne is sidelined for 12 weeks following an ankle operation.

Dimitar Mitov (hamstring) and Pape Habib Gueye (quad) remain out.

Hibs are still without Mykola Kuharevich, Rudi Molitnikov (both groin), Marvin Ekpiteta (thigh) and Kieron Bowie (hamstring).

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Sivert Nilsen says Aberdeen fans' passion for the club gives him "goosebumps".

The 33-year-old Norwegian joined the Dons from Brann in the summer and has loved his time in the north east so far.

"As a kid I was always dreaming of playing in this culture," the midfielder said.

"The way people in Aberdeen are talking about the club, how they live through the club, has been amazing for me as someone who is so passionate about football.

"I get goosebumps when I talk about this because football is a really important thing in my life and it's the same for many people here.

"That's been great for me to come here and feel this."

Looking ahead to Saturday's meeting against Hibs, Nilsen recalled last month's epic 3-3 draw at Easter Road and is hoping for an improved display at Pittodrie.

"We had periods where we were good but we had periods where we struggled a lot. A draw was probably a fair result," he added.

"Hopefully tomorrow we can bring in a performance that makes us deserve the win."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has been speaking to the media as his side prepare to host Hibs at the weekend.

Here are the main points:

• Although Jack Milne and Vicente Besuijen are both facing months on the sidelines, Thelin has told the pair "they always have my trust" and being out of action doesn't mean he'll "forget their place or what they do".

• On other injuries, Jack MacKenzie and James McGarry should both be fit and available for the weekend.

• Looking ahead to the January window, Thelin stresses the Dons need to manage both long-term squad evolution and short-term problems when recruiting next month.

• On appointing Nuno de Almeida as head of recruitment, Thelin says "he knows what he's searching for" and insists he has "full trust" in his colleague.

• The Dons boss acknowledges the importance of winning games at Pittodrie and insists his players need to put in a performance worthy of victory as they look to end a five-game winless run.

• The Swede admits he was not happy with the performance in the 1-1 draw with St Johnstone last time out but says they've been working in training on the aspects he wants improved.

• On the challenge of Hibs, Thelin says they're in "a good place" at the moment and a good performance will be required to pick up three points.

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Aberdeen forward Vicente Besuijen will be out for four months, while defender Jack Milne is sidelined for 12 weeks.

Both players have undergone surgery, the club have confirmed - Besuijen for an issue with his knee, Milne for a foot problem.

Besuijen, 23, has revived his Pittodrie career under Jimmy Thelin, making 15 appearances this season, while 21-year-old centre-back Milne has played nine games.

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin has revealed the first thing he looks for in a transfer target is the character of the player, as the Dons focus on signings for the starting XI in their January recruitment. (Press & Journal)

Read the rest of Friday's gossip.

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Pittodrie will be full again on Saturday as Aberdeen welcome Hibernian to the Granite City just a few weeks on from the thrilling finale in the capital that saw the sides play out a 3-3 draw.

When you consider what was going on in the old stadium just 10 months ago, it's pretty startling the Dons have only lost twice on their own patch this calendar year as they attempt to win for the first time in six weeks.

Those losses came to St Johnstone in February and the recent defeat to Celtic.

During the infamous Neil Warnock episode they were 3-0 down to Motherwell after 26 minutes at home and while they managed a draw out of that one, the defeat to Saints a fortnight later left them in dire straits. Warnock said after the game: "At this moment, you can't see us winning another game."

Since Warnock uttered those words, the Dons' Pittodrie record is played 19, won 16, with just that one defeat and two draws including last time out against St Johnstone. It has been a spectacular turnaround.

When you walk through the city, it has felt like there's something in the air when it comes to the football team and that is borne out in the home attendances with record consecutive sell-outs.

However, Warnock's successor Jimmy Thelin will have been scratching his head during Aberdeen's mini hiatus over the last two weeks as he tries to arrest a run that has seen them win just once in their last seven outings.

That has allowed Celtic to move off into the distance at the top and Rangers have eaten away the Dons' previous nine-point advantage in second spot, so Thelin will be very keen to get the engine running again with a sequence of games against sides the supporters will be expecting them to take points from."

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Scottish FA head of referee operations Willie Collum says Aberdeen defender Jack Milne should have been dismissed for a challenge on Hearts midfielder Beni Baningime in their 1-1 draw on 1 December.

