Aberdeen

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin: "In the end, our game summarises our season a little bit. It has been inconsistent in games and between games.

"It can be short moments in the games when we fall too deep and can't really control the situations.

"That's a thing we have identified and tried to work with and do better. SO now we have part during the season we have identified we need to work really hard on in the summer.

"Right now, everybody is so disappointed. Everything is quite dark right now. But it's also my job to look to the future in an optimistic way.

"We have come from a really tough season last season and had a goal to arrive in Europe, we are in Europe.

"We wanted top six, got top six and we try to achieve as high as possdible. We aimed for third and today was bad in [not finishing] fourth.

"With our incosistency we didn't do enough to deserve more over the whole season. This is the first year of a three-year journey. We have identified things we tried to make things better and more stable.

"We have to do even more next season. Our supporters throughout the whole season have been there to support the team. We have to keep the belief.

"We wanted more, but we did not have the level throughout the whole season. We have to fix the things we've identified to be better next season."

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Aberdeen's has finished with deepening questions about Jimmy Thelin's project.

It started in unbelievable fashion with 15 straight wins in all competitions and talk of a title race but since mid-November they have been the worst team in the league by points gathered. They have won five of their last 27 league matches.

While United, St Mirren and Hibernian have sorted the fundamental cornerstones of what makes a successful Premiership side, Aberdeen have not.

They are vulnerable defensively, particular in dealing with balls into their box, and their lack of power and mobility in midfield is regularly exploited on the counter.

A goal difference of -13 is testament to that, as is the way United put them under pressure after a bright 30 minutes at Tannadice.

Thelin does not appear to have learned from this over the course of the campaign, since a 6-0 League Cup semi-final defeat by Celtic appeared to shatter their confidence in the autumn.

Winning the Scottish Cup next week against Celtic would be the salvation of all footballing salvations for the Aberdeen manager.

But either way, the club may need to think about whether their recruitment strategy and style of play is suitable for the unique rigours and pressures of Scottish football.

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Dundee United are missing Craig Sibbald, Ross Graham and Luca Stephenson but Emmanuel Adegboyega and Lewis Fiorini have a chance.

Aberdeen defender Alfie Dorrington is suspended while Ester Sokler (leg), Sivert Heltne Nilsen (eye) and Vicente Besuijen (knee) are still out injured.

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin says perspective is important when assessing their season as the Dons prepare to face Dundee United in their final match of the Premiership campaign.

A point at Tannadice would secure a fourth-place finish for Thelin's side, but three straight defeats have cost them a chance at finishing above Hibs in third.

Despite their recent wobble, Thelin insists fourth and a shot at the Scottish Cup - Aberdeen meet Celtic in the final next week - would be a positive season given their struggles before his arrival.

"Sometimes when you're in some moments when it's not going exactly how you want, you have to zoom out a little bit and see what's happened this season," Thelin said.

"We are in the top six again, our goal was Europe, we have achieved that goal.

"When you are in that top six, you try to get the highest position you can reach, and it was the third spot.

"Now it's impossible, now we have to try to achieve the fourth position. But what the players have pushed themselves through this season, from a really difficult season last season, they arrive to a [Scottish Cup] final, a [League Cup] semi-final, and now have the chance to arrive fourth in the league.

"So you have to zoom out and look at what actually has happened and how they have done it through a lot of transfers in and out, some injuries, and still we are there to give us a chance to arrive fourth.

"That, I think, is overall a good performance. Sometimes you just need to lift the eye a little bit and see where we are. It's the first year of a three-year project, and we try to progress our work all the time to be better in the future."

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has been talking to the media before his side finish their Scottish Premiership campaign against Dundee United on Saturday.

Here are the key points from his news conference:

• Thelin stressed the need to "zoom out" and view Aberdeen's season as a whole despite a poor run of results.

• He says to reach the Scottish Cup final and have an opportunity to finish fourth in the league is "overall a good performance".

• The Swedish manager pointed out Aberdeen are only one year into a "three-year project".

• When asked about Aberdeen's plans for the summer, Thelin says they will try to get the maximum value from their budget.

• On Nicolas Milanovic, Thelin says the Australian's profile will bring "a lot of value" and is excited to meet up with his newest signing.

• Thelin wants his team to "close this season in a good way" starting against Dundee United.

• Described the Scottish Cup final as a "really great opportunity", but insists he is not looking beyond the next game.

• Every member of his squad is available for selection apart from Alfie Dorrington, who is suspended.

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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It had looked like a tight, three-horse race for third spot would go down to the wire - until losing streaks for Dundee United (four) and Aberdeen (three) handed the prize to Hibernian.

Now the Dons, who have suffered successive heavy defeats by Rangers and Celtic, travel to Tannadice still three points clear of their hosts as they go head to head for fourth.

