Aberdeen

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has stressed the "long-term journey" his side are on amid a recent downturn in results.

The Dons are still second in the Premiership but take a four-game winless run into Saturday's visit of ninth-place St Johnstone.

Thelin said: "The season is our target, we try to grow and nothing has really changed for us. It is still a long-term journey and we are always thinking game by game and then we are going to know in May wherever we end up.

"We are still in some early stages but can be a little bit better in how we manage different kinds of games.

"So step by step I think we mature in our way to play, but still you can see the identity is there how we want to be on the pitch, which kind of energy we want to play with, the intensity we are searching for, all these kind of things I think are coming slowly step by step.

"I think the expectation is always high, we have ambitions in this club and nothing has changed.

"We want to try to arrive to European qualification and that is why we are trying to build something strong in the long term."

Thelin praised the positive impact recently-appointed Saints boss Simo Valakari has already had at McDiarmid Park.

He said: "Valakari has done really well. I think the identity has been across how he wants to play, so he has done a really good job and has used the qualities of the squad in a good way."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premiership visit of St Johnstone.

Here are the key lines:

• After the Dons' fine start to the season was disrupted by a four-game winless run, Thelin is staying optimistic, saying "nothing has really changed for us" and there are "no easy games in this league".

• He adds that you "have to separate performances and results sometimes" and expectation is always high.

• On Aberdeen's evolution since beating Saints on the opening day, he says "we are still in the early stages" and are maturing with style of play "step by step".

• Thelin praised the job Simo Valakari has done since taking charge in Perth, noting the identity the Finn has brought to the team.

• Despite Saints' lowly league position, Thelin says it will be a difficult game and his side will need to be at their best to win.

• On stand-in keeper Ross Doohan, Thelin says he "has done really well" since coming in for the injured Dimitar Mitov, adding "what Ross brings to the team is just positives".

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• Aberdeen have only lost one of their last eight league meetings with St Johnstone (W5 D2), winning both of their last two since a 2-0 defeat in February last season.

• After a 1-0 defeat in their last league visit to Aberdeen in May last season, St Johnstone could lose back-to-back away league games against the Dons for the first time since March 2018.

• Having won 10 of their first 11 league games this season, Aberdeen are now winless in their last four (D2 L2).

• St Johnstone have lost their last two away league games, though they haven't lost three in a row on the road since January 2023.

• Aberdeen lost 1-0 at home to Celtic last time out, ending a 10-game winning run at Pittodrie. They last lost consecutive home league games in September 2023.

Colin Moffat
BBC Sport Scotland

With Celtic disappearing over the horizon, attention turns to the next best in the Premiership standings.

Aberdeen have stumbled in recent weeks, allowing Rangers to make up ground. The gap is four points with the Ibrox side having a game in hand.

Jimmy Thelin made a near-supernatural start as Dons manager, going all the way to November before tasting defeat. Aberdeen followed that League Cup semi-final crushing by Celtic with a handsome home win over Dundee but have lost two and drawn two in the league since.

So how will the Swede respond? In much the same unflappable way, most likely. And there is no sense of despondency after a gutsy display in the 1-0 midweek loss to the leaders on the back of battling draws away to the two Edinburgh clubs.

Thelin's first taste of the Premiership was a 2-1 success at St Johnstone and home fans will be confident of a repeat at Pittodrie, where the Dons had won seven from seven before they were edged out by Celtic.

However, Saints did take four points from the first two of three visits to the north east last season and have not lost successive league matches away to Aberdeen since March 2018.

Read all the weekend's Premiership picks

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Skipper Graeme Shinnie hailed stand-in goalkeeper Ross Doohan's "brilliant" performance in the narrow defeat by Celtic and targeted a return to winning ways against St Johnstone on Saturday.

Filling in for injured Dimitar Mitov, former Celtic keeper Doohan was making only his fifth Dons appearance and superbly denied Reo Hatate and Adam Idah before being beaten by the Japan midfielder in the 78th minute as Aberdeen lost 1-0.

"I thought he was brilliant. He has waited a long time to get this chance," Shinnie told Red TV.

"Unfortunate to lose Dimi obviously but those moments give other people opportunities and I thought Ross did brilliantly when called upon.

"He made some big saves, had some good kicks and to battle on from what looked like a game-ending challenge early on, fair play to him, he was brilliant.

"It was good to see other players come in. I thought Jimmy McGarry was brilliant as well and good to see Dante [Polvara] back on the pitch. Some positives from the game that we need to take forward."