Milne caught Baningime on the ankle as he lunged for the ball at Tynecastle, but no foul was given at the time.

"The player's stretching for the ball, the is a buckle in the ankle, so we would much prefer an on-field review to recommend a red card for serious foul play," Collum said on the Scottish FA's VAR Review show, external.

"There was no foul awarded here. The fact it's a missed incident allows even more of an opportunity for the VAR to go into that check. There was more scope to bring the referee to the monitor.

"For us moving forward, in this challenge, we expect a red card given on field. If missed, an on-field review to recommend a red card for serious foul play."

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Nuno de Almeida has been promoted to Aberdeen's head of recruitment, replacing Chris Badlan, who leaves after 10 months in the role.

Former Rio Ave sporting director Almeida, who previously had a spell working under Dons boss Jimmy Thelin at Elfsborg, has been part of the player recruitment and scouting set-up at Pittodrie since the Swede took charge in June.

Aberdeen director of football Steven Gunn said: "Nuno has had a hugely positive impact in his time at Aberdeen thus far, bringing a breadth of experience across multiple player trading markets.

"Nuno has been working with us closely since the summer to identify and progress our player recruitment priorities for the next two transfer windows and that work to strengthen the squad is ongoing.

"I would also like to thank Chris Badlan for his effort while at Aberdeen and wish him every success in his future career."

Portuguese Almeida says his way of working is is "completely aligned" with Aberdeen's approach and he is looking forward to "building on the recent positive work".

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• Aberdeen have only won one of their last seven league meetings with Hibs (D3 L3), a 4-0 away win in May last season.

• Hibs have scored 2+ goals in five of their last seven league games against Aberdeen (15 total), but have also shipped 2+ in each of their last three (9 total).

• After winning 10 of their first 11 league games this season (D1), Aberdeen are since winless in five (D3 L2) – the longest ongoing run without a win by any side in the Scottish Premiership.

• Hibs have won two of their last three league games (L1), as many as their previous 18 beforehand (W2 D7 L9). Hibs are looking to win back-to-back Scottish Premiership fixtures for the first time since December 2023 (3 in a row).

• Leighton Clarkson has scored in his last two league starts for Aberdeen, and is the only player to register both 10+ goals (10) and 10+ assists (11) for the club in the Scottish Premiership since his debut in August 2022.

Aberdeen goalkeeper Ross Doohan, 26, is relaxed about his contract situation as he enters the final few months of his current deal. (Press and Journal - subscription), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

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After a stellar, record-breaking start to the season, Jimmy Thelin's Aberdeen have stuttered.

Not since early November have they recorded a victory, a 4-1 win over Dundee, and Rangers are now closing in on second spot.

Three points would be a lovely early Christmas gift for the Dons boss, who has still enjoyed a superb start to life in Scotland despite the current winless run.

A spell of five league games without a victory, including two defeats and three draws, has allowed third-placed Rangers to close the gap on second to just two points - plus the Ibrox side have played a game fewer.

The Dons' ongoing winless run comes after they won a remarkable 10 of their first 11 league games this season.

One of those recent draws came against Hibernian, a chaotic 3-3 game at the end of last month, and the pair meet again at Pittodrie on Saturday.

That results means Aberdeen have only won one of their last seven league meetings with Hibs, and the wild encounter at Easter Road has served as a bit of a turning point for David Gray's side.

Since then they have won two of their last three league games, as many as their previous 18, and are looking to win back-to-back Premiership fixtures for the first time in a year, which is a pretty sobering statistic for the Leith club.

These meetings also tend to be high-scoring affairs, given Hibs have scored two or more goals in five of their last seven league games against the Dons while conceding two or more in each of the last three.

Manager Jimmy Thelin suggests that Aberdeen will trigger a contract extension option if Ante Palaversa makes it clear that he wants to remain and improve at Pittodrie. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Wednesday's Scottish gossip.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin insists he has a Plan B if any key players exit the club in the January or summer 2025 transfer windows, with the club in talks with midfielder Jamie McGrath and left-back Jack MacKenzie, who is on the radar of Preston North End, Sheffield United and Stoke City, as both approach the end of their contracts this summer. (Press & Journal), external

With no natural right-back cover for Nicky Devlin, defensive cover will be a priority for Aberdeen in January along with possibly another wide man after Vicente Besuijen and Jack Milne picked up recent injuries. (Daily Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Vicente Besuijen and Jack Milne will both visit specialists this week after picking up injuries in Aberdeen's draw against St Johnstone last time out. (Press and Journal), external

We asked you what nobody is talking about at Aberdeen, be it good or bad.

