Elfsborg coach Jimmy Thelin, who has been linked with the Aberdeen manager's job, says he has had no contact from the Pittodrie club. (Herald, external - subscription required)
Caretaker boss Peter Leven does not know whether he will still be in charge of Aberdeen against Ross County in two weeks' time. (Daily Record), external
Read the rest of Sunday's Scottish gossip.
Image source, BBC Sport
Image source, SNSAberdeen attempted 449 passes in this match, higher than their season average of 353.5 in the Scottish Premiership.
Motherwell have a record of W2, D2, L6 when trailing at half-time in the Scottish Premiership this season.
Bojan Miovski attempted six shots in this game, more than any other player on either team.
Motherwell attempted 30 crosses in this match, higher than their season average of 20 in the Scottish Premiership.
Were you at Fir Park or following the match elsewhere?
Either way, we want your views on the game - have your say here.
Image source, SNSAberdeen caretaker manager Peter Leven: "I'm delighted with the win, performance and clean sheet. We were brave on the ball. That was the best way to get the result and we did that.
"We had to dig deep, we knew they were going to throw everything at us, but Kelle [Roos] was superb. The backline and midfield were brilliant as well.
"At times we could've scored more, but I'm delighted with the three points."
Image source, SNSA source of criticism recently, Aberdeen goalkeeper Kelle Roos made crucial saves at crucial moments to bail out a gutsy defence
Nick McPheat
BBC Scotland
Image source, SNS"We're in trouble" was the message from caretaker manager Peter Leven after a feeble defeat at Dundee on Wednesday.
But this victory will send Aberdeen into the international break in a far better frame of mind, with the appointment of a new manager expected by the time they return to action.
The away side's mentality has been fragile of late, but they withstood spells of pressure in Lanarkshire and posed far more of a threat in comparison to recent league games.
Stuart Kettlewell probably felt hard done by watching on in the home dugout, with the handball of Theo Bair ruling out an equaliser and a similar incident on Graeme Shinnie in the Aberdeen box going unpunished.
The Motherwell manager will perhaps also look back on his team selection with regret. The decision to start Paul McGinn and Stephen O'Donnell, who both played so well at Ibrox a fortnight ago, did not give the hosts enough drive in wide areas.
And Lennon Miller was often left isolated in midfield, with the more attack-minded duo of Blair Spittal and Sam Nicholson playing either side of the teenager.
The half-time introductions of Georgie Gent and Andy Halliday changed that, but going with the pair from the off may have resulted in a different outcome.
Sportsound pundit Michael Stewart discusses the lie of the land at Pittodrie.
Jane Lewis
BBC Scotland
Image source, SNSAberdeen hope to appoint a new manager during the upcoming international break.
The Pittodrie club have been conducting interviews and that process will come to an end next week.
Peter Leven is currently in caretaker charge following Neil Warnock's shock departure last weekend.
Chairman Dave Cormack said the search to find Warnock's replacement was at "an advanced stage" last Saturday.
Motherwell make just the one change to the side that started in their seismic win at Ibrox a fortnight ago.
The switch comes in midfield as Davor Zdravkovski drops to the bench for Sam Nicholson to make his first start at Fir Park.
Recent Well signing Moses Ebiye is on the bench.
It's also just the one change for Aberdeen after their poor defeat at Dundee in midweek.
It comes in midfield as well, with Killian Phillips out for Leighton Clarkson.
Image source, SNSNicky Devlin says Aberdeen must prove people wrong and show their character as they attempt to avoid relegation from the Premiership.
The former Livingston defender admitted that many players in the Dons squad may not have experienced a scrap at the bottom of the table before, and it's down to them to turn the tide.
“A lot of the boys have probably not been in a relegation battle before, especially at a club like this,” Devlin said.
“The only way you can show you’ve got the character for it is to go out and show it. There’s no point in saying we’ve got good characters if we don’t go and show it.
“The character has been questioned for obvious reasons, we’ve not won enough games, so there can be no complaints from the boys on that front. It’s down to us as players to go and show it.
