Sivert Heltne Nilsen spoke to the media on Friday as the Dons prepare to take on Dundee on Saturday afternoon at Dens Park. RedTV subscribers can watch in full by clicking here.
“I feel excited going into the game. A lot of energy. We’ve had a good week. We’re really looking forward to a good and tough game against Dundee. We had a really tough game down there last time.
“It was a good performance against Dunfermline. There was a lot of good movements in the offensive third. We had much more play in their half, we looked more offensive in our mindset and we wanted to score goals. We looked more aggressive on and off the ball. It was nice to get a good feeling with a lot of new players in. It was very important to get relationships in with a positive result and performance.
“When results don’t go the right way you’re frustrated about it. In my head when things go bad you still have to look at the things that are going well. You can get into a negative spiral. Our mindset has always been to the next training session or match, to keep our heads on what we can do something about, not what has happened.
“It’s all about getting the best out of every situation you get into. I have been in bad situations and I know when you get out of it, it can get really good because you’ve had some very tough times together and when you get out of the other side it’s often a very strong team that gets out of it.
“I really hope when we get out of it we come out as a stronger team. That is what we’ve felt all the way. Even when we had positive results we felt we had to be better than we were then.
“You saw on Sunday it was very clear and the movements were coming at the same time. It was quite easy for the player on the ball to see where to pass. It was easy for the guys making the runs knowing when to run. Things need to happen at the same time and it was a very good step in that way and I hope we can bring that against Dundee.
“It’s a different game, Dundee normally play with a back five so there might be some other spaces to attack and we have to be aware of that.
“Both Graeme Shinnie and Ante Palaversa are great players and they have been playing with each other as well. We have Leighton Clarkson who can play in that position so we have good competition. That drives us to get better. I enjoy playing with them.
“I am really happy about Scotland the passion Scottish people and the fans have for football. It’s why I came here and I feel it as well. You feel the hate as well when you go to away grounds. It’s nice to feel that because you need to use it as motivation. Also the pressure we have from our supporters, you need to use it as motivation. I enjoy it that they press us to get better and we need to be better.
“Victory is always what we aim for but as players we need to focus on our performance and our jobs on the field and hopefully then that can give us the victory. In my head now it’s the details. We want to win.
“In both boxes it’s been difficult for us. In the middle of the pitch it feels like we’ve been doing quite good but when we get into the opposition box we’ve been struggling to get good chances and when the opposition come into our box it’s been very often a goal against us. This is the places you really need to sacrifice yourself both to defend your goal and to score a goal.”
