Aberdeen

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen defender Alexander Jensen has vowed "we are more united than ever" as they look to end their poor start to the season.

Jimmy Thelin's side are bottom of the Premiership with just one point going into Saturday's trip to Motherwell, having failed to score in any of their opening five league games.

The Steelmen also knocked the Dons out of the Premier Sports Cup at Pittodrie last weekend, adding to a run of form that has turned up the pressure on boss Thelin.

When asked if the players are fully behind the manager, Jensen said: "Yes, of course, everybody is in this together. It is the players and the manager, we are all behind each other.

"So yes, we are more united than ever, and we are aware that we have to be more united than ever to get past this and start winning football games as we know we can.

"We just need to win a football game. It is easy to say, but we just have to keep going and show it on the pitch."

After winning the Scottish Cup last season and bolstering their squad during the summer, the Dons were expected to kick on this term.

Defender Jensen cannot put his finger on why it hasn't happened.

"I think everyone wants the answer to that," the Dane said.

"It is tough right now, but I just think, instead of saying it is always a new game, you have to show it, and things can change fast in football.

"Now we have three games, and maybe we are sitting in one week and we have won three games, and then it is a completely new situation.

"I think it is a talented squad we have, so it is a matter of time. We have the quality and the character to turn this around."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Jimmy Thelin has been speaking to the media before Aberdeen's Premiership trip to Motherwell this weekend.

Here are the key lines from the Dons boss:

• Thelin insists the squad have the character to deal with the pressure of the current plight. The players "should relax and focus" on being the best they can be.

• He says the squad are fully behind what he is trying to do.

• On criticism of him and the players: "It is a lot of noise, you have to expect that", and Thelin adds: "The players just need to focus on what they can control."

• He admits the team are lacking "identity" but says: "We have had a calm chat about what we want to be."

• The Swede reiterated that everyone is on the same page and he talks "more or less every day" with chairman Dave Cormack.

• On Saturday's game: "For us it is more about what we have to do now... how we want to be recognised as a team."

• Other than Kjartan Mar Kjartansson, everyone is fit.

Midfielder Stuart Armstrong's thoughts are on Aberdeen, not a Scotland recall at present. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou is expecting a "desperate" and "dangerous" Aberdeen side to turn up at Fir Park on Saturday evening.

Jimmy Thelin's side sit rock bottom of the Premiership table and are still searching for their first win of the season.

Although Motherwell triumphed 1-0 Pittodrie in last weekend's League Cup quarter-final, Askou feels his side will have to improve this weekend.

"I expect us to actually have to play better than in that game to get a similar outcome," the Dane said.

"We needed a little bit of luck against them at times. Aberdeen are obviously a team that's under a little bit of pressure but a team that's extremely desperate can also be really, really difficult to play."

Askou also thinks the Dons pose an attacking threat despite the fact they've failed to score a league goal this term.

"I expect us to have to perform well in many of the same areas that we did away to Aberdeen, especially defensively, because they still have top players up front," he added.

"They still have a lot of quality. We have to be really, really mindful that we don't give them a sniff of something to go for or give them any easy chances or make it too easy for them to defend."

Image source, SNS

A lack of cohesion and confidence is at the root of Aberdeen's troubles, says football analyst and Dons fan JJ Bull.

Manager Jimmy Thelin admitted the club have hit "rock bottom" after their winless Premiership start worsened in midweek with a fourth defeat in five games, all without scoring.

"There are some things you cannot quantify with data, such as confidence and momentum," Bull told BBC Scotland.

"Aberdeen should have scored six goals according to underlying numbers, but they've not scored any.

"The number of shots on target is 23%, which is the lowest in the league.

"The players are not able to pass the ball confidently through the lines or get the ball through the midfield to players higher up the pitch and keep it.

"They're not cohesive or confident and that's what the numbers show."

Bull believes that while tactics play a part, many managers say desire and intensity is more important, which he thinks Thelin lacks in his post-match interviews.

"The principles are there. His ideas are not revolutionary, nor bad. They're all good ideas and they work, but the problem is it's not working," he added.

"Thelin has the right ideas and is a good manager but that's often not enough because if it starts going wrong, you can't correct it with tactical changes, it's to do with momentum and inspiring people."

