Aberdeen

Gary Scott
Fan writer

A gruelling run of five games in 14 days for Aberdeen came to an end with a lacklustre draw against Simo Valakari's much-improved St Johnstone.

With three draws in those five games and defeats to St Mirren and Celtic the question on the lips of the Scottish media appears to be: Has Aberdeen's bubble burst?

The truth is any bubble that existed was purely a construct of the same footballing media in Scotland.

The mantra from Jimmy Thelin and his squad has always been about staying humble and ensuring this team continues to learn and to grow. Tongue-in-cheek chants from the terraces about Aberdeen's title credentials were always just that - a bit of fun with little serious expectation behind them.

After a sparkling start to the campaign, it's natural for Aberdeen's recent form to attract attention but in context, this was a run of games that would have posed a significant test for every club in the division.

St Mirren remain a competitive force, especially in Paisley, where Aberdeen have not won on league duty since December 2018.

Similarly, Aberdeen's recent records in Leith and Gorgie are poor and it's probably fair to say both Hearts and Hibs are currently in false league positions.

Aberdeen's performance against champions-elect Celtic rightfully drew praise for its disciplined showing out of possession and with a little more fortune on our side, there is every chance the Dons could have taken a point.

Valakari's Saints deserve a lot of credit for their performance on Saturday. The visitors shut off supply, in the main, to Aberdeen's wide players which nullified the Dons' attacking threat significantly.

Duk's assist for Leighton Clarkson's equaliser was one of the only occasions where a wide player in red was able to get into a one v one. Thelin was correct to assess that the performance was probably the poorest under his watch. The only real positive was the fact we didn't lose.

Thelin will be looking forward to getting two weeks of recuperation and work on the training ground with his troops before the visit of Hibs.

The main message for the supporters is going to be one of not panicking. A tough two weeks has been navigated and the Dons still sit second (albeit with a depleted margin) in the table.

We will remain there, at least, until 21 December – not many in the Red Army would've turned their noses up at that if offered it in July.

Gary Scott can be found at the ABZ Football Podcast, external

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Aberdeen chief executive Alan Burrows has no concerns about manager Jimmy Thelin being prised away from the club and fully expects the Swede to stay long term.

Thelin, who arrived in the summer on a three-year deal, began his tenure with 15 wins in a 16-game unbeaten run before the Dons suffered a dip in form recently, going five matches without victory.

The 46-year-old's start has garnered extensive acclaim, but Burrows isn't fretting over the prospect of the former Elfsborg boss leaving any time soon.

"My only focus is working with Jimmy on the long term at Aberdeen Football Club, of that there is no doubt," he said.

"I think Jimmy has given a commitment to Aberdeen. You can take some comfort from how his relationship was with his previous clubs, where I think he's seen it as a project that he committed to over a period of time, so I don't have concerns about that.

"I don't sit awake at night worrying if other clubs would be interested in our manager. In fact, if clubs are interested in your manager, it's a compliment.

"Our entire focus right now is on continuing to get good results in the short term, continuing to plan for the January window and the summer window with Jimmy in charge.

"I'm not naive, I also know that if a manager continues to do well, then of course he'll (attract) interest at some point in the future, but I hope that can be in a significant period of time.

"In the short and medium term, we are very much looking forward to Jimmy being at the helm at Aberdeen and hopefully driving us and achieving the aims and objectives that we set out when he took on the role as Aberdeen manager."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen chief executive Alan Burrows believes the club's track record of selling players to Europe's top leagues in recent years will help the Dons with their own recruitment.

Striker Bojan Miovski became their latest big-money export during the summer, joining La Liga side Girona in a move that netted the Pittodrie side a record transfer fee.

Burrows said: "You have Miovski going to Girona, Ylber Ramadani going to Lecce, Scott McKenna going to Nottingham Forest, Calvin Ramsay going to Liverpool and Lewis Ferguson going to Bologna.

"We have demonstrable evidence that we are selling players into the top five leagues. So if you are a young player coming through or you are a player playing in Europe and you want a launchpad to play at a very good level, play at European level, play at Scottish Premiership level at a team that wants to compete but also has a track record of then selling on to the big five, Aberdeen is a very good place to do it.

"And that is clearly a message we are putting out there but it is also a message that other agents and people around the game can see themselves.

"In all walks of life anything you sell has to have credibility and we have got the credibility in terms of those player sales so any one that we do further enhances the reputation we have got."

He added: "We have got a player trading model that requires us to sell at the back end but we also want to be successful here at Aberdeen, we want to be competing at the right end of the table, we want to win trophies.

