Articles by Ross McLeish

Technology

Jimmy Thelin delivers blunt Aberdeen verdict as Hibs storm Pittodrie

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin admitted his side were not good enough in Sunday’s 2-1 William Hill Premiership defeat at home to Hibernian and called for his players to be more competitive in their performances. Adil Aouchiche should have netted for the Dons early on, but the visitors took the lead through Thibault Klidje, 10 minutes from the interval. Substitute Elie Youan added a solo second that seemed to have made the points safe before a dramatic injury-time period saw a Josh Campbell effort ruled offside. Aberdeen then raced up the park to pull a goal back through Marko Lazetic but it was too late to mount a comeback. Thelin said afterwards: “The game started OK and we created some chances but we missed those and allowed Hibs to create more. They had the momentum and while the second half was quite open, Hibs were more competitive. We didn’t do enough to show our fans that we were back on track or competitive enough to deserve a better result today. The energy we needed wasn’t there today. “We have a journey to go (on) as a collective, but also as individuals we need to grow – and how we defend situations has to be much, much better. I am responsible for results and we need to do better. We are losing too many individual battles in games, regardless of systems and players.” Hibs boss David Gray conceded his side could have had an easier afternoon had they been more clinical in front of goal. He said: “It was quite a strange game towards the end, because you’re thinking with a couple of minutes left that it’s 3-0 and it’s comfortable, then it’s not a goal, then you lose a goal and the last 30 seconds are defending. “Over the course of it, the challenge was to go back with back-to-back wins after a bit of a reset with the international break and I thought the players were fantastic today – we deserved to win. “Within that though, there was big moments within the game – Aberdeen have perhaps the best chance of the game early in the first half and they don’t take it and then we take our first big chance. I think if we were a bit more clinical, it might have been an easier afternoon. “As an away performance and a collective team performance, I think it was a very good one.”

Technology

Aberdeen stung with 'childish' criticism as Hibs keep feet on ground ahead of Pittodrie trip

Mats Knoester conceded “childish” Aberdeen need to learn lessons quickly after “too many things went completely wrong” in their AEK Athens debacle. The Dons suffered their biggest-ever European defeat 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 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 the chances and give them the 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.” Aberdeen were ruthlessly punished for turning the ball over too easily when getting into promising positions themselves, and Knoester admits they need to become more streetwise. “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,” said Knoester. “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. You have to make sure you finish the attack or you have to take out the transition high up on the pitch, it goes out of play or something like that, some decision-making.” Next up for the Dons is a Premiership clash with Hibs at Pittodrie, who sit third and four points ahead of them. David Gray’s side won their first league match since August with a 4-0 home win over Livingston but wing-back Nicky Cadden insists nobody is getting carried away with that result. “Obviously getting the result on Saturday was very good,” said the 29-year-old. “Not just the result, I thought the performance was very good as well and that’s the way we want to play. It’s not really changed, we have a good team in there and we’ve only lost one league game this year, although we have had a few draws. But when you look back at it we should have won a few of those games. So the team’s not changed, really, just as bright and happy as always. “Even in training, people are having a go at each other because they want to win games of football, so that’s a good thing about the changing room in there, it’s full of winners and we want to win games. It will be a tough game. “Hopefully we can build on the performances last year against them and hopefully come down the road with a good result.”