Image source, SNS

• After their 2-0 win in January, Motherwell are looking to claim back-to-back home league victories over Aberdeen for the first time since December 2012 (four in a row).

• Aberdeen have won seven of their past nine league meetings with Motherwell (D1 L1), winning 4-1 most recently in March, although were knocked out of the League Cup by the Steelmen last weekend.

• Motherwell have drawn their past six league games (including all five this season) – the longest run of successive draws by any side in Scotland's top flight on Opta's records (from 1998-99).

• Aberdeen are winless in nine league games (D1 L8), failing to score in all five this season; they previously failed to score in six successive top-flight matches in February 2021.

• Only Dundee United (seven) have dropped more points from winning positions in the Scottish Premiership this season than Motherwell (six), doing so in each of their previous three league games.

Image source, SNS

Defender Mats Knoester has called on the Aberdeen squad to "look in the mirror and do better" to ease the strain on under-pressure manager Jimmy Thelin.

After their wretched run continued with a 2-0 defeat at Dundee United on Tuesday night to remain bottom of the table without a goal in five games, Thelin's side visit their League Cup conquerors Motherwell on Saturday.

"We need to get out of this for everybody," Knoester said. "You always see the manager as the one who is taking the responsibility but it is 11 players on the pitch who are not doing well. It is our responsibility as well to take it.

"I have to say our manager prepared us for everything and again we gave it away in two moments.

"It is a bit crazy just to say the manager is to blame. I understand that it is always like that in football but, for me, the players need to look in the mirror and do better."

Knoester says pressure is part of life at the Dons and the players have to handle it better.

"Of course, there is pressure on us because the results are not good. You definitely feel a pressure but that is also good and necessary because the expectations are high," he added.

"They should be high for a club like Aberdeen and we just need to handle that and try and get this mindset we have nothing to lose.

"We haven't had a good result yet, apart from a cup game, so we need to start from zero and create this mentality.

"The next few days we have to be hard on ourselves and each other but build again and together. That is very important because we will need to do it together.

"We need to be better in surviving difficult moments and also to be a lot more clinical in the final third."

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland

574 minutes without a Premiership goal.

Of all Aberdeen's deficiencies in their worst start to a league season in 26 years, their inability to put the ball in the net is perhaps the most glaring.

In taking just one point from the opening five matches, Jimmy Thelin's side have scored zilch. Worryingly, their xG (expected goals) total is 5.29, suggesting woeful finishing when chances do present themselves.

New arrivals Jesper Karlsson and Stuart Armstrong had opportunities in the latest loss, Tuesday night's 2-0 defeat at Dundee United, but neither could break the Dons' duck.

Armstrong's effort off the bar was the third time Aberdeen have struck woodwork, only Celtic (5) and Hearts (4) have been thwarted more.

The Tannadice defeat was also the Dons' highest xG from open play - 1.11 - this season in the Premiership and their joint-most shots total of 16, although only two were on target.

And there were zero what Opta call 'big chances' for the visitors, whose tally of six in that category is the lowest of any Premiership club.

To complete the early-season perfect storm, Aberdeen are also underperforming their xG against of 5.84, having shipped seven goals so far.

And Tuesday night was their biggest xG against by a distance, 1.83, with United registering 15 shots, a third of which were on target.

We asked for your views on Aberdeen's plight after they remained rock bottom of the Premiership following the 2-0 defeat at Dundee United.

Here are some of your comments:

Michael: Aberdeen Football Club represents the city of Aberdeen. At the moment they are not giving the city a very good image. I'm beginning to feel embarrassed at the results lately.

Joe: I think Jimmy Thelin underestimated Scottish football and how quick fans can turn on managers as he's seeing first hand. Bigger clubs than Aberdeen have been relegated and on recent performances it is what they deserve. I honestly think Thelin has lost the dressing room as the players don't care if they win, lose or draw any more.

Ryan: Thelin will get it right, he won the Scottish Cup only a few months ago. He needs longer and the backing of the fans.

Steve: Why oh why does he keep persisting with this 4-2-3-1 formation? After last night's performance he quite simply has to be sacked. Have some players or most players lost faith in him, because of his unwillingness to change? He shows no emotion on the touchline.