“It won’t be easy because all the games we’ve got before the split are against teams who are fighting for something.
“We’re playing teams that are round about us so we know how important these games are because if we can manage to win, it obviously stops another team picking up three points as well.”
Image source, SNSNicky Devlin (right) put Aberdeen 2-0 ahead in their last visit to Fir Park
Aberdeen know they are in an unfamiliar battle against teams seasoned in fighting for Scottish Premiership survival, defender Nicky Devlin admits.
The Dons sit third from bottom, only three points ahead of Ross County, and are now facing the prospect of being in a relegation battle after the top flight splits into two for the final games of the season.
"Finishing in the top six is going to be very difficult now," Devlin said. "It's maybe a position not a lot of the boys have been in before and the character is being questioned for obvious reasons. It's time for action."
Devlin, who joined Aberdeen from a Livingston side who know all about avoiding relegation, says his current squad spoke about the task they face after losing to Dundee on Wednesday.
"There are teams at the bottom who are maybe used to being down at the bottom and this is when their season comes alive and they kick into gear," he said.
"It won't be easy because all the games we've got are against teams that are fighting for something. Everyone's got something to play for."
Aberdeen visit Motherwell on Saturday having won there 4-2 in November before a 3-3 draw at Pittodrie last month.
"We were really good that day," Devlin said. "In the league especially, it was probably one of the only complete performances we've put in.
"We know they are capable of scoring goals. They have scored five against us this season in the two games we've played.
"But we know we can go down there and win. We need to try to repeat a performance similar to that."
Former Scotland goalkeeper Gemma Fay discusses how Peter Leven approaches the mentality of his confidence-shy Aberdeen squad on BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.
Image source, SNSPeter Leven says captain Graeme Shinnie is an example of the fighting spirit capable of repeating November's 4-2 win at Fir Park
Aberdeen's caretaker management team and players shared "some home truths" after Wednesday's 1-0 defeat away to Dundee, Peter Leven has revealed.
"It wasn't good enough," was the message the 40-year-old former Kilmarnock midfielder delivered after the Dons disappointed only days after their Scottish Cup quarter-final win over Kilmarnock.
Aberdeen had been left reeling by Neil Warnock's exit as interim boss immediately after Saturday's win.
And the loss at Dens Park leaves them in 10th place in the Scottish Premiership, only three points ahead of Ross County in the relegation play-off spot, as they prepare to visit Motherwell.
"We had a meeting the next day - some home truths," Leven said. "We had a meeting with the players and the players had a meeting themselves, so they know what we expect and it's a good chance to bounce back.
"Motherwell are in good form, they have good players - Theo Bair up front and in midfield. But it is all about us. If we turn up with the right attitude and right mentality and have a go, I think we'll cause them problems."
Leven recalled the "great performance" in winning 4-2 on their last visit to Fir Park in November as an example of Aberdeen's capabilities.
"The cup form has been great - we've got to a semi-final and did well in Europe as well," he pointed out.
"We've got quality players and they can do it. It's just about getting that consistency. Everybody needs to be firing, especially at this time of the season, and they know that.
"We're all hurting - the players, the staff, the fans - but only we can change that."
Image source, SNSWith Aberdeen still to appoint a replacement for Neil Warnock, interim manager Peter Leven again had the job of speaking to the media in the pre-match conference before Saturday's visit to Motherwell.
Here are the key points from the former Kilmarnock midfielder:
There were "some home truths" spoken as Leven and his staff had a meeting with the players the morning after Wednesday's 1-0 defeat away to Dundee - and the players also had a meeting among themselves.
Wednesday "wasn't good enough", but the players "know what we expect and it's a good chance to bounce back".
Motherwell "are in good form and have good players - Theo Bair up front and in midfield", but "it is all about us".
Aberdeen have "quality players" and showed that in reaching the Scottish Cup semi-finals - and in the Europa Conference League - but they need to find "consistency".
There is enough fight in the dressing-room and "we've got a great captain" (Graeme Shinnie).
There "might be a couple of changes, a couple of tweaks" from the side that lost at Dens Park.
