Jimmy Thelin spoke to the media to preview our Scottish Gas Scottish Cup tie with Elgin City on Saturday. RedTV subscribers can watch in full by clicking here.

Reflections on Rangers

“It was a difficult game, I talked a little about how we handled the one against one situations. We have focused a lot on ourselves. We still have this journey as a team to raise our standards and level. For me we talk about turning points or emotional things like confidence. For me it is not about that. We know we have to keep pushing in training and adding more things, we have to get better in our performance. The only way to do that is to train, believe in what we’re doing. It can be everything around Cormack Park, how we use all of the time to get better and that is what we’re pushing for. In the long term you can have one victory and then you have some good emotions and then you play but in the long term we still have a journey to do to be a better and stable team and that is what we’re pushing for.”

Elgin City Preparations

“We trained well today and we have prepared well for this game, we have focused on the things that we have control over, our behaviours, our own quality, not what the opponent is doing. What is most important to improve, the quality with the ball, how we put the structure, how quickly we put the structure when we lose the ball, how quickly we react and all of these demands, it’s a mandatory for everyone to understand in the long term, that is what we have to do to play here. We trust every player but we have to take a step and that is my job, I am the manager so we have to put more and even more standards to this and be better. That is what we focus on. The Scottish Cup, you hear it in the name it is a really big cup and it’s so important for everybody in the club and the supporters. It’s the same preparation and hunger as there is for every game. There is no difference there.”

Alfie and Alexander Settling in at the Dons

“Because of the injuries we have and we have this really tight schedule and we don’t have so many players to change with. There is also pressure on the players who are healthy so they are available to play. So we need new energy. These signings are also for the long term. They are good quality coming into the team. It is a mix between the short term of where we are with injuries but also how these players can grow and make Aberdeen better.”

Cup Football

“They have done well. We have seen the games now and gone through them and we have a good report about them. They have some good players in one against one, they are good at crossing but of course every team has a weakness and we’re going to try and focus on that and be ready for their quality. For me if it’s Elgin, Rangers or Hearts, the focus right now is to fix the things we can take care of. How we behave as a team, the energy we play with, how we operate on the pitch, these things has to be one or two steps higher to get the results. For me the performance gets the results. We have to deserve more, that is why we have to do more.

“Everybody always has something to lose, everyone wants to get through. I understand the situation that we are the big team. I have been on the other side in cups also and of course they are going to be ready but of course we’re also going to be ready.

“For me the cup here and in Sweden is so amazing because you can play these games against teams from different levels and that is the core of football. You can create dreams, the passion. That is why the cup is an amazing thing. You have to respect the opponent and you have to prepare yourself. Everybody who follows the cups in every corner of the world, things can happen so we have to be ready. When you are so close to the fans and you can hear everything that is also a nice spirit and feeling. I am looking forward to the game.”

Turning Around Recent Results

“I don’t think any player at Aberdeen Football Club can think differently because of the situation we are in. Even if we had been on a good run we have a responsibility to perform at the highest possible way. That is why this consistency we have to improve and I think it’s a really good chance for everyone tomorrow to show that on the pitch.

“When there are a lot of changes inside a team, I still believe in the squad, everyone still has a role to play. It’s also about connections. It’s one thing if you have worked together for one season, one and a half seasons, we’re still in the first six months. When you are a bit further and the principles within the game, it doesn’t matter who is playing because everyone knows. We’re still early in the first process and we also have a lot of changes in the starting eleven. They are two things to cope with right now with the rhythm of the team. If we had been working longer together it doesn’t matter with so many changes because everyone knows the principles really, really clearly. They know now also and then you also have to find the connections. I think we saw some signs in the last games but I still think the last pass has been a little bit too far, there has been some misunderstandings. These are things we have to keep working on. We can’t think to much when we play football, you have to have a clear DNA because if you think too much the quality also drops. Sometimes the pass is not good enough because you’re still in the thinking process inside the game. That is why we have to keep the belief in the long term and I am 100% sure we are going to get out on the other side and get more and more stable and get more players back and then the competition increases inside the squad and people have to fight for a spot and then we have a better team again.

“You experience so many things during a season, things happen. You have good times, you have bad times. In your normal life, when you have setbacks, you have to keep pushing to get out and get better. You can’t sit down and cry and be sorry for yourself because it’s not going to help. Of course you can feel some stress sometimes. That is my job to calm down the stress levels and keep the belief in the right direction. I feel the squad has a strong belief and they are trying so hard in the sessions. Sometimes when you get out and you lose one more time or a late goal, you don’t score the chances we have, you can’t feel sorry for yourself, it’s not going to help. You have to be strong, you have to be brave, go out and try again. That is what I mean by the standards and the principles of the game, you have to do what you have to do and don’t get stuck with emotional things like being confident or not confident because then you play two good games, and then you lose one, what happens to your confidence? You have to be more clear with what we have to do. For me, to be consistent long term you have to be more stable in the basic parts of the game, and there we have a journey still to do. We have to push the limits and improve ourselves and that is my job, my staff and also the responsibility of the players. The standards everyday have to be so high so we can get better, better and better.”

Team News

“James McGarry came off at Ibrox with cramp so he is fine. Jack MacKenzie trained well today but he maybe needs the next week, a good week of training. Pape is inside the squad for tomorrow, Jamie is outside the squad and we don’t know for how long but he is out for tomorrow. I like the spirit of players who want to be inside the squad. That is a good spirit to have but Pape is showing on the training pitch that he is hungry to play.”