Midfield conundrum keeps Thelin at the drawing board

JIMMY THELIN has identified central midfield as the key area in which Aberdeen must improve in order to make them more difficult to beat.

- By Scott Burns

The Dons have failed to score in any of their four Premiership fixtures and only picked up their first point in a disappointing goalless draw with Livingston last weekend.

They exited the Europa League in the playoffs last month, dropping into the Conference League group stage.

It is only a few short months since Thelin and his side took the Scottish Cup back to the Granite City after a 35-year wait. But the gleam from that is starting to lose its shine.

Thelin is as frustrated as anybody connected with the club with the way the new term has started.

He will be hoping for a change in fortune when Motherwell visit Pittodrie in the Premier Sports Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.

The Swede’s team look strong enough on paper, but the biggest issue appears to be addressing his midfield conundrum.

Thelin has stuck rigidly to his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, apart from the Scottish Cup final when he successfully changed tact to combat Celtic’s thréats.