Managing Aberdeen is giving Peter Leven sleepless nights, but the interim boss is dreaming of Scottish Cup glory.
Leven will continue to lead the first team until the end of the season following the appointment of Jimmy Thelin as new manager.
Thelin will remain at Elfsborg until the Swedish summer break and will then start at Pittodrie on June 3.
Leven admits bossing the Dons is playing havoc with his sleep as he wakes up in the middle of the night wondering if he has made the right calls.
However, the 40-year-old, who will lead Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic at Hampden on Saturday, is relishing the interim role.
And he aims to hand over a Dons side to Thelin in the summer who are Scottish Cup champions.
Asked what he has learned during his time as interim boss, Leven said: “Maybe I won’t realise until Jimmy comes in and then I can take a step back and assess it all.
“Sleepless nights at times – I’m not going to lie to you. Waking up at five in the morning, thinking ‘oh no, have I made the right decision?’
“Listen, we are all going to make mistakes.
“But it is learning from those and moving forward.
“I have always said I will do what I can for the club.
“I’m enjoying it, but you only enjoy it when you’re winning.”
Approaching Scottish Cup semi-final with confidence
Thelin, who has agreed a three-year contract, will bring Elfsborg assistants Christer Persson and Emir Bajrami to Pittodrie.
Leven will bolster Thelin’s staff as assistant first-team coach.
Leven is currently in his second spell as interim boss this year.
The 40-year-old was in charge for one game – a 1-1 draw with Celtic at Pittodrie in February – before Neil Warnock was appointed.
Veteran Warnock quit the interim role after just 33 days and the Pittodrie board again turned to Leven.
Aberdeen are undefeated in four games under Leven, although the previous two matches have been 0-0 draws.
Leven said: “I take a lot of confidence from the last game against Celtic (1-1, February) but also the last four games.
“I just said to the players we are unbeaten in four and have lost two goals in the last five games.
“We are ranked (number) one in conceding goals in the last five games and we will need that on Saturday as Celtic are a top team.
“So we are going to have to rely on defending at times.
“However, we are going to bring our own game and hopefully hurt Celtic’s defence as well.”
Positive cup form in contrast to Premiership struggles
Aberdeen’s form in cup competitions has been in stark contrast to a dismal league campaign.
The Reds will play out the season in the Premiership bottom six.
In cup action, Aberdeen reached the Viaplay Cup final – losing 1-0 to Rangers – and competed well in the Europa Conference League group stage.
Leven said: “We are Aberdeen and want to be competing in finals and semi-finals.
“The chance to get to two finals in a season, competing in Europe – you would think overall that is not a bad campaign.
“But then you look at the league form and it is the inconsistency.
“It has been an up and down season. Cup games, we’ve been really good – Scottish Cup, League Cup and in Europe – but the league form hasn’t been good enough.
“It is not attitude because they work hard every day.
“Maybe it is the number of games.
“Obviously, a lot of the boys have never played in Europe.
“We are nearly at our 50th game of the season and maybe that is a combination of things, but attitude? No, they work hard every day and they give you everything.
“The semi-final is a one-off game in the cup and anything can happen.”
Hampden experience will be vital
Aberdeen were denied a first trophy since 2014 when edged out of the League Cup final by Rangers in December.
Leven hopes the experience of playing in such a high-stakes game at the national stadium will benefit his players this weekend.
He said: “Do I think the last trip to Hampden can help the players? Definitely.
“Now we go back again.
“Celtic are a top team, but we have a game-plan and can hopefully cause them some problems.
“The Viaplay Cup final wasn’t a great game from both teams.
“But we have played there before.
“We know the pitch and they know the surroundings, so hopefully that can help them.”
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