Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin has warned his struggling squad must not hide from the reality of their recent crash in form – and stressed the record-breaking, 16-game unbeaten start to the season cannot be a shield from the severity of their seven-game winless run.
Aberdeen’s slump plunged to a new low with a humiliating 4-0 loss to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
Thelin has offered an apology to the 1,322 Aberdeen supporters who made the long journey to Kilmarnock on Boxing Day.
The Reds gaffer insists the key to hauling the Dons out of a their drop in form is to stick together and keep their “heads high”.
The Dons boss urged his squad to have a period of self-reflection after the sobering loss to Killie.
And he reckons after “looking at ourselves in the mirror” there will be no repeat of the unacceptable levels shown at Rugby Park.
Thelin has demanded an immediate response with more “fighting spirit” against Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday.
Thelin said: “No one can hide, we have to keep the head high and go out again and compete.
“There’s no other way – no one else is going to do it for us. It’s us.
“Me, the staff, the players… no one else is going to play the game.
“So we have to stick together and with much more energy and belief.
“We haven’t won for a number of games now.
“And myself, my staff and the player have to look at ourselves in the mirror and do far better in the next game.
“I talked with my players inside the dressing room.
“They must come back on the pitch with much better effort.”
Thelin refuses to hide behind record-breaking start to the season
Thelin arrived at Pittodrie from Swedish top-flight Elfsborg in the summer and said his mission to bring sustained success to Aberdeen was a three-year project.
Last season the Dons finished in the bottom six, had three different managers, and were threatened with a relegation scrap.
Thelin’s Reds’ revolution immediately ignited with a 16-game unbeaten start to the season.
In early October, Aberdeen were the only team in the top-50 European leagues ranked by governing body Uefa to have a 100% record in all competitions.
The Dons were level on points with Celtic at the top of the Premiership after an 11-game unbeaten start to the league campaign.
Thelin says that is all in the past – and all that matters is stopping the winless run.
He said: “We have a project, what we want to do and how we want to look in the future.
“But right now it’s the short term and how can we stop this run.
“I don’t like to think okay, we are still in this position in the table, blah, blah, blah.
“It is about how we perform right now.
“We can’t hide behind having a good start.
“Football is not the past, it’s not the future. It’s right now.
“Right now we don’t perform well and we need to find a way to stop this.
“It starts on Sunday.”
Boss Thelin says sorry to supporters
A sizeable travelling support made the long journey to Kilmarnock, but were left bitterly disappointed by a heavy loss.
Thelin offered an apology to the Red Army for the Rugby Park howler and vowed there will be no repeat.
Thelin said: “We had fans who travelled down the day after Christmas.
“We have to be completely honest to our supporters and apologise for this game.
“It was way below our standards and the way we competed can never, ever happen again.
“There has to be more resistance and spirit.
“I hope that was the rock bottom and it will never happen again.
“It was too soft.
“We were not good enough with the ball and without the ball.
“I’m 100% sure everyone will learn from this game.
“After we look at ourselves in the mirror after that game, I’m sure it will not happen again.”
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