The Dons have taken just two points from their last four matches to fall seven behind leaders Celtic, but Shinnie was encouraged by their display.

"We probably deserved a point but we didn't get it," he said. "It was a lot more like us and we did a lot of good things and we have to take that into Saturday.

"We have had four tough games. We have a home game now against St Johnstone before a little break. Full focus is now on St Johnstone and looking to win that game."

Sportscene pundits Steven Naismith and Marvin Bartley take a look at a couple of Aberdeen penalty shouts during Wednesday's Premiership loss against Celtic.

We asked for your views on Aberdeen's 1-0 defeat against Celtic.

Here's what some of you said:

Lindsey: The game plan was clearly to press Celtic and give them no time on the ball - Graeme Shinnie and Sivert Nilsen were particularly good at this. I thought overall we played really well, we just couldn't quite get any accuracy on our ball into the box. Duk needs to stop his cheating, the referees will soon get wise to him and could result in a future cry wolf.

Andy: Celtic were there for the taking last night and more composure in the final third by Aberdeen could have produced multiple goals. Neither side dealt with the conditions well last night. This, and Aberdeen's defence, reduced Celtic's real chances to scraps, and Reo Hatate took one of the few. Kyogo Furuhashi should've been sent off as well.

Marti: Need a couple of signings in January, but compared to last season I'm still happy.

Stuart: Just goes to show the gulf between the two teams. Celtic were better all over the pitch, their goalkeeper, as usual, had nothing to do, don't be surprised if Rangers eventually take over second place in the league, however third place should be secure.

Justin: Kind of went how I expected. We had a couple of chances which you must put away against Celtic, a decent performance though. I think it's going to be interesting when Jimmy Thelin gets the chance to sign a couple more players in January. Would have ripped your arm off for this amount of points at this stage of the season so can't be too upset.

Eric: Good to see the team back to pressing hard, winning the ball back and attacking at pace, however when we get our chances we have to take them. That was the difference. As at the beginning of the season, third is like us winning the league, and that seems to be the way it's panning out. Keep doing what we are doing and third is ours.

Bruce: After the recent results of both teams, I was fearful of a Celtic hammering. But what a game! Celtic were dominant but either team could have won. Disappointed to get nothing from the match. I think everybody in Aberdeen will be disappointed if we don't split the Old Firm, though after the last week it will be tougher. But in Jimmy, we trust!

Fred: A very close match but we currently do not have a striker who can score consistently. A very good defensive performance but you only win if you score.

Stewart: To say that our title bid is starting to falter and that two draws in Edinburgh is a negative, how in a matter of a season and half where we suffered a 5-0 followed by a 6-0 in the same week by the same two teams. Lot's to be learned from but this is dreamlike compared to where we were. I think Peter Leven deserves more recognition.

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Ex-Scotland striker Lee Miller believes Aberdeen will finish second in the Scottish Premiership this season, despite their recent winless run.

The Dons are seven points behind league leaders Celtic and four ahead of Rangers in third - albeit both have a game in hand on Jimmy Thelin's side.

But, with European football to contend with until at least early in the new year, Miller thinks this is Aberdeen's chance to split the top two.

"I think they will [finish second] only because Rangers are in Europe; I don't think they've got a squad to cope with that," he told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"I think they'll have injuries and suspensions leading up to that and Aberdeen have a really good squad and they know what they're all about.

"I think they will grind it out and I think they will finish second."

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• Aberdeen have failed to win in their last 4 games in the Premiership, their last longer winless streak was from 24th January 2024 to 13th March 2024, a run of 11 games.

• Celtic have won their last 6 games in the Premiership, their last longer winning streak was from 13th April 2024 to 6th October 2024, a run of 13 games.

• Celtic have kept a clean sheet in 11 of their 14 games, more than any other in the Premiership this season.

• Celtic have scored in each of their last 23 games in the Premiership, scoring 68 goals in that run.

Reo Hatate's late goal was enough for Celtic to beat closest challengers Aberdeen on a wet and windy night at Pittodrie and move seven points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

With time running out, a delightful pass over the top from Greg Taylor found Hatate, and the Japan midfielder rifled a shot into the bottom corner in what could already be a telling blow in the race for the title.

Ester Sokler had a big chance for the hosts to equalise soon after, but his shot was brilliantly blocked over the bar by Cameron Carter-Vickers after Auston Trusty scuffed his clearance.

