Jimmy Thelin last night thanked the Red Army for getting his players over the line to secure his 10th straight win as Aberdeen boss — and told them their backing will be crucial in the bid to build a truly special season.
Two goals from Pape Gueye had the Dons on cruise control against Motherwell in front of a 17,551 crowd at Pittodrie, but a late effort from visiting substitute Moses Ebiye put the cat among the pigeons and it took a great save from Dimitar Mitov in time added-on to secure a narrow win.
Thelin had the punters singing about going on to win the league at time-up, having seen their team stay joint-top with Celtic, and has made it clear their backing will have a vital role to play as he continues building the club he wants in the Granite City.
‘I liked the spirit and I think the connection between the fans is the key,’ said the Swede. ‘Sometimes, you need the extra push.
‘I know the team spirit is good because we meet every day at Cormack Park to train, but, sometimes, when teams get momentum like Motherwell did in the end, you need to take extra runs when you are really tired or make blocks.
‘The connection between the players and supporters is in a good way right now and we have to keep that.
The Red Army once again put on a spectacular show of support ahead of Aberdeen’s win over Motherwell
Dons boss Thelin has challenged the fans to keep turning up to build something special this term
‘We are trying to achieve something strong here and, at home, the identity should be clear. We need this energy and to play with intensity. You saw we struggled a little bit with Motherwell in the second half, but they (the fans) pushed us to take those extra steps.
‘I hope we can keep building and we really need this atmosphere when there are tougher times in the season.
‘Everybody can celebrate today. The fans support us away and at home, but we have to focus on the right things because it is a long season. It has just started.’
Thelin also heaped praise on Mitov for that stunning late save from a Liam Gordon header.
Aberdeen goalkeeper Dmitar Mitov claws a Liam Gordon header away to safety to secure victory
Pape Gueye heads in his second goal of the game en route to a 2-1 win over Motherwell
‘He’s taller than I thought,’ said Thelin. ‘He is almost hanging in the air sometimes. It is amazing.’
Gueye deserves all the plaudits coming his way too, of course. He was sent out on loan to Norwegian outfit Kristiansund in February during Neil Warnock’s ill-fated spell as manager, but it has given him a new lease of life with five goals in Aberdeen’s last five games proving his worth.
‘It has been a good start from him,’ said Thelin. ‘The first goal was really high class, pure quality. He was far away from the goal and he was running, but he stayed cool and it was an amazing goal.
‘It was also, though, about how he fought for the team — winning second balls, taking pressure, defending set-plays. I like the spirit of sharing responsibility and everyone being connected.
‘The first half from our team was really good. Motherwell were better second half, but we stuck together and made sacrifices. It was nice to see (Gueye) take his goals and still make runs in defensive transitions, duels and set-plays. He kept running until he couldn’t run any more.’