"To do that the players we bring in to develop and sell, first and foremost need to have an impact on the first team and Bojan is the poster boy for that."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen held their annual general meeting on Monday evening.

Here are the key points:

• Chairman Dave Cormack pointed out the best run of home attendances since 1948, adding that the club has had four sell-outs in a row for the first time.

• On the protracted efforts to move away from Pittodrie, Cormack said the club "needs a period of time to re-evaluate options."

• Asked about any regrets over the interim appointment of Neil Warnock last season, Cormack mentions the Englishman's strong track record before saying "hindsight is a wonderful thing in life".

• Chief executive Alan Burrows stresses that the appointment of Jimmy Thelin is "long term" while calling for patience as the Swede builds his squad.

• Burrows admits the need to do more to integrate academy players to the first team, saying the Dons – like many other Scottish clubs – have regressed on this front over the last 10 years.

• Pressed for information on the compensation deal for Connor Barron's move to Rangers, Burrows replied that he is "restricted" on what he can say, but did express frustration with an "extremely elongated" process and suggested the SPFL need to find a "more succinct" way to deal with such situations.

• On Jamie McGrath and Jack Mackenzie, who are out of contract in the summer, director of football Steven Gunn said "the door is not closed" on contract talks but said they could not drag on all season.

Watch highlights as Aberdeen draw 1-1 against St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership. (UK only)

We asked for your views on Aberdeen's 1-1 draw against St Johnstone.

Here's what some of you said:

John: Jimmy Thelin will learn a lot from the past few games. Leighton Clarkson and Shayden Morris may offer individual flashes of brilliance, but the team loses its structure and control when they are on the pitch.

Craig: Aberdeen's momentum has dropped off. The intensity, energy and luck that was there a month ago has gone. Our brilliant start to the season probably papered over some cracks. Our backline is not defensively sound and our forwards are not prolific enough. Ante Palaversa needs a run in the team. He's a genuine talent who could get us going again.

James: A very poor display after what they showed on Wednesday. A strong central defender who can defend is needed. We also lack a goalscorer as what was on show will not keep us second for much longer.

Fred: Reality is setting in. Still much better than last season but we need a new forward who can score consistently. It seemed strange not to bring on Peter Ambrose when all the others had failed in the past two games. Hope things can pick up again but Rangers are closing in, so second place may become a dream.

John: Far too many yellow cards, they're going to come back and haunt us. We're off the boil at the moment but it was bound to happen. A couple of good buys in the next market and we will be okay for top three. A lot better than last season and have faith in a good manager.

Alan: A really poor, disappointing display. No energy or tempo the entire first half and only very marginal improved in the second. Nobody running into space and some very lethargic ponderous play again. All the sparkle has gone again. Thelin has to motivate them from the start.

Chris: The manager has an unbelievable job. I liked what I saw against Celtic, the press was much better leading to turnovers and I think we were unlucky not to get something. The press was sporadic and some players were way off it on Saturday, opposition were hungrier and created better opportunities. If we want to press learn how to do it in numbers.

Paul: Every club has ups and downs at some point in the season. This is hopefully our down. I agree with giving players game time rather than keeping them benched. This has identified what we need in January. Another creative midfielder, another defender and another striker as Kevin Nisbet doesn't look sharp enough. Keep cheering though, no booing.

Andy: Well I guess we all knew that the Dons were overachieving but they just need to hold it together now. Big problem again is playing out of defence. It's so frustrating watching promising positions spoiled by poor distribution.

Niall: The performance level really dipped, with little cohesion, intensity or sustained passing moves. The drive and collective creativity was sorely lacking and beyond Duk's driving run and cutback for the goal there just looked like nothing was going to happen. There are concerning frailties emerging in defence, midfield and up front.

Eric: Once again shambolic defending at the back. We need a settled back four. We cannot keep relying on substitutes to bail us out. There seemed little spark, drive or leadership in midfield and no real threat up front. We have to get back to pressing hard from the start and breaking at pace, otherwise it's only going to be a point here and there.

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• St Johnstone committed 19 fouls in this match, higher than their season average of 11.3 in the Premiership.

• St Johnstone have conceded five goals in the first 15 minutes of second halves, only Motherwell (six) and Kilmarnock (six) have conceded more in the Premiership this season.

• Aberdeen have failed to win in their last five games in the Premiership, their last longer winless streak was from January 2024 to March 2024, a run of 11 games.

Aberdeen's winless run in the Scottish Premiership stretched to five games after St Johnstone claimed a draw at Pittodrie.

