Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin spoke to the press ahead of Thursday’s game with Strasbourg at Pittodrie, beginning with his team news and expectations of what lies ahead.
To watch our joint press conference on RedTV, click here.
“Everybody’s in the European squad is available except Kristers Tobers and Gavin Molloy. I think it’s going to be an exciting game. They are a good team and they have done well so far in this season in Europe and in their league.
“They are a dynamic team with a lot of technical qualities, but I feel that we’re growing also. I think we have learned some good things during this year in Europe and I hope we can show that tomorrow.
“Strasbourg are a technical team, a fast, explosive team. That’s why I think it’s so important for us to be in Europe. It’s the best way to be better, to play against really good opponents. You’re going to take a lot of steps every time. But still, tomorrow is also about winning. So we have to do our things really, really well tomorrow to win the game.”
Reflecting on the season to date, Jimmy was very clear on just how important qualifying for Europe is in terms of driving standards higher and higher at any football club.
“Always Europe is good for every club and that’s why it’s so important for us to be there to take the challenge, try to get through, but also learn and grow as a club. We want to be there every year. We are trying to take the challenge for what it is right now and believe in ourselves. We want to face a really hard game tomorrow and do the best we can to win at home. For the future, we’re learning and adding things to our club and our team, because as I said before, we have to get bigger and stronger all the time as a club to be competitive.
“Right at the start, against FCSB, for me it was clear in this moment how we get punished in these games. We played quite well, but get really punished in some of the transitions. From there, I think we have grown.
“And then Athens was a really open game from our side. We were really disconnected. It’s always difficult to say why we act like we did in that game. That’s the challenge of football sometimes. You can go wrong in a game, and you don’t find a way out of it during the game.
“But the most important thing was how the players reacted after that game, and how they adapted and also became more stable, is about also not only about tactics or strategy, it’s also about emotional control, how you conduct the games.
“We have played against really good opponents. They’re doing well in the leagues and they have done well in the group stage now, in the league phase. There’s some tough challenges. I think Athens was important. It was not so nice, but it was a good experience in one way, to adapt quick and learn about how many good teams there are in Europe.
“It’s also important for us as a club to see the level and know what we need to do to get better for the future, to be stronger next time. That’s the most important thing, to see some different kind of culture, and different kind of style of playing.
“We all know the level of Crystal Palace. They play in the Premier League, and Larnaca and Strasbourg have done really good results against them. So they are really strong teams out there, and it’s important to take on this challenge and grow from there. And not just on the pitch. The club is also growing, how we take care of the players before and after games, how we travel together. I think it’s really professional, the people around the team. It’s going so well. It’s a big machine and everybody’s doing so well to help the players to perform. And the more experience they get, the better they will be.”
Jack Milne was alongside Thelin at the press conference and he discussed the progress of his young central defender this term.
“I’m more happy about the way Jack is playing. For me it’s always how they improve and learning. You can have an open mindset or closed mindset, but he’s growing and that’s the most important thing for him right now, that he keeps learning, improving and that’s exactly what he’s doing.
“Sometimes he can do a mistake, but he keeps playing and he keeps working, learning and doing things better. He has high ambitions and so you have to put the work in, but it’s not only about hard work, it’s also how you adapt and learn. That’s why I’m pleased with what he’s doing right now. He’s growing every week.
“It’s also the way he prepares himself. It’s also about playing these minutes and staying healthy and stay on the pitch, hopefully, keep doing that without injuries. That’s how you live your life as a footballer, outside the pitch, how you take care of yourself before training, after training. All these kinds of recovery things they need to do.
“But also, he uses every minute of the training to try to get better and show the coaching staff that they want to play. It’s important when you’re breaking through as a young player who has not had so many minutes to stay on the pitch. The only way to do that is to be good every day in the training field.
“Sometimes, when you’re young, you can do some mistakes, but if you see they’re learning and growing, we’re going to support them and push them. You have to try to help them as best as you can as a manager. But the journey is theirs. They do the job. They do the effort. That’s why you have to have this inner fire in your chest to go out there again.Be stable. Sometimes, a mistake can happen, but it’s football. We believe in you. Go out there again and push for improving yourself and growing. As I said before, I’m happy when the players take these opportunities they have and do their best.”
Another player to really grasp his opportunity in recent weeks is Adil Aouchiche who has taken on a deeper role in midfield.
“Adil has a big capacity to cover a lot of space and he’s also good at carrying the ball.Sometimes it’s moments that can change the way you see young players and also how willing they are to maybe change their position or take a different role on the pitch.
“That’s why when you make these changes inside a squad, sometimes it all works quicker, sometimes it takes a longer time. We also need to learn the players, learn to know the players and see their qualities.
“This is why in January, we don’t want to move too much. We have a head of recruitment and a sporting director and we totally align what we want to do. Maybe every window is about helping the team to grow, but sometimes it’s about giving more time with the players you have. Sometimes you need to add some qualities that are missing inside the squad. That’s what our target is. Not move too much, but add something.
“We can see how having time here has helped Adil, ad helped us understand him better also. It is about how he can see the game from a deeper position, but also the timing.Football is a lot about timing. It’s not only about technical quality, how you can read the game and how you arrive to the box or how you can set up your teammates. But the biggest step he has made in my eyes is the way he’s growing a lot to take responsibility and accountability for the result.
“This is true of the team also. Every game has its challenges. I always think you have to take game by game and go out and play with this strong belief that you can win the game. That’s what I think the players have grown into a little bit. Sometimes, maybe the game is not exactly what you want, but they can stay in the game. They still give themselves the chance to win the game.
“The team is growing. Even with the schedule we have in the league, we have taken some good wins and points, that comes from us improving. All of these games we are winning away, it was never the perfect game, but we won it. We could defend together, we find different ways to win, we learn and this is why I really feel we can be competitive against Strasbourg tomorrow.
“We are determined to do well in this game. We put some pressure on yourself in every game, you have to have this mentality and mindset that you can dream big and then push yourself to the limits when you’re playing these big games.
“We want to show our best side of ourselves tomorrow. The fans have been amazing at the home games, but also in the away games all across Europe. We’re going to give everything we can for them tomorrow. We have our ambition and we’re going to try to win.”