United, who beat Aberdeen 1-0 on their last visit in December before a 2-2 draw at Pittodrie, must win to overtake their east-coast rivals on goal difference.

Even then, they will have to wait until the Scottish Cup final before knowing whether that will be enough to ensure they enter Europa League qualifying for the first time since 2012-13.

That is because, should Aberdeen then beat Celtic at Hampden, United would have to make do with the less prestigious Conference League second qualifying round instead of the same stage of the Europa League.

Aberdeen are guaranteed Conference League football even if they lose the cup final and finish fifth, but United could find themselves missing out on European football altogether if they suffer defeat on Saturday.

However, that would require sixth-top St Mirren, who are one point behind, to spoil Celtic's title-winning party.

A draw in Glasgow, combined with a United defeat, would take the Buddies into Europe instead on goal difference.

An unlikely St Mirren win, meanwhile, would leave United needing a victory of their own.

To add to the intrigue, that would mean United's Jim Goodwin would have spoiled the European aspirations of the two clubs he previously managed.

Read all the final weekend Premiership picks

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Connor Barron says "standards are a lot higher" at Rangers compared to Aberdeen as he looks to kick on after a turbulent first season at Ibrox.

The 22-year-old midfielder has made 33 starts in 45 appearances since his summer switch from Pittodrie.

While Rangers have endured a trophyless campaign and sacked Philippe Clement as manager, Barron is "really excited with my first season".

Speaking before Rangers' final game of the season away to Hibs on Saturday, he added: "To play as many games as I have and to do what I have done, I've been quite happy with it.

"But I want to go and do better next season. That's just how I am. I'm hungry for more and we'll go away after the game against Hibs and work on my game to get better again.

"Obviously it's disappointing to not be as successful as I would have liked to have been in my first season and have a few trophies.

"But you learn a lot and you carry that with you and that's what I've done. I pick up a lot as a player every day in training and the standards are a lot higher than what they were in the previous club.

"So that's one just for example, but there's so many things and it's good as well to have that and to learn."

Barron is relaxed about the prospect of having to impress another new manager next season, with interim boss Barry Ferguson expected to be overlooked as an American consortium of Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers Enterprises edges closer to completing its takeover of the club.

"No, that's football. That's what happens. I've been in the game a while and I went through lots of managers at Aberdeen in my time," added Barron.

"You've just got to do what you can as a player and be the best every day and what will happen will happen."

Barron has learned a lot from former Scotland midfielder Ferguson plus other ex-Rangers and Scotland players on his staff, Neil McCann and Billy Dodds.

"All three of them have been great. Individual sessions after training, little bits after games here and there," he said.

"I've just been a sponge taking it all in and it's been great working with them so far."

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• Dundee United have won four of their past five home league games against Aberdeen, with the exception a 3-1 defeat in March 2023.

• Aberdeen have only lost one of their past five league games against Dundee United (W3 D1), although are winless in their latest two (D1 L1), losing their last away from home in December (1-0).

• Dundee United have only lost their final league game in one of their past five Scottish Premiership seasons (W3 D1), although that was their last campaign in the division in 2022-23 (3-2 v Motherwell).

• Aberdeen haven't won on the final day of the season in any of their past four league campaigns (D2 L2) – they had won their final game in four successive league seasons before this (including curtailed 2019-20).

• A win in this match would see Dundee United become the first newly-promoted side to finish in the Scottish Premiership's top four since Hearts in 2021-22 (third). It would also see the Tangerines compete in Europa League qualifying for the first time since 2012-13.

Watch the Sportscene panel analyse Aberdeen's poor form.

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Aberdeen need an answer and quickly.

Wednesday's latest capitulation was a sobering experience for the Dons' fans as they were taken apart by effectively a second-string Celtic side on their own patch.

It was the first time they have conceded five times at Pittodrie in almost a decade when St Johnstone won by the same 5-1 scoreline that has supporters fearful of what a full-strength Celtic side could do to them in next week's Scottish Cup final.

Out of those who started for the champions in the Granite City, arguably captain Callum McGregor is the only one who will be in Brendan Rodgers' XI at Hampden.

In five games against the champions this term, Aberdeen have shipped 19 goals, including six the last time they met at the national stadium.

It is becoming more difficult to construct an argument that the odds can be upset in the wake of this one.

The latest embarrassing reverse means that fourth place is as high as Aberdeen can finish, with Hibernian's draw at St Mirren enough to secure third for the Easter Road outfit. Once 23 points clear of them, the Dons have been left behind.

It is now a straight shoot-out with Dundee United at Tannadice on Saturday for fourth place.

