Aberdeen eye new boss with ‘connection to Scottish football’, says Lutz Pfannenstiel

Sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel indicated that Aberdeen would look towards a new manager with “a connection to Scottish football” but he stressed that they were in no rush to appoint Jimmy Thelin’s successor.

The Swede was sacked on Sunday with the Dons eighth in the William Hill Premiership, while Pfannenstiel and the Aberdeen board insist they have “a clear idea” of what credentials the next incumbent should have.

“There are definitely some big names, there are some surprising names, there are some terrible names,” the sporting director – speaking in a club interview – said of those who have already thrown their hat into the ring.

“There are all nationalities. It shows how crazy the world of football has developed.

“But we have a clear profile. We have a clear idea how the next manager should look. I always say the connection to Scottish football is really important. Knowing the Scottish league is really important.

“The playing style, the DNA is super-important for us. How do we want to play football? How do we see ourselves? And I think the manager needs to reflect that into perfection.

“We want to be a high-pressing, hard-working, high-intensity team. And that’s also the way you coach, the way you prepare the teams. So all those kind of technical and tactical parts need to be ticked off. But then I think the personality is very important.

“We need a guy who feels Aberdeen, who can understand the culture here. I think it’s not the easiest place to be as a manager because people have very high expectations.

“He needs to be definitely hard working. He needs to have a clear identity how we play football. But he also needs to reflect a certain emotion and a certain fire, which I think is extremely important to get this team going.

“So the mix between tactical, technical, playing style, identity, but also the character and the personality must be the total package.”

Pfannenstiel is comfortable with Peter Leven remaining in interim charge for as long as is necessary.

“There are good coaches out there,” he said. “But we just don’t want to get too stressed right now and run into the wrong decision.

“I think it would be very wrong to just make a panic decision, make a quick decision and try to get the next best possible man in charge.

“I don’t want to put a time frame on it at all. It could be six days, it could be six weeks, it could be six months.

“We want to make a very thoughtful decision. We want to take our time. And having that quick shot right now – because everybody asks for it, to find an immediate solution – I don’t think that will be very well thought through.

“And if it takes some more time, I have full belief and full trust in Peter Leven, like he did it before as an interim manager and got good results. He knows the team very well.”