Aberdeen boss Thelin on the brink after late loss at Motherwell

Aberdeen's manager Jimmy Thelin admitted his job was on the line after his side collapsed to a late defeat at Motherwell, prolonging their miserable start to the season. The Dons have lost five of six league games and sit bottom of the Premiership on one point; they have yet to score a league goal this season.

Dimitar Mitov could not keep out Johnny Koutroumbis' shot in stoppage time, and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos converted from the penalty spot minutes later to seal a 2-0 defeat. Aberdeen had also been knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup by the Steelmen last week as their troubling run continued at Fir Park.

Speaking after the final whistle, Thelin gave a blunt assessment: "What can I say? We have one point and scored zero goals, of course there is going to be noise." He added that the club must keep pushing, saying: "As a manager or a player you have to keep pushing. You can’t hide." He also acknowledged the scale of the task, noting: "We know it’s a results business and we need to turn this around. Right now I’m not focused on that." He defended his daily talks with the board: "As long as I manage this club, it’s my responsibility to turn this around. I always try to talk with them (the board) daily so we know where we are, but it’s not my job to talk about myself."

The result left Aberdeen 615 minutes without a league goal, underscoring the pressure on Thelin as the Dons fell to the foot of the table amid growing discontent among travelling supporters at Fir Park. The match followed last week’s Premier Sports Cup exit at the hands of Motherwell, deepening concern about the club’s recruitment and structure after an expensive rebuild.

Thelin, who guided Aberdeen to their first Scottish Cup in 35 years, faced the difficult task of addressing a slide in form that has undone any progress from cup glory. While he has drawn praise for a historic trophy, the current stretch has intensified calls for answers and stability as the club awaits a breakthrough in the league. The manager’s future remains a topic of intense scrutiny among supporters and inside the club, with next fixtures likely to determine whether he can arrest the decline or face mounting pressure from both fans and boardroom voices.