Concerningly for Thelin, the Dons have only taken two points away from home against top-six teams this season - the 2-2 draw at Celtic Park and the 3-3 draw at Easter Road that changed the course of both clubs' campaigns.

Thelin's Premiership record is now exactly the same as his sacked predecessor Barry Robson.

Perhaps more alarmingly, if the season had started from the date of their first league defeat at St Mirren in November they would be bottom of the table, behind relegated St Johnstone on goal difference. The spectacular start they made has spared them from what might have been.

The one positive from the wreckage of Wednesday night was that European football was secured regardless of what is to come.

But three defeats on the spin and 10 goals conceded in those matches mean Thelin has an almighty task on his hands if there is to be light at the end of the tunnel.

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

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Aberdeen have completed the signing of winger Nicolas Milanovic for an undisclosed fee from Western Sydney Wanderers, but what can the Dons expect from their newest addition?

Described by Wanderers as a "standout performer" with "incredible talents" who has left a lasting legacy at the club, they also add that Milanovic leaves for a "club-record transfer fee".

They say Milanovic "fulfilled his childhood dream of representing the Red & Black but has also left a lasting mark on the club". Dons fans will be hoping he leaves a similarly indelible impression at Pittodrie, given the sizable transfer fee.

The 23-year-old has scored 12 goals and provided six assists from 25 league matches this season for the side who finished fourth in the A-League

He's racked up a fair few individual accolades too in the past two and a half seasons with the club.

Milanovic has been the Wanderers top scorer and has won Wanderers Medal for player of the year, media player of the year, and members player of the year.

He ranks third in the A-League standings for goals and assists this season with 18 and also ranks well for shots per game and big chances created across the campaign.

He has a growing international pedigree too, as he is part of former Rangers defender Tony Vidmar's Australia Under-23 side.

Given his clear eye for goal, Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin could use him in a more central role with Kevin Nisbet due to return to parent club Millwall at the end of the season.

Watch highlights as Aberdeen lose 5-1 against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

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We asked for your views on Aberdeen's 5-1 Premiership defeat by Celtic on Wednesday.

Here's what some of you said:

Kieran: An embarrassing and pathetic performance, all five goals should have been avoided. The defence is terrible, all I can say about the final in a positive manner is you never know.

Martin: Embarrassing again, to lose nine goals in two games is pathetic, can't defend for peanuts. Defeat against Dundee United is unthinkable, absolutely no chance in the final when Celtic play their big guns, I'll still be at both games but don't know why I bother.

Peter: Jimmy Thelin needs to move a lot of players on this summer. To be humbled by the Old Firm by four goals is poor. We need to be more stubborn. Less soft. Too many of the players don't deserve to wear the red jersey.

Layton: We played alright in the first half but then for the first five minutes of the second half we were playing excellent until something happened, then it turned into shambles. I think we could have prevented three goals and lost 2-1. Our defence was nowhere to be seen. We need a win at United.

Donald: We were very weak in midfield on Sunday and weren't any better against Celtic's reserves on Wednesday. Thelin is losing credit by the match. The final could be a cricket score at this rate!

Nick: Pathetic, abject, spineless. Any one of these words can be used to describe the last three games. Players and coaching staff need to seriously look at themselves and ask why the performances seem to peak and then dive off a cliff. Lucky for Cormack the Scottish cup final tickets were sold before the last three games or he would be digging into his pocket again. Fans deserve a response for the last league game. If not, the question needs asking if Thelin is the right man for next season.

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Former Scotland defender Maurice Ross has criticised the nature of Aberdeen's heavy Premiership defeat by Celtic on Wednesday.

The Dons were beaten 5-1 at Pittodrie against a Celtic side who had made eight changes in order to give fringe players an opportunity and rest key names before the sides meet again in the Scottish Cup final later this month.

Another former Scotland international in Kris Boyd called Jimmy Thelin's side "spineless" on Sky Sports. Ross didn't disagree with that assessment and says he would be shocked if Aberdeen were to lift the Scottish Cup this season.

"I can understand why he said it," Ross told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"Celtic can be on fire and pick you off, it's how you go about your business against a Celtic team playing training ground football and it's still 5-1.

"Was there anybody getting a wee bit naughty? Did they accept it? I don't see Aberdeen laying a glove on Celtic in the cup final.

"It will be a party atmosphere at Hampden and Celtic are cruising at the moment. I don't see anything other than a Celtic win."

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• Adam Idah has scored in each of his last 4 games in the Premiership (5 goals), his longest scoring streak in the competition.

• Kevin Nisbet has scored 11 goals in the Premiership this season (1 in this game), more than any other Aberdeen player.

• Celtic have scored in 34 of their 37 games, more often than any other team in the Premiership this season.

