Aberdeen

BBC Sport Scotland commentator Liam McLeod has been answering some of your Aberdeen questions.

Kiera asked: Hi Liam, who do you think has been the Dons' star and standout player this season?

Liam answered: I don't think the Dons have had a massive standout player this season, however I would have to go with Shayden Morris.

It seems bizarre to go with someone who has only started eight league games this campaign, but he has had a huge effect on the outcome of matches even from the bench, including his winner against Rangers in October.

He has scored five goals and set up another 12. Had Jamie McGrath been fit for the whole campaign and maintained his early-season form when the team was flying, he would have been a major candidate.

Niall asked: Which areas of Jimmy Thelin's strongest starting line-up need to be strengthened in the close season to provide more consistency with the hope we will be in Europe? And where do you anticipate these targets will be drawn from?

Liam answered: It's clear the Dons need to strengthen in several areas. Dimitar Mitov is an excellent number one in Scotland but his understudy Ross Doohan is out of contract in the summer so they may need a new number two.

I would imagine Kristers Tobers and Mats Knoester will be the first choice centre-back paring after pre-season but with Alfie Dorrington going back to Spurs and Slobodan Rubezic allowed to leave on loan, there may be scope to add in this area although Gavin Molloy will return soon.

Graeme Shinnie has done quite well at left-back but with Jack MacKenzie likely to leave, a fresh face for this position will be important.

The forward areas will need looked at with Kevin Nisbet, Jeppe Okkels and Oday Dabbagh's loans up although there is an option to buy the latter. Nisbet has looked better recently, but the Dons have missed Bojan Miovski more than they realised when they were winning every week at the start of the season. A new number nine will have to be the priority.

If there's an extended European run, a big squad will be needed so as not to adversely affect domestic form as has been the case for the Dons and Hearts in recent seasons.

The Scandinavian and Eastern European markets will be looked at again, but what the likes of Aberdeen should be doing is pilfering the best players from other teams in Scotland as they did with the likes of Scott Severin, Barry Nicholson, Jonny Hayes, Shinnie and Kenny McLean.

David asked: Should Jimmy Thelin be a contender for manager of the season, or does the winless run he endured hinder his chances?

Liam answered: Unfortunately, the winter slump that followed that record-breaking start will rule Thelin out of the running.

If he wins the Scottish Cup and finishes third then the argument is clearly there, but the awards are traditionally announced before the Hampden showpiece meaning Hibernian's David Gray is probably a more realistic candidate given the unbeaten streak his team is on, a run Thelin has to stop on Saturday to maintain hopes of finishing in the top three.

Aberdeen are awaiting a timescale on 33-year-old midfielder Sivert Heltne Nilsen's return from injury. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Aberdeen will contest the Scottish Cup final for only the third time this century and just a fourth time since they last lifted the trophy in 1990.

The fact the Dons had won the competition five times in the preceding nine seasons emphasises the issues they have had with the tournament since Brian Irvine beat Packie Bonner in the penalty shootout 35 years ago.

The most important thing about semi-finals is winning them, performances are of secondary importance. However, the Dons laboured against 10-man Hearts at Hampden and manager Jimmy Thelin will no doubt spend a lot of time working out a 'Plan B' for when opponents set up in a low block which has proved problematic this season.

Saturday was no different and came just six days after they were faced by a similar situation against Rangers in the league. Cammy Devlin joined Michael Steinwender in the changing room at the end of extra time and Oday Dabbagh scored the clincher as Aberdeen took full advantage of the second red card.

The result was all that mattered in the end as Aberdeen set up an eighth Scottish Cup final meeting with Celtic. The Dons have won three of the previous seven, in 1970, 1984 and the last time they got their hands on the famous old trophy.

For every club in Scotland, to win silverware, you will likely have to beat Celtic at some point. The Glasgow club are in the throes of an unprecedented period of domestic dominance and will be huge favourites to secure a treble when they face Thelin's men next month.

The champions dispatched St Johnstone in the semis in a manner similar to how they brushed Aberdeen aside in the League Cup last four. It was an ominous warning.

Brendan Rodgers has won 15 out of 15 at Hampden Park but not all have been as simple as the two games mentioned.

Aberdeen put it up to them in the 2017 final and Dons fans still wince at the thought of Jonny Hayes' ball to Kenny McLean, with the goal gaping, rolling behind the midfielder. Tom Rogic went on to win it in stoppage time for Celtic. The Dons will need that kind of performance and a touch more fortune to upset the odds.

But it gives the final chapter of the season more impetus and something to look forward to.

Next up is a must-win game against 17-match unbeaten Hibernian at Pittodrie. If this is anything other than a home victory, third place may be gone given Hibs' big goal difference advantage, potentially adding extra importance to the showpiece Aberdeen have secured.

Glen Schreuder
Fan writer

A game that won't live long in the memory, but the moment that Oday Dabbagh lifted the ball into the net most certainly will.

Recent Hampden misery turned to ecstasy with one kick of a ball, a first Scottish Cup final since 2017 and a repeat of that year's showpiece - let's hope it is a different outcome.

It is fitting that on the 35th anniversary of our last Scottish Cup triumph we will face the team we beat that day to lift the trophy.

