Manager Jimmy Thelin spoke to the media ahead of our UEFA Europa League play-off round 1st leg match with Romanian champions Fotbal Club FCSB at Pittodrie on Thursday evening.
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Team news
“Let’s see (if Shayden Morris will be available). We have this window to 11 o’clock tonight, and how we manage the squad. Maybe we use that, or maybe we don’t. So let’s see. You also have to keep in mind that we have two games. So let’s see what we decide to do with the last bit of the team.
“Shayden got a knock. So let’s see if he’s at full capacity or maybe we use him for some minutes and then for the second leg. So that’s why we have to use this opportunity to rebalance the squad before the deadline tonight.
“Mats (Knoester) trained yesterday and today. It looks good that the whole team is ready for these two play-off games.
“Kenan (Bilalović) can play but (Marco) Lazetić needs some weeks to get fully ready to compete so we don’t do anything stupid there because he just arrived and maybe needs some more training with the team before he is ready to compete and in the future don’t get some problems. He looks good but we need to wait maybe one or two weeks.”
Thoughts on Thursday
“We’re looking forward to it a lot. I haven’t played any play-offs here before, but what I’ve heard about the atmosphere at Pittodrie right now, how there are not so many tickets left, and these European nights. It’s going to be really exciting going into this game. We’re looking forward to the game. We’re just waiting for the kick-off right now, we are done with all of the preparations and looking forward to the game.
“I always think you have to focus on your own performance and your own game plan, but also be aware of their strengths and weakness. As always, every team has strengths and weakness. They have some good ideas in their team, but also weakness and we have to be clear on this, how we attack them. I think it’s going to be an exciting two games. We start at home and look forward to the game.”
Challenge of FCSB
“They have some experience there. They have some players with good qualities and a good coach. It’s like a cup game, you have to be focused. We know the only way to get through is to win this round, and that’s our focus.
“I don’t think the pressure is off (having the safety net of the Conference League). When you compete, you want to be in the best level you can be. Our target is Europa League, and that’s what we focus on. We don’t think about safety nets or these kind of things. You always want to be in the highest competition, and prepare yourself for that.
“It’s over two games. So I think always in cups, you’re in or you’re out. You have to focus, do the basics really well, and don’t give away opportunities in these games. You should never do that in one way. Here you’re in or out, so you don’t have room for these situations. You also have to think in an optimistic mind and perform well. What you practice on all the weeks, how you prepare yourself. But when you are in a cup, we have had some good cup results now in the last year, and we’ve started well this year. The players are used to this responsibility and focus. But then football is a game, so you never know, but our aim is to always be this good collective team and do the roles really well and protect each other and play as a good team.”
Building on recent weeks
“Football is such an exciting sport because you almost have a new team every season. You have some core players are still here but then people grow inside a team, some take other positions. Some players leave, some players come in and hopefully always going in the right direction, that you’re getting getting better. You have competition and they’re also go getting better. The signs we see now after every game that we’re doing better and better, it’s not a disconnect so much between attacking and defending. You always have to be how we want to play, as a block, compact and close. You can see that the team is growing that direction.”
Atmosphere at Pittodrie
“I think the connection and atmosphere the supporters have created during my time here, I’ve never seen something different, and I know how much it can lift the players and also the players has to send their energy to the supporters. This connection is so important. We will see it tomorrow and that can make a difference.”
