Aberdeen

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Penny for the thoughts of Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack as he took his seat at Pittodrie for Sunday's spirit-sapping defeat at home to Hibernian, a game that kicked off about 30 minutes after the first Dons manager he sacked had led Hearts eight points clear at the top of the Premiership.

In fairness, Derek McInnes' time at Pittodrie was reaching a natural conclusion when it happened. Having not been backed in his final transfer window, a summer departure was always in the offing regardless of Cormack pushing the button and replacing him with Stephen Glass.

But as McInnes leads a surprising title charge from his new home in Edinburgh, Cormack's heavy investment in the Jimmy Thelin story is not looking too clever.

The brief respite brought by wins over Dundee and St Mirren has been replaced by a mortifying record European defeat in Greece and a 2-1 loss to Hibs. For anyone who watched the latter, David Gray's side were worthy of a much more emphatic scoreline.

It is now seven wins in 36 Premiership matches going back almost 12 months, two shy of a full campaign quota of fixtures. For context, automatically relegated St Johnstone won nine of their 38 games last season.

In truth, Aberdeen didn't look like a side capable of coming from a goal down against Hibs. Thelin has only overseen a comeback victory in the league twice since taking over, against Hearts and Motherwell in home games last season.

Until now, Cormack and his board have continually backed Thelin but with Kilmarnock to come on Wednesday night in Ayrshire, that Scottish Cup victory is doing some very heavy lifting right now.

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• Kilmarnock's Stuart Kettlewell has lost eight of his 11 games against Aberdeen as a manager in the Scottish Premiership (W2 D1 – including as joint-manager with Steven Ferguson at Ross County), although did win his most recent 2-0 with Motherwell in January last season.

• Kilmarnock have won their past four home league games against Aberdeen - as many as their previous 24 beforehand (W4 D5 L15).

• The away side has lost nine of the past 10 league matches between Aberdeen and Kilmarnock, with the exception a 1-0 Killie win at Pittodrie in December 2023.

• Kilmarnock have only won one of their past six home league games (D2 L3), losing as many of those fixtures (3) as they had in their previous 17 (W9 D5 L3).

• After beating St Mirren 1-0, Aberdeen could secure successive away league wins for the first time since September 2024 (run of three).

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has already had "some really good conversations" with new sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel and says "the picture we share is really aligned".

The Dons this week confirmed the German will be responsible for "all football and performance areas" when he starts on 10 November.

He joins a club who have won just three of 15 games across all competitions this season and are currently second bottom of the Scottish Premiership.

Speaking prior to Wednesday night's league trip to Kilmarnock, Thelin dismissed the suggestion Pfannenstiel's impending arrival could threaten his future.

He said: "No, we are totally aligned with what we want to do, I think we always need to help each other to achieve our goals in working at this club and where we want to be in the future.

"Of course me and Lutz speak sometimes about what we are looking to do going forward and we have some ideas so I am looking forward to seeing him when he arrives here.

"We have had some really good conversations and the picture we share is really aligned and he is really hungry and he is looking forward to coming here to start working."

Since Thelin arrived at Pittodrie in the summer of last year, the club have regularly stated they are working to a three-year plan.

However, while he delivered Scottish Cup glory last term, the Swede is coming under mounting pressure amid their disastrous start to this campaign.

Far from feeling threatened, he is welcoming the arrival of Pfannenstiel as he looks to get the club moving in the right direction again.

"Sometimes people are too protective, but I am a simple guy who likes cooperation and we try to involve everyone at this club to make the responsibility," Thelin added.

"If it is the physios, the fitness coaches, everybody has to be on top of their job and you more sometimes don't think that you know everything, you need more people with knowledge.

"We have a big squad and we need to support and help all of those players to make the next steps."

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Kilmarnock keeper Max Stryjek will be out with a health issue for another 16 weeks. Lewis Mayo (calf) and Jamie Brandon (ankle/groin) are serious doubts while Kyle Magennis is back after a muscle complaint.

Djenairo Daniels remains sidelined after undergoing knee surgery while Marley Watkins is working his way back from a heel injury along with Matty Kennedy.

Aberdeen remain without Emmanuel Gyamfi and Kristers Tobers (knee) and will make a late decision on Alfie Dorrington.

Marko Lazetic aims to become Aberdeen's top scorer this season. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen striker Marko Lazetic admits his side need to do much better to meet the "the standard of this club."

The Pittodrie side's miserable start to the season continued with a 2-1 home league defeat to Hibernian on Sunday.

