Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin: Scottish Cup gives opportunity to create dreams

Jimmy Thelin believes the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup can “create dreams” as his Aberdeen side prepare to face League Two side Elgin City on Saturday.

The Dons are in the middle of a Premiership nightmare with a win-less run of 12 games after a super start to the season saw them go 11 matches unbeaten in the league.

The Pittodrie side get a break from the search for points but they face a trip to Borough Briggs in the fourth round and it is a fixture which is exciting the Swedish boss.

Thelin said: “For me the cup here and in Sweden is so amazing because you can play these games against teams from different levels and that is the core of football.

“You can create dreams, the passion, that is why the cup is an amazing thing.

“You have to respect the opponent and you have to prepare yourself.

“Everybody who follows the cups in every corner of the world, things can happen so we have to be ready.

“When you are so close to the fans and you can hear everything that is also a nice spirit and feeling. I am looking forward to the game.

“Everybody always has something to lose, everyone wants to get through. I understand the situation that we are the big team.

“I have been on the other side in cups also and of course they are going to be ready but of course we’re also going to be ready.

“They have done well. We have seen the games now and gone through them and we have a good report about them.

“They have some good players in one against one, they are good at crossing but of course every team has a weakness and we’re going to try and focus on that and be ready for their quality.

“For me if it’s Elgin, Rangers or Hearts, the focus right now is to fix the things we can take care of.

“How we behave as a team, the energy we play with, how we operate on the pitch, these things has to be one or two steps higher to get the results. For me the performance gets the results. We have to deserve more, that is why we have to do more.”

Indeed, Thelin told his players that they “can’t sit down and cry” amid the struggle to regain form.

The former Elfsborg boss said: “You experience so many things during a season, things happen.

“You have good times, you have bad times. In your normal life, when you have setbacks, you have to keep pushing to get out and get better.

“You can’t sit down and cry and be sorry for yourself because it’s not going to help.

“Of course you can feel some stress sometimes. That is my job to calm down the stress levels and keep the belief in the right direction.

“I feel the squad has a strong belief and they are trying so hard in the sessions.

“Sometimes when you get out and you lose one more time or a late goal, you don’t score the chances we have, you can’t feel sorry for yourself, it’s not going to help. You have to be strong, you have to be brave, go out and try again.”

Pape Habib Gueye (quad) has returned to the squad but Jack MacKenzie and Jamie McGrath are out. Gavin Molloy (shoulder) and Ester Sokler (hamstring) face lengthy spells out. Dimitar Mitov, Vicente Besuijen (knee), Jack Milne (ankle) and have all been sidelined recently.