Football Season Guide

Aberdeen are coming off a catastrophic 2023/24 campaign that saw them change managers on multiple occasions and finish, embarrassingly, outside the top six. Relegation looked a possibility for a period for a squad that was far more capable than that, and it was only under the interim guidance of Peter Leven they moved away from danger in a convincing manner. Now the Dons have appointed Jimmy Thelin as their new manager, with the 46-year-old arriving from his native Sweden, where he has spent his entire career. Although successful with Elfsborg and a manager designed to fit into a long-term strategy at Aberdeen, there is doubt about how he might settle in his new environment. Aberdeen have been taking part in the League Cup, and Thelin’s influence has been positive at the time of writing. The Dons have won their first three matches in the competition, although they face a step up in difficulty. He is a manager who is expected to be attacking and play in a 4-3-3 style, or at least some variant of that. The backbone of last season’s underperforming squad remains with the only regulars to depart goalkeeper Kelle Roos and centre-back Stefan Gartenmann, while Connor Barron has gone as a free agent after being made peripheral last term due to his unwillingness to sign a new deal. Of Aberdeen’s four new arrivals, only goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov has significant experience in Scotland, impressing with St Johnstone last season. Meanwhile, a comparatively large investment was made to sign Sivert Heltne Nilsen, a defensive midfielder, from Brann. There is still a fear that Bojan Miovski will depart. Top scorer last season, he was arguably the best centre-forward in the whole league. Ester Sokkler is expected to have a more successful campaign, though, while getting a tune out of inconsistent players like Duk and Pape Gueye will be important. This is a solid and deep squad, and even if there are some doubts over the defensive qualities of the team, Aberdeen have the tools to take big strides forward.