Jimmy Thelin praises Aberdeen character as Dons down Dundee to top table

Posted Sunday, November 10, 2024 by PA

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin praised his team’s character after they rebounded from last weekend’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final mauling by Celtic to defeat Dundee and move top of the Premiership table.

Second-half goals from Ante Palaversa, Topi Keskinen, Vicente Besuijen and Kevin Nisbet, after Simon Murray had missed a first-half penalty for Dundee, helped the Dons move three points clear of Celtic who play Kilmarnock on Sunday afternoon.

Aberdeen were thoroughly tested throughout a competitive first half and Thelin was impressed with how they dug in to claim the win at Pittodrie.

The Dons boss, who saw his unbeaten start at the club ended by a 6-0 defeat to Celtic last time out, said: “Every game is difficult so the performance was the most important thing to get the result.

“I have to say the character of the team [makes it] so nice to get this experience with these players, how they find their way back into games.

“Obviously it was a difficult first half. We were quite open in our structure and the position was not really where we wanted it to be.

“And the fans stayed with us and supported us, even if it was not the perfect half. In the dressing room we talked about how to adjust small things, not panic, to have better positions, find better rhythm inside the game, and more stability in how to defend the transitions.

“And I think the players answered that really well. That says a lot about the character of the players that we didn’t change everything or stress ourselves in these situations.”

Dundee manager Tony Docherty felt the scoreline was harsh on his team but admitted they had been the architects of their own downfall by losing soft goals.

The visitors had pulled a goal back at 2-0 down through Murray but quickly conceded a third to Besuijen and Aberdeen never looked back.

Docherty said: “I think if we’d gone in at half-time 2-0 up it wouldn’t have been an unfair reflection on the game. Sometimes you come in at half-time and don’t want to praise the players too much. You just want to continue what you’re doing.

“But I can’t get away from my disappointment and frustration at the nature of the goals we lost. Aberdeen didn’t need to do a lot to score those goals today and I think that’s self-inflicted. It’s been a wee bit of a story this season.

“I’ve got a really young group and it’s about developing and improving them. But there comes a time they’re making too many mistakes, individual errors, and it’s costing the team. So as a manager, I need to address that.”