In the searing heat of the Algarve back in July, Jimmy Thelin drilled his Aberdeen players both physically and mentally in an intense pre-season training camp.
Double sessions became the norm. There were to be no passengers. Nobody missed a session, despite the exhausting 30-degree temperatures. Every player was asked to buy in to Thelin’s methods.
In the evenings, once training had finished and they had eaten dinner, players were discouraged from locking themselves away in the solitude of their hotel rooms.
Instead, Thelin wanted them to be together as much as possible. He wanted them to engage with each other. He wanted to foster a sense of unity.
The players would spend time together in the team room of their hotel. Whether it was a game of pool or a game of cards, Thelin wanted to foster a sense of unity.
By the time they returned home, every player knew exactly what would be expected of them in the new season.
Jimmy Thelin has overseen a remarkable 13 straight wins since arriving at Aberdeen
The Dons’ red-hot form sees them sit joint-top with Celtic, who they face this weekend
Thelin shares his Manager of the Month honour with his entire Pittodrie backroom staff
Reeling off 13 straight wins in all competitions at the start of the new campaign, Aberdeen’s form has been as red-hot as the temperatures which served as the backdrop to those first few training sessions under Thelin.
They will arrive in Glasgow this afternoon for a blockbuster top-of-the-table clash with Celtic. It promises to be the game of the season so far, with both teams locked on 21 points having won all seven of their opening matches.
Should Thelin’s men defy the odds and win at Celtic Park, talk of a title challenge will become inevitable.
Even if they claim a point, it would strengthen the feeling that they have a genuine chance of splitting the Old Firm this season.
‘It has been an amazing turnaround,’ said former Aberdeen captain Willie Miller. ‘Thelin has managed to get the players bonded and playing to a formation, a pattern that is easy on the eye.
‘He has brought a style of football that you can easily get involved with, you can easily applaud, you can easily support.
Thelin’s style of play has caught the eye, with a healthy dose of pragmatism attached
‘It’s forward thinking, it’s quick passing, it’s about players taking on the opposition, quick transitions. A real breath of fresh air.’
There is a humility to Thelin that underlines his style of management and the style of play he wants his team to adopt.
Only a few weeks ago, the Aberdeen squad spent an afternoon working alongside fans and volunteers clearing up litter and debris off a beach.
Whilst that approach flies in the face of perceptions of the modern footballer and their luxury lifestyle, Thelin wants his players to engage with the community and get their hands dirty.
His man-management skills became a key factor in his success at Elfsborg, a relatively unfashionable club in Sweden with limited resources in comparison to big guns like Malmo and IFK Gothenburg.
During six years at the Boras Arena, Elfsborg twice finished as runners-up, only missing out on the title on goal difference to Malmo in 2023.
The Swede was afforded a fond farewell when he left Elfsborg after years of high achievement
But, most of all, it was Elfsborg’s intelligent style of play which drew the most plaudits. Not for an obsession with possession, as is so often the case with young managers in the modern game.
No, Thelin would not fall into the trap of being a manager who fixated their entire approach on dominating possession.
Instead, it was his tactical flexibility which shone through above and beyond anything else, something which became evident in the weeks immediately before he left to join Aberdeen.
One of Thelin’s final matches in charge was a 6-1 victory over AIK Stockholm back in March. What made the scoreline all the more remarkable was that Elfsborg won with just over 30 per cent possession.
It wasn’t a one-off. Only a few weeks previously, they had beaten reigning champions Malmo 3-1 with just 19 per cent possession.
Thelin had built a Swiss army knife of a football team, one which was capable of doing a bit of everything and hurting opponents in so many different ways.
Elfsborg punched above their weight in the Swedish Allsvenskan, twice finishing runners-up
The 46-year-old Swede is a modern manager who encourages intense pressing, quick transitions and attacking football, but his philosophy is also laced with a healthy dose of pragmatism.
On the managerial spectrum, he sits far closer to Diego Simeone than he does Pep Guardiola. He has his principles, but he is not an idealist. He coaches teams to win games, pure and simple.
