Boss Jimmy Thelin issues assessment of Aberdeen’s January transfer window business.
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin signed six new players during the transfer window, despite his team’s 14-game Premiership victory drought.
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin feels the team produced a solid January transfer window to rekindle the battle for third place in the Premiership.
Thelin is convinced that his winter window additions will address the Reds’ goalscoring and defensive issues, which have led to a 14-game losing streak in the league.
The Swede also believes he has signed new players who will be critical to his long-term plan to restore the club’s success.
Aberdeen’s board supported Thelin’s effort to strengthen in January, investing more than £1 million to address a defensive problem.
The Dons have only kept five Premiership clean sheets in 25 games.
Mats Knoester, a centre-back who just left Hungarian club Ferencvaros, signed a two-and-a-half-year contract on transfer deadline day.
Thelin had already signed centre-back Kristers Tobers from Swiss club Grasshoppers for £600,000 and full-back Alexander Jensen from Swedish club Brommapojkarna for £545,000.
Alfie Dorrington, a centre-back, was brought in on loan from Tottenham until the end of the season.
Signing to solve the scoring problem
Aberdeen’s difficulties aren’t limited to defence; they haven’t scored in their past five league games.
Thelin signed striker Oday Dabbagh on loan from Belgian club Charleroi on transfer deadline day, hoping to ease the scoring slump.
Thelin had already signed winger Jeppe Okkels on loan from Preston North End.
Oday Dabbagh celebrates a goal by Palestine against Qatar. Image: Shutterstock.
Aberdeen has the option of making the deals for Dabbagh and Okkels permanent.
Thelin stated: “I believe that was a nice window for us.
“Everyone worked extremely hard to find the best solution for the squad, both in the short and long term.”
“We’re also attempting to rebuild for the future while also adding talent for the short-term goals we have right now, such as improving our league form.
“We needed to increase the intensity of competitiveness among the squad by one or two levels.
“That is energy in practice and against opponents.
“We need to show our supporters and opponents what we stand for and how aggressive we are. “High-pressing team.”
During the January transfer window, Pittodrie saw six new arrivals and six departures.
Exit from Pittodrie in January.
Duk, a Cape Verde international, was transferred to Spanish La Liga side Leganes on Monday – deadline day – for a sum of around £600,000.
Duk’s old club, Benfica, is entitled 50% of the sum.
Duk’s contract was scheduled to expire at the end of the season, and he had only scored two goals all season, against League Two Elgin City in a 3-0 Scottish Cup victory.
Centre-back In January, Angus MacDonald left and joined English League One team Exeter City.
Left-back James McGarry was loaned to Greek top-flight club Athens Kallithea for the rest of the season.
The Pittodrie leadership funded Thelin’s team expansion during the transfer window in an attempt to turn around a struggling season.
Thelin’s Aberdeen tenure began with a bang, as he provided an 11-game undefeated start to the Premiership season, with 10 victories, bringing the Dons equal on points with Premiership leaders Celtic after 11 league games.
They have now plummeted to fourth place, barely five points ahead of the bottom six.
Thelin aims for third place finish.
Despite the form collapse, Thelin is staring up the table rather than down.
Aberdeen trail third-placed Dundee United by just two points.
Finishing in third place guarantees a participation in the UEFA Europa League’s second qualifying round.
Thelin stated, “I’m an optimist, and I still believe we can finish third in the table.
“But there must be a tipping point right now.
“We need to alter it immediately and quickly.
“The response has been really strong this week.”
Thelin will try for a trigger to revive the season in the Scottish Cup match against Dunfermline Athletic on Sunday.
Fired up to restart the failing season.
The Dons will face the Championship team, who hired new manager Michael Tidser last month, in the fifth round.
Thelin stated, “Dunfermline has changed managers.
“They are now playing more with how they create the game.
“They’re a good squad.
“But we are also a good team; we have simply been out of form for a while.”
“With how the squad have responded this week in training, and with the new players, we are ready to show our fans what we can do.”
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