Sport nationAberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin refused to change his tune after his side suffered a 1-0 defeat to Celtic at Pittodrie. Despite the loss, Thelin praised his team for pushing Celtic to the limit and stressed that he was still not focused on the league table.
“We pushed it to the limit,” Thelin said. “We were competitive and looked a strong team. I’m happy with the performance but not the result. We showed real discipline and worked really hard. I think a draw would maybe have been a fair result because of the chances both teams created.”
Thelin’s comments were echoed by his players, who were also proud of their performance despite the defeat. The Dons had gone into the match looking to cause an upset and take all three points, but ultimately came up just short.
Aberdeen have now dropped ten points in their last four outings, but Thelin remains optimistic about his team’s chances. “I am proud of how the team competed as they showed real desire,” he said. “There was a lot of effort out there and it was good to see our energy is back again after a few games.”
One player who caught the eye was stand-in goalkeeper Ross Doohan, who helped keep Celtic at bay despite injuring himself in a collision with Kyogo Furuhashi early on. Doohan’s bravery and determination were praised by Thelin, who was impressed by the goalkeeper’s performance.
“The knock looked really tough,” Thelin said. “It was amazing from him that he continued to play. We checked everything and he was okay to play. Ross came on at half-time against Hearts and did very well. And against Celtic, it was a difficult game that requires a lot of concentration, but Doohan did so well. I’m so proud of how he did.”
Despite the defeat, Thelin remains focused on his team’s performance rather than their position in the league table. “I don’t think about how the league will end,” he said. “I don’t think about those kinds of things. I think about our performance, that’s what I focus on. It was good to see how Aberdeen Football Club showed ourselves as we want to create an identity of a strong team.”
Thelin also praised the fans for their support, saying: “I liked to see the players and the fans not giving up as we know we are strong late in games. We will take the positives from this game and move on to the next one.”
Aberdeen will look to bounce back from their defeat when they face St Johnstone in their next match. The Dons will be looking to get back to winning ways and close the gap on Celtic at the top of the table.
Thelin’s team will be boosted by the return of several key players from injury, and the manager is confident that his team can turn their fortunes around. “We have a strong squad and we will work hard to get back to winning ways,” he said. “We will take it one game at a time and focus on our performance. If we can do that, then we can start to look at the bigger picture.”
For now, Thelin and his team will focus on their next match and take it one game at a time. Despite the defeat to Celtic, the Dons remain confident and determined to succeed in the Scottish Premiership.
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