Team news: Everyone is fit apart from centre-half Slobodan Rubezic.
Image source, SNSRory Loy has likened Aberdeen's decline to the Hibs freefall that saw the Easter Road club relegated in 2014.
A decade ago, Terry Butcher's side dropped into the relegation play-off piece having been just a point outside the top six in mid-February - embarking on a 13-game winless run to end the season.
Aberdeen's streak without victory currently sits at 11 games, with the Pittodrie outfit just three points above Ross County in 11th place.
While Hibs were sent down by Hamilton Academical on penalties in what turned out to be a three-year spell in the Championship, Loy believes the Dons find themselves in a similar situation.
"I think they're in deep, deep trouble, I really do," the former Falkirk and Dundee striker told BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "I've been in that position of a relegation battle before.
"I just think Aberdeen have got shades of the Hibs relegation season where they just drop like a stone. Nobody expects them to get relegated and, just before they know it, they've ran out of games.
"It's an unbelievable position they're in given they were in Europe last season. I worry for Aberdeen. Peter Leven has a real job on his hands."
Image source, SNSStefan Gartenmann has stressed that Aberdeen must accept the severity of their current predicament, saying the Dons can only look down at the moment.
Without a win in 11 league games, the Pittodrie side are just three points above 11-th placed Ross County and the relegation play-off sport.
Admitting that the pressure is piling on with every week, Gartenmann insists there's enough experience in the dressing room to preserve Aberdeen's Premiership status.
“We have to look one way at the moment and that’s down,” the Dane said. “Until we start winning games, that’s our focus. We have to accept the seriousness of everything now. The table doesn’t lie.
“We talked about postponed games in the past but it’s all even now and we’re not many points clear of the relegation zone.”
“The pressure is gaining on us every week and becoming bigger and bigger. We have to be able to deal with that because the teams we are playing are used to being in this situation.
“Aberdeen are not supposed to be in this situation but we are in this situation. Luckily I know a lot of the guys in the changing room have faced it before, I have too.”
After defeat at Dundee on Wednesday, the Dons players were told be their own support they "weren't fit to wear the shirt" - a sentiment Gartenmann says is hard to dispute currently.
“Right now, we’re not,” the on-loan Midtjylland defender said. “Right now, they are completely right. We really appreciate that they keep showing us support and travelling in these numbers. We have to turn it around.
“We can’t keep talking about how good this team is and how good the players are if we’re not performing when we play league games.
“We can’t just show up at Hampden and Ibrox or wherever, we have to show up at Dens Park as well, we have to show up at Motherwell on Saturday.
“We can’t just turn up for the big games. These are the games we have to play for the rest of the season now.
“It’s not going to be pretty and we are not going to be flying over any teams now. We have to accept the battle we are in and treat every game like a cup final.”
Image source, SNSMotherwell won three of their four league games against Aberdeen between September 2021 and August 2022 (D1) but have since failed to win any of their last four such meetings with the Dons (D1 L3).
Aberdeen have won their last two away league games against Motherwell, and could win three in a row at Fir Park against the Steelmen for the third time this century, having also done so in 2003 and 2018.
Motherwell have won both of their last two Scottish Premiership matches, and could win three in a row in the competition for the first time since September 2023.
Aberdeen are winless across their last six Scottish Premiership games played on a Saturday (D2 L4), conceding 2+ goals in five of those matches.
Theo Bair has scored four goals in his last four league appearances at Fir Park, after only scoring once across his first 10 such matches at home for Motherwell beforehand; the Canadian has netted three goals in his last two Scottish Premiership appearances versus Aberdeen.
Aberdeen defender Stefan Gartenmann agrees with fan critics who say the squad are not currently fit to wear the shirt. (Record), external
Aberdeen travel to Fir Park on Saturday to take on Motherwell, looking to turn their dreadful league form around.
Who would you pick to start if you were in interim manager Peter Leven's position?
Pick your Dons XI here.
Watch Sportscene analysis of Dundee's 1-0 win over Aberdeen.
