Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin challenges his players to respond to 6-0 defeat to AEK Athens

Jimmy Thelin has urged his humbled Aberdeen players to get Thursday’s Conference League thrashing in Athens out of their system with a strong performance against Hibernian on Sunday.

The Dons have come under fire from their supporters after suffering their heaviest European defeat when they went down 6-0 to AEK in the Greek capital.

Manager Thelin is viewing Sunday’s match against the Hibees as a chance to begin the recovery process.

“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 the embattled Swede.

“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.

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

Hibs manager David Gray, whose side were juggling European and domestic competition earlier in the season, believes the Dons have enough squad depth to cope with returning to Premiership action so soon after their chastening trip to Athens.

He is hoping his side’s 4-0 victory over Livingston last weekend acts as a launchpad for another strong performance at Pittodrie.

“I think it’s something we’ve experienced ourselves, having played in Europe on a Thursday night,” said Gray.

“But Aberdeen have developed a squad knowing they were going to be playing Thursday, Sunday, so they’ve got a really good, strong squad, regardless of what 11 they put out.

“I think the biggest thing is always about the mentality going into the game. They’re all fit players, as are our players, they’re all fit, strong, able to play two, three games a week, no problem. You look at the modern-day athlete, they can all do that.

“So it’s about the mentality going into it. And we certainly go into the game in a really good place after last week, and we need to take the confidence from that and go and make sure we do what we need to do to come back with three points.”