Jimmy Thelin staying positive after Aberdeen's loss to Hibs

Author: PA and Dave GallowayPublished 21st Dec 2024

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin insists his side remain on the right track despite now going without a win in six games.

The Dons, who have dropped to third in the William Hill Scottish Premiership, took an early lead through Topi Keskinen, but Hibs hit back quickly through Elie Youan. Nicky Cadden put the visitors ahead before the break, and Martin Boyle made it three just after the break

Thelin said "Football is a team sport, and mistakes will happen within a game, but you can't get so hurt from a mistake, and that's a sign you're not balanced as a team or covering for each other.

"We need to improve"

"We need to keep working as a staff and with the players to focus on this part. Some parts of the game were good today, but that doesn't matter if the bad things drop too much and put us in a difficult situation.

"Even when you win a game when it might not be the best performance. We need to improve, we know that, and the only way to do that is to perform in training sessions and in games.

"We're not there yet, but we're on the right path, even if it doesn't feel like it when the results are not coming".

Hibs boss David Gray was full of praise for the resilience of his side to turn the game on its head, and also to silence the home crowd in difficult conditions at Pittodrie.

"It's a huge result and a huge performance. Full credit to the players for a 90-minute performance," he said.

"We started well but lost a poor goal, and then showed massive character to come back into. We played the conditions really well, and to a man I thought every player played exceptionally well.

"The players need to take the credit and confidence from it, but it's not just this week - its been building for a while.

"We knew the atmosphere was going to be the way it was, but we managed the game well and in such a way to quieten the crowd as well. It wasn't a day for pretty football, and the players understood that".

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