Makenzie Kirk pounced to give the lively visitors the lead after James McGarry sclaffed Matt Smith's cross off his own face as he attempted to clear.

However, half-time changes from Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin again made the difference as his side improved after the break.

Ante Palaversa teed up his fellow substitute Luis 'Duk' Lopes, who drove into the box and cut back for Leighton Clarkson to tap in the equaliser.

Were you at Pittodrie or following the match from home? Either way, we want your views on the game – have your say here.

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin: "Our performance was not the level we want. We did not come out with the same intensity we did against Celtic.

"We need to find a way back to being more stable in our performances between games because we have been a bit up and down now.

"The only way to do that is to live this moment and get used to playing a lot of games, because that's what we want to do it. We need to find a more consistent level of performance across a longer period.

"I think every team has these periods in the season. We had a really good start and now we have some games which have not been perfect. But that's football, now we need to go out on the training pitch and find the rhythm and right dynamics to be ready for the next game against Hibernian.

"It's not only about fitness, but mental capacity. We need to keep believing and being strong in our conviction in how we want to play, be true to our identity.

"During seasons you always have good periods, and some tougher periods. It's how you manage those periods and get out the other side."

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland

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After a blistering start to the season, the busy winter schedule and injuries are catching up with Aberdeen.

The energy, pressing, and daring attacking play which carried them to 13 straight victories have all dropped a level.

At the back there is uncertainty, with goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov and left-back Jack Mackenzie injured, and centre-backs Slobodan Rubezic and Gavin Molloy caught in two minds about whether to squeeze or sit off, leading to some awkward moments.

In midfield there are more gaps, less forward passing and fewer bodies getting into the box to create chances.

In general, everything is less connected and convincing.

It was summed up by St Johnstone's goal, when the usually reliable Sivert Nielsen gifted the ball away, which was compounded by woeful defending from McGarry.

Thelin did get a reaction again after making three changes at the break, with Palaversa's wonderful pass allowing Duk to surge forward and set up Clarkson.

However, the continuous slow starts - Aberdeen have scored 70% of their goals after the break - are now more troublesome without the same energy in the second half of games.

Aberdeen look like they could do with a reset, and with no game next weekend it might be a timely break.

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari has revealed that KuPS refused to allow him to sign then 19-year-old Topi Keskinen for £40,000 before the winger went on to join HJK Helsinki then sign for Aberdeen in a transfer worth more than £800,000 this summer. (The Courier), external

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Jack MacKenzie is back in training for Aberdeen but will not be risked. Dimitar Mitov (hamstring) and Pape Habib Gueye (quad) remain out.

St Johnstone defender Andre Raymond is out after getting stitches in a foot injury while Barry Douglas is a fitness doubt.

Saints are still without long-term absentees Uche Ikpeazu (knee), Cammy MacPherson (hip) and Sam McClelland (Achilles).

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen goalkeeper Ross Doohan is relishing the opportunity to finally "show everyone what I can do".

The 26-year-old has been handed his chance between the sticks after Dimitar Mitov was ruled out for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury.

Doohan came on as a substitute during the Dons' 1-1 draw at Hearts last weekend and was a starter as they lost 1-0 to Celtic at Pittodrie in midweek.

He is eyeing a clean sheet when St Johnstone visit the Granite City on Saturday and said: "I am happy to come in and play.

"It is obviously a disappointing way to do it with Dimi getting injured, but that is just the life of football sometimes.

"I have been working hard on the training pitch waiting for the chance, so I am looking forward to hopefully getting a wee run of games and I am just going to relish the challenge.

"I see this as a good chance to go out and show everyone what I can do and hopefully cement my place in the team."

Doohan arrived at Pittodrie from Forest Green Rovers in the summer of last year, but has found game-time hard to come by with Kelle Roos, and now Mitov, getting the nod in goal.

"It is just the life of a goalkeeper," he added. "Dimi has done really well and we are a close-knit group, me, Dimi, Tom [Ritchie], and Craig Hinchliffe the goalie coach. We support each other, who is playing or who is on the bench.

"Obviously, not many people have maybe seen me play, but I believe in myself and am just looking forward to the games ahead."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has stressed the "long-term journey" his side are on amid a recent downturn in results.

The Dons are still second in the Premiership but take a four-game winless run into Saturday's visit of ninth-place St Johnstone.

Thelin said: "The season is our target, we try to grow and nothing has really changed for us. It is still a long-term journey and we are always thinking game by game and then we are going to know in May wherever we end up.

"We are still in some early stages but can be a little bit better in how we manage different kinds of games.