Aberdeen fans, were you at Pittodrie or following along from home? Either way, we want your thoughts.

Have your say on the game., external

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Slobodan Rubezic was immense for Aberdeen at the back, putting his body on the line and making seven clearances, more than any other player on the park.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland

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The past four games have been a real struggle for Jimmy Thelin's Aberdeen. Three games on the road produced just two points - a defeat in Paisley, before two draws in the capital.

However, back in front of their own fans, they stood up to both their opponents and the conditions superbly.

They played with intensity and bite in the first half, and had a threat in behind through Duk in particular.

It was their defensive structure and a willingness to put bodies on the line that stood out after the break, with Slobodan Rubezic alone making seven clearances.

Leighton Clarkson scuffed a good effort wide after nice play down the right from Vicente Besuijen and Shayden Morris, but Ester Sokler's late chance was the big moment for Thelin's side to take points off the champions.

Yes, it flew over the top, but the way Aberdeen fought and went toe to toe with Celtic at times will hugely encourage both Thelin and the club's fans.

Play with that spirit and effort and their winless run will be over sooner rather than later.

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin tells BBC Scotland: "Maybe a draw today would've been a fair result. We know Celtic are quality on the ball but also our team today was really disciplined and worked hard as a unit.

"In the form of chances, it was quite a tight and equal game. The chances we had at the end, it was so close, and it's so nice to see even in the weather today the fans stick with us and push us.

"We get these chances at the end because of the intensity and the spirit with the fans. It was a shame not to get the point but I'm proud of the players.

"Sometimes you defend well and I don't think either of the teams today created so many big chances but they put theirs in the goal and they blocked our chance so I think a draw would've been a fair result.

"It was a tight game and we tried. I feel more proud of the players, we wanted at least one point but the players gave everything, we can't do more. They tried and tried and tried.

"I think the good thing for us today is that the intensity was back, we are playing more like the way we want to. The players coming in in the second half, they are growing and that's good for the squad also."

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

In what was always going to be a challenging hat-trick of away games for Aberdeen, seven points were spilled with this week's visit of Celtic an immediate chance to recoup some of the arrears.

The major disappointments for Jimmy Thelin were the defeat at St Mirren and the sloppy defending that cost them victory against Hibernian.

The performances in all three games, including Sunday's draw against Hearts at Tynecastle, have also been sub-par and they most certainly won't get away with a similar level when the champions come to town; with goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov out for up to six weeks.

Realistically, a title challenge from Pittodrie is unlikely in the current climate. The Dons' best chance of doing so since the early 1990s was when Derek McInnes was going head-to-head with Ronny Deila and Rangers weren't in the league.

That said, the Dons' start to the season has been nothing short of remarkable. They haven't opened a campaign this well since they became the last club outwith the big two in Glasgow to lift the title.

Draws at Easter Road and Tynecastle are not dreadful results in the grand scheme of things and there is much to build on at Pittodrie. They are the equivalent of just four points off where they were at this point in 1984 which is quite staggering.

On Wednesday, they face a Celtic side who themselves have begun like a train. It is the visitors' best start to a season since 2016 when Rodgers guided them to an unbeaten domestic campaign and their win over Ross County saw them eclipse seasons 1906-07 and 1966-67 leaving only that invincible campaign and three terms under Martin O'Neill in 2000, 2001 and 2003 as comparable seasons in their history to date.

Rodgers also had the luxury of resting Auston Trusty, Arne Engels, Reo Hatate, Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kuhn against County. That's multi-million pound players in reserve. All will likely return at Pittodrie.

It was a similar situation before the League Cup semi between the two with Aberdeen facing testing games against Rangers and Hearts at the same time before facing the toughest challenge of the lot.

That underpins the size of the task faced by, not just Aberdeen, but the rest of the division, as the Dons look for an outcome more akin to October's league meeting rather than the Hampden semi as the top two go head-to-head in the Granite City.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen defender Nicky Devlin doesn't believe their recent Hampden thrashing by Celtic will have any bearing on tonight's top-of-the-table Premiership meeting at Pittodrie.

But he has warned it will be "a long night" if the Dons repeat the mistakes they made in the 6-0 League Cup semi-final loss.

"Before that we had drawn three times in a row with Celtic in 90 minutes," said Devlin.

"We do have the semi-final to look back on and if we are not at it, and Celtic are, they are capable of giving a hard game for everyone.

"So as much as we know how good Celtic are, we want to try and focus on ourselves. If we can play at our best then I am sure it will be an enjoyable, good game.

