Aberdeen

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

All Aberdeen's excellent work in the first quarter of the season is in danger of unravelling.

Having looked like a stick-on for third place – and perhaps even higher – until mid-November, the team's form has fallen off a cliff with only three points collected from the last 18 available.

They are joint bottom of the form table over the last six games with only goal difference in that time keeping Ross County below them. During this run, Celtic and Rangers have picked up 13 points more than the Dons, St Mirren nine more and Hibernian seven more.

And the fixtures ahead are fraught with danger as Aberdeen prepare to visit Kilmarnock on Boxing Day and Dundee United on Sunday before a trip to Motherwell after County first foot them at the start of January. These are crucial times in Jimmy Thelin's first season at Pittodrie.

The goals shipped during Saturday's home defeat to Hibernian all came via awful mistakes and it has been a theme during this period. Errors that were going unpunished during the breathtaking opening to the campaign are being capitalised on now and a lot of it can be traced back to the League Cup semi-final humbling by Celtic at the start of last month.

The three goals Aberdeen conceded in that 11-minute spell at the end of the first half at Hampden were all avoidable. As were the two at St Mirren. As was Rocky Bushiri's late equaliser for Hibs at Easter Road. Nicky Devlin's own goal equaliser for Hearts at Tynecastle, Reo Hatate's winner for Celtic, Makenzie Kirk's opener for St Johnstone at Pittodrie. All were cheap concessions and the centre of the defence in particular appears to need major surgery.

Elie Youan's quickfire leveller for Hibs at the weekend set the tone for what followed. After what had been a promising start by the home side, Slobodan Rubezic's woeful attempt at a clearance for that one summed up the Dons' form which has also seen them record just one clean sheet in their last 13 Premiership fixtures with 11 conceded in this sequence of six.

Aberdeen are still well placed to have a successful campaign, and injuries haven't helped them, but there clearly needs to be much more work done in the winter transfer window than any Dons fan would have envisaged when they left Pittodrie after the stirring victory over Rangers at the end of October if they are to avoid wasting their spectacular start.

Image source, Getty Images

Aberdeen have submitted a bid for Grasshoppers' Latvia defender Kristers Tobers, 24. (Not the Old Firm), external

Willie Miller encourages his former club Aberdeen to target experienced defenders in the January transfer window. (Press and Journal - subscription), external

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• Kilmarnock have won their last three home league games against Aberdeen, this after being winless in 16 such meetings beforehand (D4 L12).

• Aberdeen have lost more of their last six league meetings with Kilmarnock (4) than their previous 36 beforehand (3), although won their first such clash this season 2-0 in August.

• Kilmarnock's Derek McInnes has only lost one of his seven managerial home league games against former side Aberdeen (W4 D2), going down 1-0 with St Johnstone in August 2010.

• Kilmarnock have lost both of their last two Boxing Day games in the Scottish Premiership, this after winning four in a row on this day in the top flight prior.

• Each of Aberdeen's last three Boxing Day league games have seen them win 2-1 since a 4-3 defeat to Celtic in 2018.

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock remain without the suspended Robbie Deas, while Matty Kennedy (back) and Liam Donnelly (hamstring) are still doubts but Robby McCrorie should return. Stuart Findlay (ankle) is a long-term absentee.

Aberdeen goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov has returned to training after a hamstring problem. Vicente Besuijen (knee), Jack Milne (ankle) and Pape Habib Gueye (quad) are long-term absentees.

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Jimmy Thelin has been speaking to the media before Aberdeen's Boxing Day game with Kilmarnock.

Here are the key points from the Pittodrie boss:

• Goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov – whose hamstring injury was expected to keep him out until mid-January – is back in training and available for the trip to Rugby Park.

• After six games without a win, Thelin says confidence is not an issue but the Dons need "to be more stable as a team".

• The Swede stressed the need to improve - citing the "unnecessary" loss of rhythm in the last two games - but says that has been the case since the start of the season.

• Aberdeen head to Kilmarnock with "strong belief" of victory and Thelin doesn't want "excuses about the pitch etc".

• On whether he is learning more during this challenging run, he says: "Every day is learning about the league, the players, but it's still football and we have a vision of how we want to look - that intensity team - and how we want to play. Sometimes you go one step back and want to push again for two steps forward."

Andy Campbell
BBC Sport Scotland

Aberdeen started December as leaders Celtic's closest challengers. Six games without a win later and they are third, trailing Rangers by a point and having played a game more.

Things were looking up for the Dons on Saturday when Topi Keskinen scored a deflected opener against Hibernian but the visitors roared back with three goals to claim all three points.

The Finnish winger, 21, was one of Aberdeen's top performers during their impressive start to the season and has scored five goals since his summer arrival from HJK, also providing a couple of Premiership assists.

Kilmarnock play host to Aberdeen on Thursday, having lost 2-0 at Pittodrie back in August.

Former Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes' Killie side may have designs on the top six but Jimmy Thelin's Dons are in need of inspiration to get their season back on track and Keskinen is just the type of player that can stretch teams.