In a season that has had plenty of ups and downs following the Dons, seeing Graeme Shinnie raise the famous trophy at Hampden next month would be the perfect ending.

A generation of Dons fans have yet to see us lift the cup, Jimmy Thelin has us believing, and what a way to end his first season in charge if he can deliver silverware.

While we can be frustrated at the struggle to break down 10 men for a second week running, in cup competition it doesn't matter how you win as long as you do.

Tom English wrote we have had a charmed path to the final. Well, Tom, we can only beat what is in front of us - and beat them we have.

Attention quickly turns back to league duty and the race for third. While I don't agree with Aberdeen cutting the Hibs allocation for this huge game at Pittodrie, it will be great to see a big crowd and raucous atmosphere.

Can we put the thought of a final to one side and get a win? The race for third will certainly liven up if we do.

Glen Schreuder can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

Image source, SNS

Veteran midfielder Graeme Shinnie insists he is still learning and experiencing "new things" after captaining Aberdeen to their first Scottish Cup final in seven years.

The 33-year-old played the full 120 minutes as the Dons eventually overcame nine-man Hearts to win 2-1 in extra time in Saturday's semi-final.

Shinnie was 23 when he skippered Inverness Caledonian Thistle to victory over Falkirk in the 2015 final, and now he is driven by the chance of landing a second winner's medal in the tournament next month.

The Dons are well placed to finish a roller-coaster season on a high after bouncing back from a mid-campaign slump in which they went 14 league games without a win following a 16-game unbeaten run at the start of the season.

Jimmy Thelin's side have now lost just one of their last 11 matches and - in addition to having a cup final to look forward to - are still firmly in the mix for third place in the Premiership.

"I'm 33 now and it's been a season that I've never experienced yet," captain Shinnie said. "I'm still experiencing new things. It's a long season and these types of things happen.

"It was important we came through the bad spell and are now putting a bit of a run together. We've got six cup finals coming up. We want to finish the league strong and finish as high as we can.

"We've got a big game straight away against Hibs [on Saturday]. The focus goes on to that and then we want to build a bit of momentum for the cup final.

"We don't want to just get to the final and be happy getting there. We want to win it."

Richard Winton
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

Three of Hibernian, Dundee United, Aberdeen and St Mirren will join Celtic and Rangers in Europe next season after Brendan Rodgers' treble-chasing side reached the Scottish Cup final.

Had bottom-six sides St Johnstone or Hearts progressed through the last-four stage, they could still have claimed the European place awarded to the cup winners.

But that is no longer a possibility, which adds another layer of intrigue to the post-split fixtures in the top half of the division.

So what do we know?

Well, Celtic have secured a place in the Champions League qualifiers and will enter at the play-off round assuming they clinch the title.

Rangers will almost certainly be in that competition, too, but at the second qualifying round stage.

After that, there remains a wee bit of uncertainty.

The Scottish Cup winners earn a spot in the Europa League play-off round, so if Aberdeen upset Celtic at Hampden on 24 May, that's straightforward.

However, should the holders retain the trophy, the place would go to whoever finishes third in the league.

Currently, that's Hibs. But United and Aberdeen and St Mirren - albeit the arithmetic is hugely against them - are still in the mix.

Given whoever it is would be guaranteed - at worst - a six-game Conference League campaign, it's a lucrative prize for their season's work.

But two of the clubs who miss out on third would still be rewarded.

Fourth place would be upgraded from Conference League second qualifying round to the Europa League equivalent, with the Conference spot going to fifth place.

Read more: Premiership quartet fight for three European spots

Oday Dabbagh, who scored the winning goal in Saturday's Scottish Cup semi-final against Heart of Midlothian, has admitted there is a chance the final will be his last game as an Aberdeen player, with the on-loan 26-year-old forward from Charleroi leaving his future to his agent. (Daily Record), external

Oday Dabbagh says he has yet to consider the possibility of a long-term stay with Aberdeen, who hold the option to sign him permanent this summer from Charleroi, for whom the Palestinian forward has signed a new contract until 2026. (Press & Journal), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Forward Oday Dabbagh says his Scottish Cup semi-final winning goal for Aberdeen was the "best moment of his career".

The striker's extra-time goal gave the Dons a 2-1 victory over nine-man Hearts at Hampden on Saturday and sends them into next month's Scottish Cup final.

Jimmy Thelin's side are fifth in the Premiership table with five games to go, are still in contention to finish third, with a cup final to look forward to and Dabbagh is delighted to give the fans something to get excited about.

"To be honest, I cannot explain my emotions," Dabbagh said.

"My feeling was a very, very good feeling. Especially when I saw the ball inside the net, I ran to the supporters. It was a very, very good feeling.

"I'm so happy, it was one of the best moments [of his career].

"The fans deserve this win, they deserve to be at the final because they are really, really a crazy support.

"I'm so happy to make them happy. We always speak in the dressing room, just, let's fight.

"We look game by game, and we are in the final, now we focus on the Hibs game. We just look forward game by game.

"There's still five weeks, we have a very important game next week. We just focus on the next game and we'll see.