That came just a few days after they were humbled 6-0 in Greece by AEK Athens in the Conference League.

With the pressure building on manager Jimmy Thelin, the Dons head to Kilmarnock sitting second bottom of the table and desperate to start turning things round.

"We believe in each other a lot in the things that we are doing and the things the coach wants us to do," Lazetic, who scored Aberdeen's only goal against Hibs, said.

"It is football at the end of the day, it is going to happen sometimes, you don't do exactly the things you are supposed to.

"But I feel like if we just keep doing them, try to do it on an even higher level, we are going to succeed in what we want to do."

"We need to remember who we are playing for. We are playing for Aberdeen so as a player who plays for Aberdeen and all of these other guys I know we believe that we can do much better and that we need to do better because that is the standard of this club.

"So hopefully we go out tomorrow and start winning games."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has been speaking to the media before Wednesday night's Scottish Premiership trip to Kilmarnock.

Here are the key points from the news conference:

• Thelin has spoken with new sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel "about what we are looking to do going forward and we have some ideas so I am looking forward to seeing him when he arrives here".

• On whether Pfannenstiel's arrival could threaten his own position at struggling Dons: "No, we are totally aligned with what we want to do. I think we always need to help each other to achieve our goals in working at this club and where we want to be in the future."

• On conversations with chairman Dave Cormack after back-to-back defeats, Thelin says: "We are talking about a lot of things but we are together and aligned with what we want to achieve. We want the best for Aberdeen football club, we want to perform better than we are doing right now."

• With Aberdeen second bottom, Thelin admits the league table is "not nice reading just now" and says it is "super important we don't think it is going to fix itself", stressing the need for hard work.

• He adds: "I still believe we are going to find a good performance and start taking points and get over to the other side and start winning games more consistently."

• The weekend defeat was "too easy" for Hibs and Thelin says: "We need to find a way that the players give a little bit more for each other. I think they have a good spirit, I think they will do."

• On Kilmarnock, he says they are a good, consistent team but that his own side have a clear picture of what they need to do.

• Team news – Aberdeen have a couple of injury doubts, while Emmanuel Gyamfi and Kristers Tobers remain out.

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Kilmarnock boss Stuart Kettlewell expects nothing but the toughest of tests against struggling Aberdeen at Rugby Park on Wednesday night.

While the Ayrshire side are looking to bounce back from back-to-back Premiership defeats for the first time this season - to leaders Hearts and Rangers - Jimmy Thelin's side are second bottom of the table, one point ahead of Livingston and with only three wins in 15 games in all competitions.

However, Kettlewell still regards the Dons as "absolutely one of the biggest clubs in the country".

"There're a team that have invested very, very heavily in the playing squad," said the former Motherwell manager, who described defenders Lewis Mayo (calf) and Jamie Brandon (ankle/groin) who came off at Ibrox at half-time on Sunday as "serious doubts", while midfielder Kyle Magennis is back training after a muscle complaint.

Kettlewell added: "You look at the wealth and riches that they've got throughout their group.

"So it's going to be a proper test, no matter what anybody wants to think.

"The last two games we've played Hearts, who are flying high and against Rangers at Ibrox. You don't get a pass, you don't get an easy week.

"For anything that we've had this season, we've had to work exceptionally hard for it. We've had to be really well organised defensively and we've had to handle the ball well.

"As much as the errors we've had in the last couple of games, I don't feel we've handled the ball as well as we have done, which can often take away that threat of the mistakes and the errors in the wrong areas of the pitch.

"So there's a couple of messages for me that we need to get, we need to become more confident again in possession, because I don't feel we've seen too many patterns that we would expect in the last couple of games.

"But we're under no illusion, I think we've spent a lot of time post-Rangers having a look at Aberdeen in great detail.

"They carry numerous threats. They have some real quality and if we allow them to get their key players in possession of the ball, then they can hurt us."

Glen Schreuder
Fan writer

A week is a long time in football - just ask Jimmy Thelin.

From the confidence-boosting win over St Mirren, to an annihilation in Athens and humbling defeat to Hibs, the mood has matched the gloomy weather in Aberdeen.

The defeat in Athens was maybe expected, but the manner was simply unacceptable.

With the Premiership so tightly packed, Sunday presented an opportunity to put ourselves back in the mix after a poor start to the campaign. Instead it was back to the poor, unstructured performances we saw prior to the change in shape against Motherwell.