"We know if we make the same mistakes as we did at Hampden it is going to be a long night for us.

"But the manager has stressed the good things we do well and it is about getting back to making sure we do them more often than not."

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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A peek at the top of the table tells you it's not the usual one-two at the Scottish Premiership summit.

However, Celtic and Aberdeen gone head-to-head for the top two spots a few times in the past decade.

Indeed there were four seasons in a row - from 2014-15 to 2017-18 - when the Dons were Scottish football's second force.

And that meant some tasty trips to Pittodrie for Celtic across those four seasons, with plenty on the line each time. Here are four matches which spring to mind.

Aberdeen 1-2 Celtic (9 November 2014)

Just over 10 years ago, Aberdeen were drawing 1-1 until a last-minute winner from Virgil van Dijk got 10-man Celtic over the line. I wonder what happened to him? The win put Ronny Deila's men top of the table despite captain Scott Brown's red card.

Aberdeen 2-1 Celtic (3 February 2016)

The following season Aberdeen got plenty of revenge. Twice Celtic left the north-east with nothing, beaten 2-1 on both occasions. Derek McInnes' Dons were particularly impressive in the second match in February, with goals from Jonny Hayes and Simon Church putting them two up inside 40 minutes.

Aberdeen 0-1 Celtic (29 October 2016)

Brendan Rodgers' first trip to Pittodrie came eight years ago. The game was tight. It took a cute half-volley from Tom Rogic to separate the sides. The Australia midfielder loved a goal against the men in red, as he'd show later that season in the Scottish Cup final as the Invincible Treble was sealed.

Aberdeen 0-2 Celtic (25 February 2018)

These games can often be fiery affairs. Celtic's Mikael Lusting and Aberdeen's Sam Cosgrove were both sent off in the last 15 minutes of this one. Kieran Tierney's last Premiership goal for Celtic sealed a 2-0 win.

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Aberdeen goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov has been ruled out for six weeks with a hamstring injury while Jack MacKenzie is not quite ready to return from the knock that kept him out of Sunday's defeat by Hearts. Pape Habib Gueye (quad) is still absent.

Celtic back-up goalkeeper Scott Bain will miss the trip through illness but Brendan Rodgers will otherwise have a full squad to pick from.

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• Aberdeen are winless in 27 meetings with Celtic in all competitions (D6 L21) since a 1-0 victory at Celtic Park in May 2018 under Derek McInnes.

• Celtic are unbeaten in their last 15 away league games against Aberdeen (W12 D3) since a 2-1 defeat in February 2016 under Ronny Deila.

• Aberdeen are currently enjoying a 10-game winning run at home in the Scottish Premiership, earning more points on home soil in the competition this season than any other side (21).

• Celtic have won each of their last nine away league games, last winning 10 in a row on the road from April to November 2017 in Brendan Rodgers' first spell in charge.

• Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi has scored five goals in his last five league appearances against Aberdeen, while he registered a goal and assist against them in the 2-2 draw in October.

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Leighton Clarkson stresses Aberdeen aren't losing their way despite a three-game winless run.

Jimmy Thelin's side started the season in fine form, going unbeaten in their first 12 Premiership matches to keep pace with Celtic at the top of the table.

However, a 2-1 defeat to St Mirren was followed by two successive draws in the capital - 3-3 away to Hibs before a 1-1 at Hearts - leaving the Dons four points behind the champions before the sides meet on Wednesday.

"I don't think it's been successful," the midfielder said of their winless three-game run on the road.

"We had nine points to play for and we came out with two.

"As a team, we weren't happy with the St Mirren performance. Hibs, it was one of them, we probably should have won that game. Hearts was a fair point in the end.

"It’s three real tough places to go. Hibs and Hearts are at the bottom of the league, they're fighting for every ball, every point.

"You saw at the end when Hearts were pushing people forward. It was the same at Hibs. They managed to get that goal, a freak goal [deep into stoppage time].

"That’s just where we have to be a bit more comfortable, control the game a lot more and hopefully we can see out those games."

Aberdeen came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Parkhead earlier this season, and Clarkson believes the Pittodrie crowd will drive their team on.

"It's a big game," the 23-year-old said.

"Being back at home, we've got a good record at home. Hopefully, we can go and get three points.

"We'll have the whole of Pittodrie behind us, backing us all the way.

"When you get that place bouncing, it's a real tough place to go for opponents. We'll be at it Wednesday night and the crowd will be with us too."