Aberdeen

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.

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.