• Celtic have scored in each of their last 5 games in the Premiership, scoring 19 goals in that run.

• Adam Idah has contributed to goals in his last 4 games in the Premiership (5 goals, 0 assists).

Aberdeen fans, were you at Pittodrie for your side's heavy defeat by Celtic or were you following along from home?

Either way, we want your thoughts.

Have your say on the result and performance.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland

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Jimmy Thelin shrugged off questions surrounding Aberdeen's mentality following their collapse at Ibrox on Sunday, but they shipped goals with alarming ease once more against Celtic.

Maik Nawrocki was being marked by Topi Keskinen for the opener, a complete mismatch by anyone's reckoning, and James Forrest was allowed to drift into the box far too easily for the second.

Luke McCowan was left in acres of space for the third and Adam Idah had the simplest of tasks to tap in the fifth and final goal.

There was a lack of shape, a lack of bite and a lack of bodies thrown on the line.

Aberdeen have now shipped 19 goals in five matches against Celtic this season. That trend simply cannot continue if they are to compete in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden.

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin: "We know that we can lose games sometimes, but at home, five goals against you is difficult to accept.

"We have an important game on Saturday and if we can win that, we finish fourth in the league and have a good European challenge in front of us.

"Celtic were really sharp. It's my job to support the players so we can be stronger in these moments. We have to do better in these type of games.

"We didn't really have the quality today to hurt them and we couldn't stop their chances.

"When we go to the final, anything can happen. We have to recover quick now."

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Jimmy Thelin doesn't have much time to conduct an Ibrox post-mortem as Aberdeen's league season threatens to self-destruct at the business end of the campaign.

Sunday's damaging 4-0 defeat to a Rangers side that had scored just two goals in three months at home prior to the second-half blitz against the Dons has left the Pittodrie manager searching for answers to the latest chapter of their Glasgow inferiority complex.

The match meant a lot more in terms of league position to the visitors but it didn't look like it.

Yes, had Topi Keskinen's effort that hit the post gone in, it could have been a different story, but with Rangers toiling and on a record-breaking run of games at Ibrox without a win amid thousands of empty seats, it was as good an opportunity to triumph there as you will get.

Thelin's side has a worrying knack of collapsing. The League Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic is the most spectacular example and there's also the damaging draw at Hibernian in November, the 4-0 reverse at Kilmarnock, the 3-0 home loss to St Mirren, the 5-1 defeat at Celtic Park and now this.

That is now just six wins in their past 110 away league matches at Rangers and Celtic combined and you could forgive the Aberdeen supporters for looking at next week's Scottish Cup final against treble-chasing Celtic, back in Glasgow, with a degree of trepidation.

The showpiece will remain on the backburner for a few more days. There are two league games left for the Dons starting with a dress rehearsal for the tie at Hampden as Celtic travel north this evening with their hopes of finishing in the top three hanging by a thread.

As mentioned here last week, securing at least fourth has to be the aim. It may be it's a straight shootout for that at Tannadice on Saturday against Dundee United depending on Wednesday's results as sixth-placed St Mirren are, all of a sudden, very interested in the European positions.

The Paisley side go to Celtic Park on the final day so it's odds against they will catch Aberdeen, but the risk of missing out on Europe altogether lingers thanks to the post-split form of Stephen Robinson's team and back-to-back defeats for the Dons.

This rollercoaster season Aberdeen have been embroiled in can still be a special one for the club, but their Ibrox pain will have to serve as a final warning.

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• Aberdeen are winless in their past 29 meetings with Celtic in all competitions (D6 L23) since a 1-0 league win in May 2018.

• Celtic are unbeaten in 16 visits to Aberdeen (all in the league), winning 13 and drawing three since a 2-1 defeat in February 2016.

• Aberdeen have won their final home league game in four of the past six seasons (D1 L1 – including curtailed 2019-20 season), including both of their past two. They last achieved this three seasons in a row from 2006-07 to 2008-09.

• Celtic have only won their final away league game in one of the past six seasons (D3 L2 – including curtailed 2019-20 season), although that was a 5-0 victory at Kilmarnock last term.

• In his managerial career, Celtic's Brendan Rodgers has enjoyed 13 league wins against Aberdeen – his joint-most against a single opponent, along with Dundee and Hearts.

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Aberdeen defenders Alexander Jensen and Kristers Tobers are available again. Ester Sokler (leg), Sivert Heltne Nilsen (eye) and Vicente Besuijen (knee) remain out.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers promised a reshuffle and Alistair Johnston returns from a hip problem. Daizen Maeda will stay behind for treatment on a niggle.

Kasper Schmeichel drops out to assess his shoulder's reaction to his comeback, but Cameron Carter-Vickers and Dane Murray remain out.