[BBC]
Every new Aberdeen manager walks in the daunting shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson when they arrive at Pittodrie.
It usually takes no more than a game or two for fans and the outside world to conclude the new man is not going to be the second coming of ‘Fergie’.
Then Jimmy Thelin pitched up. The Dons had chased the Swede for a long time before landing him and it soon became clear why they had been so patient. Ten wins from their first 11 Premiership games and a dramatic point at Celtic led to talk of a title challenge.
But if Thelin’s stock rose rapidly, it has dropped even more quickly. Aberdeen have lost eight and drawn one of their past nine league games – as many defeats as in their previous 37 games.
They have gone from putting pressure on Celtic in second to fourth – just five points off slipping to eighth. Thelin, incredibly, is under pressure for his job within two months of being touted as Fergie 2.0.
His tactics and style of play have been criticised, with suggestions other teams have now worked him out.
The good news for him is the Dons next play Dundee, the leakiest side in the division and smarting from 6-0 thrashings in their past two league games.
Dundee have won just two of their past 30 league meetings with Aberdeen and Saturday’s visitors have two wins out of two against the Dark Blues this season.
Aberdeen stopped the rot with a cup win last weekend but Thelin is expected to win this game. He will know that if he doesn’t, he then faces exacting matches against ex-Dons boss Derek McInnes, Celtic and third-placed Dundee United.
Read all this weekend’s Premiership picks
[BBC]