"So step by step I think we mature in our way to play, but still you can see the identity is there how we want to be on the pitch, which kind of energy we want to play with, the intensity we are searching for, all these kind of things I think are coming slowly step by step.

"I think the expectation is always high, we have ambitions in this club and nothing has changed.

"We want to try to arrive to European qualification and that is why we are trying to build something strong in the long term."

Thelin praised the positive impact recently-appointed Saints boss Simo Valakari has already had at McDiarmid Park.

He said: "Valakari has done really well. I think the identity has been across how he wants to play, so he has done a really good job and has used the qualities of the squad in a good way."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premiership visit of St Johnstone.

Here are the key lines:

• After the Dons' fine start to the season was disrupted by a four-game winless run, Thelin is staying optimistic, saying "nothing has really changed for us" and there are "no easy games in this league".

• He adds that you "have to separate performances and results sometimes" and expectation is always high.

• On Aberdeen's evolution since beating Saints on the opening day, he says "we are still in the early stages" and are maturing with style of play "step by step".

• Thelin praised the job Simo Valakari has done since taking charge in Perth, noting the identity the Finn has brought to the team.

• Despite Saints' lowly league position, Thelin says it will be a difficult game and his side will need to be at their best to win.

• On stand-in keeper Ross Doohan, Thelin says he "has done really well" since coming in for the injured Dimitar Mitov, adding "what Ross brings to the team is just positives".

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• Aberdeen have only lost one of their last eight league meetings with St Johnstone (W5 D2), winning both of their last two since a 2-0 defeat in February last season.

• After a 1-0 defeat in their last league visit to Aberdeen in May last season, St Johnstone could lose back-to-back away league games against the Dons for the first time since March 2018.

• Having won 10 of their first 11 league games this season, Aberdeen are now winless in their last four (D2 L2).

• St Johnstone have lost their last two away league games, though they haven't lost three in a row on the road since January 2023.

• Aberdeen lost 1-0 at home to Celtic last time out, ending a 10-game winning run at Pittodrie. They last lost consecutive home league games in September 2023.

Colin Moffat
BBC Sport Scotland

With Celtic disappearing over the horizon, attention turns to the next best in the Premiership standings.

Aberdeen have stumbled in recent weeks, allowing Rangers to make up ground. The gap is four points with the Ibrox side having a game in hand.

Jimmy Thelin made a near-supernatural start as Dons manager, going all the way to November before tasting defeat. Aberdeen followed that League Cup semi-final crushing by Celtic with a handsome home win over Dundee but have lost two and drawn two in the league since.

So how will the Swede respond? In much the same unflappable way, most likely. And there is no sense of despondency after a gutsy display in the 1-0 midweek loss to the leaders on the back of battling draws away to the two Edinburgh clubs.

Thelin's first taste of the Premiership was a 2-1 success at St Johnstone and home fans will be confident of a repeat at Pittodrie, where the Dons had won seven from seven before they were edged out by Celtic.

However, Saints did take four points from the first two of three visits to the north east last season and have not lost successive league matches away to Aberdeen since March 2018.

Read all the weekend's Premiership picks

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Skipper Graeme Shinnie hailed stand-in goalkeeper Ross Doohan's "brilliant" performance in the narrow defeat by Celtic and targeted a return to winning ways against St Johnstone on Saturday.

Filling in for injured Dimitar Mitov, former Celtic keeper Doohan was making only his fifth Dons appearance and superbly denied Reo Hatate and Adam Idah before being beaten by the Japan midfielder in the 78th minute as Aberdeen lost 1-0.

"I thought he was brilliant. He has waited a long time to get this chance," Shinnie told Red TV.

"Unfortunate to lose Dimi obviously but those moments give other people opportunities and I thought Ross did brilliantly when called upon.

"He made some big saves, had some good kicks and to battle on from what looked like a game-ending challenge early on, fair play to him, he was brilliant.

"It was good to see other players come in. I thought Jimmy McGarry was brilliant as well and good to see Dante [Polvara] back on the pitch. Some positives from the game that we need to take forward."

The Dons have taken just two points from their last four matches to fall seven behind leaders Celtic, but Shinnie was encouraged by their display.

"We probably deserved a point but we didn't get it," he said. "It was a lot more like us and we did a lot of good things and we have to take that into Saturday.

"We have had four tough games. We have a home game now against St Johnstone before a little break. Full focus is now on St Johnstone and looking to win that game."

Sportscene pundits Steven Naismith and Marvin Bartley take a look at a couple of Aberdeen penalty shouts during Wednesday's Premiership loss against Celtic.