The word "toxic" was used on this week's podcast, I don't think nor do I want our Scottish Cup-winning manager's achievement in May to be tarnished by our failing league campaign.

While the crowd on Sunday didn't necessarily turn toxic they did head for the exits extremely swiftly when Elie Youan put Hibs two up.

Call it apathy, call it scunnered, there's no getting away from Jimmy being a man under severe pressure.

Wednesday's trip to Rugby Park is a huge night for not only his time at the club but our league campaign.

Glen Schreuder can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

Jimmy Thelin's job as Aberdeen manager is safe, with newly appointed sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel's first job being to help the Swede improve results rather than sack him. (Daily Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Sportscene pundits Scott Allan and Neil McCann dissect how Hibs exposed Aberdeen in the Leith side's 2-1 win at Pittodrie on Sunday.

READ MORE: Was Aberdeen's brief revival flash in the pan?

We asked for your views on Aberdeen's 2-1 defeat against Hibernian.

Here's what some of you said:

George: Let's not beat about the bush any longer. Jimmy Thelin is way out of his depth. He's another manager who has no idea about Scottish football and it's time for him to go. No ifs or buts, the time is now!

Kevin: Absolutely abysmal yet again. I seriously can't understand why any manager with such a poor overall record still has a job? He has spent a good few million and made us worse! I'm beginning to wonder if the players have given up on him as well as an ever increasing amount of fans have? How long do we continue with this nonsense?

John: Totally clueless and abysmal simple as that. These players, while good on paper, are simply not good nor proud enough to wear the shirt. Not good to see anyone lose their job but enough is enough, Jimmy has to go and go now! Mr Cormack it's your time also to go, you have given it your best shot but calamity after calamity is enough. The whole board need to leave along with you. It's time to sell the club and let's have a fresh start. Stewart Milne and Dave Cormack have dragged the club into the mire for decades now, so time for new owners and new beginnings and fast.

Spencer: Honestly don't know what to say at this point. Is this the 'classic Aberdeen' we all talk about? And we make it so unbelievably hard for ourselves. I want our club back. Some big decisions need to be made.

Kevin: It's just not happening, it's been ongoing since November last year. I'm still waiting for football that's good to watch that comes with good results, decisions will have to be made sooner or later and I hate anyone losing their job, but I just don't see it improving.

Mark: It's seems so often now that it's one step forward, two back. The team just can't build any real momentum. I haven't seen an Aberdeen side so wasteful in front of goal and so open at the same time. I want Jimmy to succeed, but he looks so deflated as the weeks go on.

Watch all the highlights as Hibernian move up to third in the Scottish Premiership by inflicting more pain on struggling Aberdeen.

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin: "The performance today was not good enough. How we balance the team is not at the right level. We are not strong enough in the competitive side of the game. It was too easy for them to get into our box.

"We had a really good chance, missed it and then Hibs got the momentum. They were much more dangerous on the transition than we were.

"I can control my job and focus on that, I can't focus on the noise. We know we need to win games, that's the only thing I focus on.

"We are a collective but also need to grow as individuals. When the chances arrive, we need to be sharp, but we're also allowing too many easy chances against us.

"To see the table, it's not a nice feeling right now. We feel we are going in the right direction. I am still convinced we can turn this round, we have to."

Elie Youan's late goal moved Hibernian up to third place in the Scottish Premiership as David Gray's side ended their poor run of away form and consigned struggling Aberdeen to another defeat.

• Read the full match report here.

• Let us know your thoughts.

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Aberdeen must "apologise" to their fans with a good performance against Hibs on Sunday, after their heaviest ever defeat in Europe, according to manager Jimmy Thelin.

The Dons were absolutely battered by AEK Athens on Thursday night, losing 6-0 on an evening where it could have been worse.

AEK hit the woodwork three times, on top of putting six past Dimitar Mitov, and spurned a few glorious chances as they left Aberdeen's defence in ruins.

"It's a different kind of game on Sunday at home, and this is the best way we can show our fans and put our hands up and apologise, to give out a really, really strong performance at Pittodrie," said Thelin.

"We have to take it step by step. We have to leave the [AEK] game behind us and focus on the right things, and that's the Hibs game. I think everybody wants to show our fans a different side of themselves as a collective and as individuals on Sunday."

It was a humiliating evening for the Dons, and particularly frustrating given the false dawn of the previous two results - wins against Dundee and St Mirren.

"This is the way of football and sports in general," Thelin added. "When you get these tough results and all these emotions, you have to move on and focus on the next game."