And the winger could do with a strong start to 2025 too if he wants to force his way back into the Finland side, with their World Cup qualifying campaign starting in March.

Read all the Boxing Day Premiership picks

Aberdeen midfielder Sivert Heltne Nilsen, 33, is giving up football with his mates over the festive period in his native Norway as the Dons have competitive action away to Kilmarnock on Boxing Day. (Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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Former Rangers striker Rory Loy insists Aberdeen will finish in the top three this season, despite their recent dip in form.

The Dons have failed to win their last six league games and after Saturday's defeat to Hibs, they've been leapfrogged in the Premiership table by Rangers.

However, the Dons are still eight points clear of Motherwell behind them in fourth as they prepare to visit Kilmarnock on Boxing Day.

"A lot of things can affect momentum," Loy told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"Whether it's the 6-0 loss in the League Cup, although they did bounce back from that, but generally speaking, there's a number of factors.

"I think if you look at when Jimmy Thelin came in and he sat down with the board at the start of season and they looked at what they would want to achieve, they got to the semi-final in League Cup, third place definitely would have been up there if it wasn't that, at the very least making top six.

"Over the last condensed period it's not been good, that does cause slight concerns because you do want to turn that corner. I would just be hesitant to talk too much about the dip in form at this moment in time because they're still third.

"I don't think Thelin will be too concerned but he will want to that next league win on the board as soon as possible and I do think he'll finish third comfortably."

New Aberdeen head of recruitment Nuno de Almeida, the Portuguese who has been promoted from international scout, can expect a busy month in the transfer market as he looks to bolster a squad that has suffered a downturn in results. (Press & Journal), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Watch the best of the action from Pittodrie as Hibs beat Aberdeen lose 3-1 in the Scottish Premiership.

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We asked for your views on Aberdeen's 3-1 Premiership defeat at home to Hibs.

Here's what some of you said:

David: We're not tough enough. Gavin Molloy needs to be replaced - a good footballer but doesn't have the physical presence needed. Same with Leighton Clarkson. We need a powerful, quick and athletic ball-winning midfielder and a number 10 with good feet who can create chances throughout the 90 minutes.

Ben: All the individual mistakes we weren't making during our great start to the season, we are now. Sivert Nilsen and Slobodan Rubezic now are making schoolboy errors. It's not a matter of tactics when you give away two free goals and the momentum to the opposition. I still have total faith in Jimmy Thelin to bounce back.

Stuart: There appears to be a serious lack of confidence in the team, at the moment January signings are needed.

James: Old saying goes, if you keep a clean sheet you will not get beat. The Aberdeen middle two have lost us a lot of points lately. If I was Angus MacDonald and do not get a game next week, I would ask for a transfer. Credit to Hibs, they came to battle and knew how to play with safety first. Cannot understand how Duk was not on from the start.

Justin: The start of the season was amazing but this string of results is getting a little embarrassing. We can't be this easy to break down, it's clear we need a few new players. Roll on the transfer window.

Fred: Things are beginning to look like last season as we were outplayed by Hibs today. Without Bojan Miovski we seem to have forwards who cannot score and like last season a defence that cannot defend. The new manager bounce is evaporated and on the current form top-six will be a challenge.

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• Aberdeen lost after scoring the opening goal in the Premiership for the first time since 2 March 2024 against St Mirren (16 games without defeat).

• Hibernian have won eight points from losing positions in the Premiership this season, only Dundee (nine) and Kilmarnock (12) have recovered more.

• Aberdeen have scored in 16 of their 17 games, more often than any other team in the Premiership this season.

• Nicky Cadden has scored four goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other Hibernian player.

Aberdeen have slipped out of the Scottish Premiership's top two as their winless run stretched to a sixth game with a 3-1 defeat by Hibernian at Pittodrie.

Topi Keskinen had given the hosts the lead early on when he found himself in acres of space and he fired beyond Jordan Smith into the bottom corner of the Hibs goal.

But the revived visitors - who have now won three of their last four games - levelled soon afterwards after a horror mistake from Slobodan Rubezic.

The Aberdeen defender tried to clear but completely missed the ball, allowing Martin Boyle to run into the box and square for Elie Youan to finish.

Keskinen continued to cause problems and hit a post with his strike from outside of the box.

But it was Hibs who would take the lead when Boyle cut the ball back to Nicky Cadden, who smashed his first time effort into the back of the Aberdeen net.

Jimmy Thelin's side started the second half brightly and forced Jordan Smith into two good saves in the opening stages. But again though it was Hibs who made the most of their opportunities.

Nectar Triantis robbed Sivert Nielsen of the ball in the Aberdeen half and laid it off to Boyle, who slipped in a composed finish to move Hibs further away from the bottom of the division.

Dons fans, were you at Pittodrie on Saturday or following the action from home? Have your say on the game, external.

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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

Image source, SNS

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.

Image source, SNS

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.