That Jimmy Thelin has been successful since joining Aberdeen from Elfsborg this summer is an understatement. The Swede has lined up victories and cemented Aberdeen at the top of the Scottish league.
Last week, however, the first loss of points came when Thelin’s team brought up a 0-2 deficit to 2-2 away to Celtic. But on Saturday, Aberdeen were back on the winning track.
Aberdeen looked to be headed for a cross for a long time in the home game against Dundee United. But after 82 minutes of play, Thelin replaced striker Peter Ambrose. This resulted in Ambrose, two minutes later, being able to send in the only goal of the game and thus send Aberdeen into a temporary league lead.
– Everything Jimmy Thelin touches turns to gold, right? He sent Ambrose in and he scored the goal, said former Dundee striker Billy Dodds, who is now a Sportsground pundit.
Thelin’s fingertip sense was praised from several quarters:
– Home coach Jimmy Thelin loves to influence matches with substitutions. It worked at Celtic Park last week and it has certainly arranged three points tonight, said BBC Scotland journalist Kheredine Idessane.
After the late goal, Aberdeen was able to hold on and secure a victory with exactly 1-0. This means Aberdeen are three points behind Celtic, who have a game less played. It also means that Thelin has now started the season abroad with 15 consecutive games without a loss. Of these, 14 matches have resulted in victories.