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Aberdeen had Emmanuel Gyamfi and Sivert Heltne Nilsen missing for Thursday's Europa League defeat at AEK Athens. Kristers Tobers (knee) is a long-term absentee.

Hibernian midfielder Jamie McGrath has trained this week after recovering from an Achilles problem and is fit to play against his former club.

Rudi Molotnikov picked up a knock in the Uefa Youth League and will be assessed. Joe Newell is close to a return from groin trouble while Alasana Manneh (hamstring) is still missing.

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• Aberdeen's Jesper Karlsson has created more chances from open play (13) than any player in the Scottish Premiership this season. Despite this, the Sweden forward is yet to record an assist in the competition.

• Hibernian have only won one of their past seven away league games (D3 L3), triumphing 2-1 at Dundee on matchday one this season.

• Aberdeen have won their past two league games without conceding; they last won three in a row in November 2024 and last did so while also keeping a clean sheet each time in May 2024 – when the third game was a 4-0 win over Hibs.

• Hibs have won just three of their past 18 league visits to Aberdeen (D5 L10), although two of those have come in their latest four (D1 L1).

• After their 1-0 victory in April, Aberdeen are aiming to win back-to-back league meetings with Hibs for the first time since November 2020 (three in a row).

Defender Mats Knoester urges Aberdeen to learn lessons quickly and "be less childish" following Thursday's 6-0 humbling by AEK Athens. (Scotsman - subscription required), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter in Athens

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Stuart Armstrong admits Aberdeen "let themselves down" and were fortunate to only ship six goals to AEK Athens, but he hopes the club's record European loss can prove "character building".

"It's a lot to process and analyse," midfielder Armstrong told BBC Scotland after the 6-0 Conference League humiliation.

"The short story is we let ourselves down. We made it too easy for them and there's a lot to learn.

"Probably it's fair [Aberdeen got off lightly conceding six] as they hit the post four or five times. It's never nice to feel you weren't really ever in the game and didn't fight the way you wanted to.

"They have a lot of quality, they're a good team but we made them an even better team by the way we played.

"They were a team full of good players and they exploited the space that we didn't."

Aberdeen went into the game in buoyant mood after two wins in a row lifted them off the bottom of the Premiership table. They will now have to bounce back quickly, with Hibs the visitors to Pittodrie on Sunday.

"You need to learn from it," Armstrong added.

"It's a tough night, a tough result but it's experience, it's character building.

"To say it doesn't affect you is wrong but it needs to affect you in the right way. You need to remember it but not dwell on it.

"This is a learning moment. We were beaten heavily, outperformed so we need to learn from it and focus our mind on Sunday."

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Mats Knoester conceded "childish" Aberdeen need to learn lessons quickly after "too many things went completely wrong" in their heavy Europa League defeat by AEK Athens.

The Dons suffered their biggest ever European loss as they capitulated to a 6-0 Conference League drubbing in the Greek capital which left them rock bottom of the 36-team table with no points and a goal difference of minus seven.

AEK were three up within 27 minutes before adding three more after the break, and the dominant hosts spurned several additional big chances to make the scoreline even more emphatic.

"Big lesson, big defeat," defender Knoester said in a club interview. "In a lot of aspects not good enough so it's hard to take out one thing because it was too many things that went completely wrong.

"I think we allowed too easily to give them chances and free shots on the edge of the box, give them transition. In that way, we need to be less childish and be prepared for that on the pitch.

"Not only talk about it before, but on the pitch, actually do the things that are needed against a team like that who is individually better."

Knoester says they need to become more streetwise and not make it as easy for teams in transition.

"Of course it's very weird to say after a defeat like that but in the beginning there were a few good attacks from us," he said. "We break out and as soon as we broke one line, it was quite open.

"We could come to the edge of their box and take a shot, but then, for example, one of the shots became a transition and we get beat.

"At this level, if you give away those spaces and those chances, it means goals against. Absolutely, some of their goals were our own fault and our own downfall."

Aberdeen had won their previous two matches in the Premiership after a poor start to the campaign, and Knoester warned they must ensure their chastening night in Athens does not send them back into a tailspin.

"Always in football when things like this happen, there's no point in digging yourself deeper," he said. "You have to try and take a lesson, like we already did before.

"Be hard on ourselves with each other, but then also stay together and move on and grow. If you respond on Sunday [against Hibernian], it doesn't take away the defeat but it takes away the bad momentum."