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Jimmy Thelin admitted Aberdeen plumbed new depths in defeat to Dundee United — but still has faith his players can turn things around.
His team remain rooted to the foot of the Premiership table and are still awaiting their first league goal of the season after a 2-0 loss at Tannadice.
It sparked a furious reaction from travelling fans and Thelin accepts he’s under severe pressure ahead of Saturday’s trip to Motherwell.
‘We’re rock bottom with no wins and no goals, so the only thing we can do is become better,’ said the Swede.
‘When you sign a contract here, you take responsibility. Everyone is working hard but they don’t have the performance level right now.
‘Of course it hurts when you see the frustration of the fans. The job is to put a smile on the faces of the fans and feel this connection.
The writing appears to be on the wall for Jimmy Thelin as Aberdeen are beaten again
Dons boss Thelin looks crestfallen as Aberdeen are beaten 2-0 by Dundee United
Former Dons boss Jim Goodwin is all smiles after his Dundee United side's victory
Bert Esselink is hailed by team-mates after scoring United's second goal of the evening
‘We feel the same anger, frustration, but the only way to fix it is to step up and do much better on Saturday. We can’t hide.
‘When you are in tough times, you have to give everything. We need to show them on Saturday. I have strong belief in these players.
‘We are playing stiffly now because of the pressure but we have nothing to lose. We have to find an answer, as a manager and staff.’
United boss Jim Goodwin, who was sacked by Aberdeen in January 2023, understood the difficult position Thelin now finds himself in.
‘I know what the man is going through and I sympathise with any manager in that situation,’ said Goodwin after goals from Ivan Dolcek and Bert Esselink moved the Tannadice side up to third place in the table.
‘We were all talking about Hibs and David Gray last year when they were bottom but David found a way to get a tune out of the team.
‘Aberdeen spent a fortune in the summer, and that’s why I was a wee bit nervous coming into this game because their run can’t continue with the quality they have. We were on a bit of a hiding to nothing but I’m sure Jimmy will respect my concern isn’t Aberdeen.
‘It was probably our most complete performance of the season so far.’
