Former Aberdeen midfielder Steve Tosh hopes new Dons manager Jimmy Thelin resists the urge to carry out another major overhaul of the squad this summer.
The 46-year-old has been confirmed as Aberdeen’s 25th permanent manager and will officially take charge at Pittodrie in June.
Tosh is pleased to see the club’s long wait for a new manager reach a conclusion but with 35 signings made in the last three summer transfer windows under three former managers the 50 year-old hopes Thelin’s arrival can herald a period of stability at Pittodrie.
He said: “I hope it is a good appointment and I hope he is given time.
“I also hope we don’t see wholesale changes this summer.
“That may sound silly given how tough this season has been and I’m sure the fans want wholesale changes but I question whether we want to be starting all over from scratch again.
Jimmy Thelin has been appointed as the twenty-fifth permanent manager of Aberdeen Football Club.
The Swede, together with assistants Christer Persson and Emir Bajrami, will leave their current roles at IF Elfsborg this summer, taking up post at Pittodrie in early June.
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) April 16, 2024
“The manager will come in with his own ideas and want to bring some of his own players, and of course there will be casualties along the way, but I don’t think we need another summer of a whole team of signings being made.
“The new manager might come in and get a tune out of a player others haven’t managed to get one from.
“I look at someone like Vicente Besuijen, who we haven’t seen a kick a ball all season and the likes of Ryan Duncan, who I know has taken some criticism on social media.
“Has he had a good season? No, and I’m sure Ryan would agree, but a new manager might be able to get him going again.”
Replacement for Ramadani is needed
However, Tosh believes replacing one player in particular should be a priority.
He said: “At the risk of looking backwards too much the biggest thing to happen to the club this season was losing Ylber Ramadani.
“He was a leader, able to do numerous jobs in several positions and was a mainstay of the team.
“Was selling him good business considering what we’ve lost? I don’t know the answer to that question but there is no doubt he has been a huge miss in the team.”
Thelin is brave to take on new challenge at Pittodrie
Tosh, a co-commentator for the club’s matchday coverage on RedTV, heralded Thelin’s bravery in taking on the challenge of reviving the Dons after a difficult campaign.
The new Dons boss will arrive in Scotland this summer with a strong track record and Tosh hopes the Swede can replicate his success in his first challenge outside his homeland.
He said: “I’m not as knowledgeable as others might be on Swedish football but it looks like he has taken a provincial club and improved them each year.
“The one caveat for me is we thumped BK Hacken in 2021 when they had finished third in the league the previous season.
“It was a different story this season in the Europa League play-off against Hacken but I don’t think there was much between the two clubs.
“Ibrahim Sadiq, who left the day after their win in the second leg at Pittodrie, was the difference between the teams.
“I hope it’s going to be a good appointment but I don’t know enough about him or Swedish football to give any real prediction.
“He’ll appreciate the task he has taken on and it’s intriguing to see him take the job as staying at Elfsborg and waiting to see if a bigger job elsewhere came his way would have been an easy option for him.”
Former Don questions impact of delay in appointment
Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack’s patience has paid off in landing Thelin but Tosh is disappointed at seeing the club take more than two months to find a successor for Barry Robson.
The former Don believes the delay in appointing a replacement for Robson, who was sacked on January 31, has had an adverse effect on the team.
He said: “We have to congratulate the club on eventually getting there but I don’t think they should take many plaudits considering Barry left some time ago and it has been pretty grim since.
“We all know discussions were held with other people as well but what degree they got to we’ll never know.
“Thelin’s name has been banded about for long enough and if he is the person they have wanted since day one we’ve got to appreciate they have done their due diligence and made sure they have got their man.
“But we’re in mid-April when we were promised an appointment weeks ago.
“It is obviously a transitional period when you add in the club’s plan to appoint a technical director.
“We will all be looking at what happens next.”
‘A really exciting and ambitious appointment’: Aberdeen fans react to Jimmy Thelin appointment
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