Here's what you had to say:

Graham: The last couple of results were how I expected this season to be. The initial winning run was unsustainable. All that has happened is too many games too close together, that's all. Weekend off. Still brilliant being an Aberdeen fan just now.

Brian: I take a lot of encouragement from the progress made so far. However, I would like to see more homegrown players coming through the ranks, if not from Aberdeen itself then more Scots in the team.

Chris: It's impossible to lay any form of doubt at the manager, we have had a better start than anyone dreamed of. Looking at the current defensive frailty and our lack of goals, confidence is low. I'm not sure if shuffling the deck chairs as much as we do is the answer. We have weaknesses but a level of continuity might help.

Mike: I worry about the legs in the middle of the park. Both Graeme Shinnie and Sivert Nilsen are 33 and showing it a bit mobility-wise. Unfortunately for us I don't think we are as good when we play without both of them.

Richard: Everybody has got carried away with the start to Aberdeen's season and it's naive to think after six signings that the woes of recent seasons are gone. It will take patience until Jimmy Thelin gets it right. The supporters need to keep on encouraging the team until they turn a corner.

Justin: There are a few weak spots in the squad that need filling, adding a few quality signings would hopefully cement our position in the league. Not that all the players haven't done well, it's just a wee tweak needed.

Stuart: The team needs to re-group before a busy winter programme of games. Onwards and upwards.

John: What has been most impressive this season is how quickly Thelin has implemented his style of play using mostly players who were desperately poor last season. It fills me with a lot of hope knowing that Jimmy will identify new players who will better fit his system and that will only help in achieving more consistent performances.

Gordon: The vast majority of the squad are the same players who were abjectly awful last year so we shouldn't be surprised at the last five results. Jimmy must strengthen all departments of the team in January to salvage something from this season. I really struggle to see where our next three points are coming from with the current crop just not good enough.

Aberdeen forward Pape Gueye, 25, is on track for a January return from injury. (Press and Journal - subscription), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

Aberdeen have a free weekend to regroup as they look to rediscover the winning formula after a five-game run without victory.

Jimmy Thelin's side still occupy second spot and there is plenty to be positive about in the opening months of the Swede's tenure.

But what is the one thing nobody is talking about in relation to Aberdeen - good or bad?

Let us know., external

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Aberdeen find themselves in a sticky patch. Saturday's limp showing against St Johnstone at Pittodrie was a tired looking display and the fact they have a fortnight before their next match is probably a good thing as it allows manager Jimmy Thelin to press the reset button.

Their points haul of 34 after 16 games is an improvement of 15 on where they were under Barry Robson last December and it is a tally everyone associated with the club would have been delighted with at this stage if asked at the start of the campaign.

It may be no coincidence the current downturn in form has come at a time when the team has been playing two games a week.

During their winning sequence in the autumn, the Dons were only really playing on weekends. The first time they were asked to play a midweek league fixture saw them beat Rangers before Celtic ran amok at Hampden a few days later.

Since the November international break they have played Saturday, Tuesday, Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday with that yielding a return of just three points out of a possible 15.

It has resulted in a double-figure gap between themselves and Celtic at the top while Rangers have creeped to within two points of their second spot with a game in hand for them to come at Dundee in January.

However, not all is lost for the Dons. A title tilt was always the longest of shots and it may transpire that second is a bridge too far with Rangers picking up before the festive fixture card.

But that shouldn't be viewed as some sort of failure given the budgetary disparity between they and their two Glasgow rivals.

The Dons would have accepted third place before a ball was kicked and it may come to pass that is more beneficial to them depending on who wins the Scottish Cup. That's because second does not come with guaranteed league phase European football next season whereas the odds are that third, once again, will.

It will be interesting to see what Thelin does for the next batch of games and in the transfer market next month as he seeks to reboot Aberdeen's season, starting at home to Hibernian on Saturday week.

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Aberdeen will invest in improvements to Pittodrie as plans for a new stadium at the beach front in the city or at Kingsford stall (Scottish Sun), external.

Aberdeen are set to give manager Jimmy Thelin the funds to strengthen in January to build on their good start to the season (Press & Journal), external.