Kevin: What is it with AFC managers? They come with good resumes but in a short period of time they crumble. How the cup was won I'll never know but this has got to end one way or the other.

Bernie: Regrettably, the end of the "long-term" project wasn't that long in coming, after all. Hoisted by his own petard!

Gary: It's not looking good for Jimmy, unfortunately. I think he is out of depth and the team are suffering. The chairman has to take full responsibility for this as he pursued Thelin. Something has to change for Saturday's match tactics wise, because if we don't get some points on the board then we are in serious trouble!

Watch highlights from as Dundee United continue Aberdeen's woeful Premiership start with a win 2-0 win at Tannadice. (Available to UK users only)

Aberdeen's Conference League opponents, Shakhtar Donetsk, will be without Brazilian winger Alisson Santana when they meet next Thursday after the 20-year-old signed for £14m from Atlético Mineiro suffered a broken leg. (Press & Journal), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Aberdeen fans chanted "sacked in the morning" as embattled manager Jimmy Thelin's miserable start to the season continued with a meek Scottish Premiership defeat against Dundee United at Tannadice.

Read the match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin: "It's tough.

"The supporters after the game, they're angry and frustrated with our performance and result.

"We need to find answers really quickly now to get the team going in the right direction and show our fans much more.

"The expectations are really big. Right now we have one point and zero goals and there are a lot of things to fix, in both boxes. Now we need to step up again and we have another chance on Saturday.

"We have to be more mature at the moments when the goals are scored and play the game another way.

"We need to step up and not have this tension when we play. We're all too tense. As individuals, I know the players can do better but we have to be more focused and trust our quality.

"I'm a strong believer this was rock bottom today. We can't go deeper than we are right now.

"Stuart Armstrong did really well today, he was experiences, there are a lot of expectation but he plays very composed and that's what we need to spread through the whole team for Saturday."

Adam Binnie
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen's Premiership clash with Dundee United on Tuesday night provides the ideal opportunity for Jimmy Thelin's side to kickstart their season, according to former Pittodrie winger Niall McGinn.

The Dons have had a torrid start to the campaign. They are bottom of the Premiership having taken just one point from four matches and failed to score in any of them, while hopes of League Cup success were ended by Motherwell last weekend.

United pipped Aberdeen to fourth place in the league last season and, having started steadily this term, will go into the game at Tannadice as favourites.

"I think there was a lot of hope and a lot of optimism coming off the back of Aberdeen winning that Scottish Cup, the first one in so many years," McGinn told BBC Scotland.

"You're probably thinking they're going to kick on from the start of last season, but it's been the complete opposite. It's been a surprise.

"The Aberdeen fans will go down to Tannadice probably in hope more than confidence at the moment, but it's a game that has expectations.

"It's been a tough venue over the years for Aberdeen, but it's been a venue where they've won big games as well.

"If there was a game for Aberdeen to get their season up and running, it's going to be this one.

"If you look at last season, how Dundee United won towards the end of the season, they sort of pipped them in the league table to fourth. So, there'll be a wee bit of rivalry there, which has always been there in the New Firm derby."

McGinn insists Aberdeen have the talent to turn their season around, having signed Stuart Armstrong, Kevin Nisbet and Jesper Karlsson at the end of the summer window.

"The squad, first and foremost, is definitely strong enough to be picking up wins, but it's just about getting that consistency right," McGinn said.

"One of the key reasons at the moment why things aren't maybe clicking is that there are a lot of new faces integrating, coming from different leagues.

"But the thing is, when you're coming to a club like Aberdeen, you have to hit the ground running as quickly as you possibly can."

Calum Wright
Fan writer

A lack of width is hurting Aberdeen right now.

The club have spent big fees on Topi Keskinen, Nicolas Milanovic and Kenan Bilalovic and added what should be a standout performer in on-loan Bologna winger Jesper Karlsson on deadline day.

But during Saturday's defeat to Motherwell in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final a severe lack of attacking threat was clear for all to see – especially on the wings.

On far too many occasions Alexander Jensen, in particular, was wide open on the right when receiving the ball, but had to turn back to play it inside with no real options ahead of him down the line.

The Danish full-back has been criticised for his lack of prowess going forward. However, from my view in the South Stand on Saturday, the winger ahead of him didn't help him one iota.