Back in the summer, Thelin said: ‘We are from a city with granite. For me, we have to use that. A granite block, how we defend. And use these kind of things, like a DNA.
‘Football gets quicker and the players get more professional every year. From that, there is no right or wrong [way to play football].
‘Look at the Euros, different types of teams have shown they can win — some with more possession, some with transition and some with a low block and set-plays. You need to find your way, that is important.’
In the bear pit of Celtic Park, where Aberdeen have only managed one win and one draw in their last 20 visits, Thelin’s tactical dexterity will face the litmus test.
Palaversa’s late goal in a 3-2 defeat of Hearts before the break underlined this side’s resilience
Aberdeen are the only club in Europe’s top 50 leagues who can boast a 100 per cent record after winning all 13 matches in all competitions so far this season.
He is daring the Dons to dream. Already, only a few months into his tenure, the Red Army worship the ground upon which he walks.
His impact at Pittodrie has drawn comparisons with that of Sir Alex Ferguson. For any Aberdeen manager, there can be no higher praise.
In the wider context of Scottish football, this is the best start any non-Old Firm manager has made to a season since George Burley’s Hearts sat unbeaten at the top of the table in late October, only for him to be sacked amid Vladimir Romanov’s meddling.
There will be no chance of Thelin suffering a similar fate, regardless of the outcome of this afternoon’s match in Glasgow.
In an exclusive interview with Mail Sport yesterday, former Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski insisted that anything is possible for his old club. If they can win in Glasgow, why shouldn’t they mount a title challenge?
Graeme Shinnie, Kevin Nisbet and Leighton Clarkson display the high spirits in the Dons’ camp
The departure of Miovski to Girona in La Liga, along with midfielder Connor Barron to Rangers, is what makes Thelin’s start at Aberdeen all the more impressive.
The club lost two of their best players in the summer. With a relatively unproven manager taking charge, the expectation was that it would be a season of evolution rather than revolution in the north east.
But nothing could have been further from the truth. Preparing their assault on Celtic Park, Thelin’s revolution is now in full swing.
Even accounting for the loss of Miovski and Barron, Aberdeen recruited well in the summer. New signings Sivert Heltne Nilsen, Topi Keskinen, Dimitar Mitov and Gavin Molloy have hit the ground running.
Late goals have become a feature under Thelin. In their last outing prior to the international break, Ante Palaversa struck an 88th-minute winner in a 3-2 triumph over Hearts.
Against Ross County in late August, Kevin Nisbet scored in stoppage-time to secure a 1-0 win away at Ross County.
Against Motherwell at Pittodrie in September, Pape Gueye scored with only 10 minutes remaining to secure a 2-1 victory.
Operating as the No 10 in Thelin’s 4-2-3-1 system, Gueye has been a revelation, scoring six goals in eight games across all competitions at the start of the new campaign.
Five of those came in the league, making him the Premiership’s top scorer despite a muscle injury now ruling him out until the New Year.
Yet, even without the services of a player whom fans had dubbed ‘Mpape’, Aberdeen still found a way to win in their two most recent games against Dundee and Hearts.
Even at this early juncture of the season, they are demonstrating an ability to overcome adversity. If they are the real deal under Thelin, as many suspect they could be, they will show it in Glasgow today.
‘I think it will be a score draw, I’m going for 2-2,’ said former Dons striker Lee Miller. ‘I think Thelin will tweak it slightly because he’s comfortable allowing other teams to have the ball.
Pape Gueye has been a man transformed this term, scoring six goals before an untimely injury
Aberdeen fans are right behind their new boss and there is a renewed belief around Pittodrie
‘He’s been incredible, it’s really given the city a lift and you can see the fans backing the team and the manager.
‘They’re playing good football, but when they’re not they’re still winning games. That’s the sign of a really good squad.’
Sir Alex Ferguson used to say that Glasgow would always be the ultimate proving ground for any Aberdeen side with ambitions to win silverware.
Thelin won’t get caught up in any hyperbole. He is a man of humility who preaches the mantra of taking one game at a time.
But if his team can give Celtic a bloody nose this afternoon, or even just claim a point, it will be difficult to play things down any longer. Something special is building.
