In the 74th minute, 22-year-old substitute Shayden Morris surged forward and blazed home a rebound from close range and a sold-out Pittodrie Stadium erupted as if the home side had decided a World Cup final.
The TV expert exclaimed in wonderful Scots: “So much improved under Jimmy Thelin!”
Time for us to start following Scottish football closely as well? I will definitely be keeping at least one eye on The Scottish Premiership going forward.
Or as the BBC’s commentator put it after Aberdeen played their tenth straight league game without a loss (nine wins, one draw): “They are the real deal after all.”
And if Aberdeen coach Jimmy Thelin added the Scottish expert, speaking of another successful late change of the soon-to-be-saintly-declared Swedish coach: “The man with the magic touch.”
An extremely sad Wednesday evening as far as televised sports were concerned. Round of 16 in the English League Cup. Hopeless remnant that has always lived in the absolute shadow of the venerable FA Cup. Nowadays once again renamed after a new sponsor, an energy drink manufacturer. Really don’t want to give them the joy of giving them additional advertising.
Some of you may even remember when the league cup was called The Milk Cup in the 80s? The league cup used to be better.
I tuned in Aberdeen-Rangers on Viaplay instead of the League Cup harrowing, it was the best TV decision of the week.
Jimmy Thelin took over as manager last summer, and Aberdeen have not lost since, going 16 games without defeat. Aberdeen may be among the top three or four clubs in Scotland historically, but in the last six seasons they have finished 4th, 4th, 4th, 10th, 3rd and 7th – far from the last golden era in the 80s when Alex Ferguson took them to two league titles and victory in the European Cup Winners’ Cup (DN’s Jens Littorin wrote very well about Aberdeen in particular here in DN on October 17).
Sir Alex Ferguson i Aberdeen, 1983.
Foto: TT
I saw it by the way where the final at Nya Ullevi in May 1983. Aberdeen decided in extra time, 112th minute – and as the Scottish fans celebrated in central Gothenburg afterwards! Nobody probably remembers that Real Madrid team they faced, except possibly the German Uli Stielike, World Cup finalist with West Germany the year before, in 1982. Damn German, if you say so, both midfielder and libero, or as they also said at the time: Sweeper (good expression).
Aberdeen’s home ground, the historic Pittodrie Stdium, holds just over 20,000, and under Jimmy Thelin they have sold out this autumn for the first time in ages. After the 2–1 win against Rangers, no one wanted to go home, everyone stayed for at least a quarter of an hour to pay tribute to the team and keep the feeling going. Everyone who knows – knows.
It’s an unbeatable feeling.
You also definitely get vibes of what football once upon a time could be like in the British Isles. With a few minutes left in the match, intoxicated Aberdeen fans chant in the direction of Rangers’ French manager Philippe Clement:
”You will be sacked in the morning, sacked in the morning.”
After ten rounds lies Rangers in third place, nine points behind Celtic and Aberdeen. It may already be over for them.
In 2015, Jimmy Thelin made Jönköping Södra allsvenskan for the first time in 46 years, then followed six good years with Elfsborg, before he took over Aberdeen. Now there are already rumors about Wolverhampton and the Premier League.
Jimmy Thelin in Jönköping Södra, 2017. Now there are rumors of interest from Premier League club Wolverhampton. Photo: Jonas Ljungdahl/Bildbyrån
I’m for WHERE, but three or four minutes to come up with a decision speaks against it, even in me. In the Aberdeen–Rangers match, we had a penalty situation after like 34.40 in the first half, the whistle came after just over 35 minutes – penalty was awarded in the 38th, struck in the 39th.
Not good.
Otherwise, it’s just fun to follow “The Revolution under Jimmy Thelin” as the commentator put it.
It’s the TV puck playoffs also (SVT), starting today, finals on Sunday. You have to look.
Read more chronicles by Johan Croneman here.