Both Keskinen and, latterly, Karlsson continually moved in far too narrow and forced Jensen to go back the way.

There must be some thinking behind this coming from boss Jimmy Thelin, but what that is, I have no idea.

We seem to be shooting ourselves in the foot, as it continuously slows down and limits our attacking play at a time, and during a run of results, where we can't afford that to be the case.

Calum Wright can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

Aberdeen are hoping to turn their bad fortunes around rather than having to part ways with manager Jimmy Thelin, although the club recognise fan frustation and are doing due diligence in case the bad form continues. (Anthony Joseph on X), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

• Ivan Dolcek has scored (4) or assisted (1) a goal in each of his four Scottish Premiership appearances for Dundee United. The last player to be directly involved in at least one goal in each of his first five appearances in the competition was Scott Sinclair for Celtic in September 2016.

• After their 2-1 victory on the final day of last season, Dundee United could win back-to-back league meetings with Aberdeen for the first time since November 2008 under Craig Levein.

• Aberdeen have lost five of their past six league visits to Tannadice, including their latest two in a row, since a 3-1 victory in March 2023.

• Dundee United have scored 2+ goals in each of their past five Scottish Premiership games, last doing so more times in a row in the top flight in March 2012 (6) – a run which was ended by a 3-1 defeat against Aberdeen.

• With just one point from four games, this is Aberdeen's poorest start to a league season since 2011-12 (also one point from first four), while they last had one or fewer points from their opening five games in 1999-00 (0).

Image source, SNS

Dundee United remain without Ross Graham, Isaac Pappoe, Ryan Strain, Kristijan Trapanovski and Max Watters for Tuesday's Scottish Premiership visit of Aberdeen but right-back Strain has returned to training.

The Dons have a full squad to choose from.

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

The gleam from Aberdeen's Scottish Cup win has faded dramatically since that stunning triumph at Hampden Park.

Barely four months since those incredible scenes in Glasgow and the following day in the Granite City, manager Jimmy Thelin is fighting for his future as Dons boss.

With each passing game the pressure is mounting and Saturday's League Cup exit at the hands of a well-oiled Motherwell was a sobering wake-up call for the club.

Fans were not shy in letting the manager and players know exactly what they think of the tailspin they find themselves in at full-time.

Some of the facts are stark as they prepare to head to Tannadice and a meeting with former manager Jim Goodwin's Dundee United on Tuesday evening.

It is now one win in eight this season. Five league wins in 31 since last November. Bottom of the league without a goal scored. Out of two competitions before September is out.

And as they head to Tayside, with a trip to last weekend's conquerors Motherwell to come on Saturday, Thelin has only won at one of the 11 Premiership grounds they will visit this season - twice at Dens Park last term.

If they lose at Tannadice, it will equate to their worst start to a league season since 1999, when Thelin's fellow Scandanavian Ebbe Skovdahl was in the hot seat.

It took them until match-day seven to score a goal that season, when Andy Dow scored against United at Pittodrie. The jubilation that greeted that goal was wild - but even then they lost the match.

The incumbent retains the support of the board despite their cup exit, perhaps unsurprising given the player budget they have afforded Thelin, but he faces a difficult week with an ominous-looking Europa Conference League opener with Shakhtar Donetsk to come next Thursday.

You feel he has to win at least one of these two away games to get an ever-increasing section of the support back onside.

Robbie Boyle
BBC Scotland

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin insists "nothing has changed" when it comes to his relationship with the club's chief executive Alan Burrows and chairman Dave Cormack amid a poor run of form.

His side are under pressure to get a win at Dundee United on Tuesday night following a winless start to the league campaign.

That pressure increased with the League Cup quarter-final exit against Motherwell.

But the Dons boss believes he and the club's hierarchy are still on the same page about the long-term project at Pittodrie.

"I still have dialogue with the CEO and the chairman every day." Thelin said.

"Nothing has changed in our dynamic but we understand we haven't started well."

Thelin was asked whether he has been given assurances by Cormack and Burrows that he'll be given time at Pittodrie and said "we are all on the same page".

He added: "It is only 5 games in but it is still just one point and zero goals scored and they feel the performance is not exactly the way we want.

"We are working really hard and have a clear and open dialogue on what we want to improve."