Jimmy Thelin could have been navigating the Europa League group stages, but instead, he’s focused on steering high-flying Aberdeen towards that coveted goal.
Having led Elfsborg into European competition before his summer move to Pittodrie, his former team secured a Europa League spot, with glamorous ties against AS Roma, Galatasaray, and Tottenham Hotspur on the horizon.
However, Thelin insists he has no regrets about missing out on the Europa League experience, perhaps eased by Aberdeen’s scintillating start to the season, with 12 consecutive wins.
He emphasized: “I don’t think about what I am missing. I am so happy to be here. I take this challenge but I think it is important to be consistent to play in Europe.”
“It is important for the club, supporters and it is really important for the players to cope with that tempo of the games and every week use our mentality to challenge yourself to grow. That is where you want to be (Europe), on that level to feel good. Everybody learns from that and grows.
“We get better and better in that environment. It is better for Aberdeen in the future to be there again. We have been there and we have to look forward to it again.”
Aberdeen, who previously reached the Europa Conference League group stage, know all too well the difficulties of balancing European and domestic competitions—a task Heart of Midlothian is grappling with this season, leading to the dismissal of head coach Stevie Naismith, reports the Daily Record.
Ahead of facing Hearts at Pittodrie this weekend, after their exhausting journey to Azerbaijan for a clash against Dinamo Minsk, Aberdeen’s manager Thelin appreciates the clear midweek break. His side, having had fewer distractions, has kept pace with Celtic.
Yet Thelin understands the allure of European games, saying: “If you ask the players if they want to train or play, it is an easy answer. They want to play. Me also, I don’t need to plan anything. It is just a case of here we go again. I don’t think about it so much. You always need to adapt and see the solutions of reality. If Aberdeen had been in Europe then we would need to take that challenge.
He added: “We would have to try and find a solution from that. We always try not to think about why, if or these types of things. We aren’t in Europe and now we have to make the best plan from that.”
Thelin is looking ahead to a tough run of fixtures, starting with this weekend’s match against Hearts, followed by a top-of-the-table clash with Celtic, and then a home match against Dundee United and Rangers, before a Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Celtic. While Thelin is excited about the prospect of playing at Hampden, he is focused on the immediate priority of the league.
He cautiously stated: “Now we know who we are going to play against. They are a good team and we look forward to the semi-final. Right now we are focusing game-by-game.Ask me again before that game.
Meanwhile, the club is still awaiting a specialist’s report on Pape Habib Gueye’s training ground injury, which kept him out of the weekend’s win at Dundee and may potentially keep him sidelined until next year.
Be the first to comment