Thelin not thinking about his Aberdeen future

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin insists he is not thinking about his job security and says it is not his decision to make, despite pressure cranking up as his beleaguered side crashed out of the Premier Sports Cup at home to Motherwell.

The Dons were undone by a second-half Regan Charles Cook goal at Pittodrie as the Lanarkshire side progressed to the last four.

The early cup exit follows a terrible start to the Scottish Premiership campaign which has seen Thelin's team fail to win, or even score, in any of their opening four games.

After this latest setback, which was greeted by a chorus of boos at full-time, the Swede was asked if he feared for his job if things don't change quickly.

"I don't think like that, it is not my job, my job is to get the team going and that is where my focus is," he told BBC Scotland.

"The frustration is there, I understand that, I respect that but I am not thinking about my job, it is not my call. I am thinking about what I can do here and doing the best I can.

"You never give in, you always want to fight. If you believe in something really strongly and can be consistent with this then things turn around, but we have to change tomorrow, not in one more week or in another game."

It is incredible to think that there would be any questions about the future of a man who led Aberdeen to Scottish Cup glory just four months ago.

Despite that success, Thelin has presided over some alarming league form since he arrived at Pittodrie last summer.

After an encouraging first few months in charge, Aberdeen's league form has fallen off a cliff.

They have won just five times in the 31 Premiership matches they have played since early November last year.

Thelin doesn't like to mix the two seasons when asked to assess his team, but the fact that there has been no tangible improvement so far this term – despite being heavily backed by the Pittodrie board during the summer transfer window – has got alarm bells ringing throughout an increasingly large section of the support.

Aberdeen legend Willie Miller didn't miss the mark in his assessment of the current situation after this latest setback.

"The pressure has got to come on Aberdeen now," he said on Sportsound. "You're bottom of the league, can't score goals and you're out of the cup.

"They looked a disjointed team, you can't expect anything else than fan frustration.

'It's very difficult to find a positive message at the end of this game with where Aberdeen sit."

The Aberdeen board were relentless in their quest to acquire Thelin from Swedish side Elfsborg, whose fortunes he transformed during his six years in charge there.

Since he arrived in the Granite City in April last year, there have been repeated mentions of it being a three-year project. However, patience is something that is often in short supply in Scottish football.

Things certainly don't look like getting any easier any time soon, with difficult away league trips to Dundee United and their Premier Sports Cup conquerors Motherwell coming up over the next seven days.

"The performance is not there. We talked about it in the dressing room - the staff, the players, everybody has to look in the mirror now and we need to change the run we are in right now," said Thelin.

"Right now, what we are showing is just not acceptable or good enough for Aberdeen and the level we want to be. As an individual and as a collective, it is not good enough.

"Right now it is not working the way we want. If we keep doing exactly like this it is not going to be good for us, so we have to change it."

Stevie: I fear for Aberdeen now. We're entering a period of two games a week which will stretch our resources. The way things have gone it's going to be a bottom six fight to avoid relegation.

Donald: Looking forward to hear what Jimmy Thelin has got to say about the latest Dons embarrassment. There's quality at Aberdeen, no doubt, but yet again Thelin doesn't seem to know how to utilise that quality to best and most clinical effect. It's been a disaster of a start to the season, I'm dreading the next two league matches, and I'm really dreading the Conference League matches! I want to believe in Jimmy Thelin, but this is painful!

Barry: Jimmy Thelin is a slave to his 4-2-3-1 system. It was figured out last season after one round of games. The cup win came because he changed it (for once). He's had a lavish amount of financial backing but with this system and tactics it's been an absolute waste. We'll leave it too long to sack him as per but sack him we will.

Alan: As a season ticket holder at Pittodrie, even at this early stage of the season I am afraid but Thelin has to go, the Dons are a terrible team to watch with a very slow build up, passing for passing sake and not enough creation from the midfield. he is unable to mould current squad of players and it simply can't go on.

Graham: Aberdeen have some good players but a manager well short of tactical understanding. He has to be let go at whatever the cost and get someone in who is very experienced tactically and understands his players.