"The most important thing is just to keep going, and that's what happened, that's why I scored."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov says his side "can't be too happy" with their Scottish Cup semi-final win over Hearts and must be fully focused on their remaining league games.

Dons substitute Oday Dabbagh notched the winner with just two minutes left of extra-time as Hearts had to see out the match with just nine men on the pitch.

"It was hectic, but overall I'm really happy we were able to reach the final," Mitov said.

"I knew with the quality on the pitch and with Hearts tiring that bit as well we had the quality and would get one opportunity.

"We had the trust in our strikers to put the ball away.

"I did say to Craig Gordon after the game, he managed to pull off one incredible save in the first half [of extra-time] and he was very unlucky with the second one, but overall I am really happy with the win.

"I have just said to the boys inside we can't be too happy about it. There is still one game to go and the job is not finished. So we need to now fully focus on the league, have a day off tomorrow, prepare for Saturday and we need to put in a performance there as well."

We asked for your views on Aberdeen's 2-1 win against Hearts in the Scottish Cup semi-final.

Here's what some of you said:

Les: Pretty awful game and not a great performance against 10 men. Lacking in pace and imagination. Still, we got to the final and hopefully we can avoid a Hampden defeat.

Karl: A real tough watch at times but let's not forget Hearts came to spoil the game and succeeded. The red card made them very compact and hard to break down, I thought once extra time kicked in the extra man really showed. Oday Dabbagh and especially Dante Polvara were brilliant when they came on. Polvara needs to start the next game in my opinion. On to the final and that's all that matters. This could still be a very successful season if we win a few more games.

Justin: Couldn't be happier with getting to a final but a cup final appearance is going to be another level of nerves and that's what I think led to such a below par showing. Fantastic to be through and you never know, it's a funny old game.

Eric: This was a hard watch, painful at times, but it's the result that matters. The Hampden pitch always plays it's part in these matches and it proved it once again. Time now to use some of the fringe players with five very hard league games ahead, as some of the main team were posted missing in this match and there will be some very tired legs.

Niall: It was a tough, frustrating watch for 117 minutes. The real lack of Dons urgency, cutting edge, and thrust in the final third against 10 men for the second half was disappointing. However, eventually, one quality cross, a good attempt, which made Craig Gordon have to work, finally led to an instinctive reaction from Dabbagh to settle this drab affair. The way this match had gone I really had no confidence in Dons success. Let's take this result and turn this season into something special for Jimmy Thelin and the whole club.

Bob: Not a great performance but semi-finals are seldom pretty. We would have been happy with our place in all competitions at the start of the season and we're making progress.

Image source, SNS

• Aberdeen had the bigger share of possession with 61 percent, compared to Hearts' 39 percent.

• The Dons had 18 shots, with four on target, while the Jambos attempted seven shots, and only had one on target.

• Goalkeeper Craig Gordon made three saves, compared to Dimitar Mitov, who didn't have to do much in the Aberdeen net.

• Seven cards were given in this match, with three yellows to Aberdeen, and two yellow cards and two red cards to Hearts.

Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack says the club are spending "quite a few million" on extending training ground facilities, which will include an indoor pitch. (The Herald - subscription), external

Read the rest of Sunday's Scottish gossip.

Oday Dabbagh's late extra-time strike has taken Aberdeen through to the Scottish Cup semi-final against either St Johnstone or holders Celtic.

Were you at Hampden or watch the game on BBC One Scotland? Give us your thoughts.

Have your say.

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin was delighted there was no repeat of last week - when they conceded of a two-goal lead against 10-man Rangers - as his side scored deep into extra time to beat Hearts and reach the Scottish Cup final.

"I think Hearts started the game really, really well and we were under pressure," he told BBC Scotland.

"Obviously the red card helped us win the game, but we knew from last week we had to be careful. We had some patience and finally we scored a goal.

"Hearts gave everything they had to defend the goal, they had some set plays and transition, so we had to be really calm and try not to make too many mistakes. I think the team did that really well.

"We have now six games left, five in the league and the final. We have to enjoy today, but we know we have so many difficult games left."

On Oday Dabbagh's winning goal, Thelin added: "What can I say, you have to be there.

"It was a good cross also. I asked one of the referees if it was fine so I could celebrate."

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen headed to Hampden to face Hearts looking to repair the hurt of two semi-final defeats by Celtic - on penalties a year ago in the same competition and a 6-0 thrashing in this season's League Cup.

Last weekend's surrending of a two-goal lead to 10-man Rangers in the Premiership at Pittodrie seemed to be weighing just as heavily as they toiled even before Hearts lost their Austrian centre-half, Michael Steinwender, to a straight red card.

At full strength, it was Hearts creating the better chances and only the speed of Shayden Morris and Keskinen on the wings sporadically threatened.

Down to 10 men and now with five at the back, Hearts snubbed out that threat and Aberdeen again lacked the guile to penetrate a packed defence.

However, Cammy Devlin's dismissal two minutes before the end of extra time proved crucial and subsititute Oday Dabbagh's fourth goal of the season sent Aberdeen into their 17th Scottish Cup final and the chance to lift the trophy for an eighth time and their first in 35 years.