Aberdeen suffer new low as Thelin faces mounting pressure after 2-0 loss to Dundee United

Aberdeen’s Premiership campaign hit another low as they were beaten 2-0 by Dundee United at Tannadice, leaving the Dons at the foot of the table with no wins and no goals from their opening five league matches. Ivan Dolcek and Bert Esselink fired United to a win that propelled them to third, while Aberdeen’s plight deepened as they trudged through another frustrating night. The defeat sparked a furious reaction from travelling supporters and left manager Jimmy Thelin under mounting pressure ahead of Saturday’s trip to Motherwell.

Speaking after the game, Thelin acknowledged the depth of Aberdeen’s troubles but insisted he still believes his players can turn things around. 'We’re rock bottom with no wins and no goals, so the only thing we can do is become better,' he said. 'When you sign a contract here, you take responsibility. Everyone is working hard but they don’t have the performance level right now. Of course it hurts when you see the frustration of the fans. The job is to put a smile on the faces of the fans and feel this connection. The writing appears to be on the wall for Jimmy Thelin as Aberdeen are beaten again. We feel the same anger, frustration, but the only way to fix it is to step up and do much better on Saturday. We can’t hide. When you are in tough times, you have to give everything. We need to show them on Saturday. I have strong belief in these players. We are playing stiffly now because of the pressure but we have nothing to lose. We have to find an answer, as a manager and staff.'

Defeat at Tannadice left Aberdeen bottom on 0 goals scored in the league this season, and the reaction of the support underscored the sense that something must change soon. The club will head to Motherwell seeking a first league point of the campaign and a response that can steady a team that has spent heavily in the close season but so far produced little on the pitch.

Jim Goodwin, the former Dons manager who now coaches United, offered sympathy for Thelin’s predicament. 'I know what the man is going through and I sympathise with any manager in that situation,' Goodwin said after United’s win. 'We were all talking about Hibs and David Gray last year when they were bottom but David found a way to get a tune out of the team. Aberdeen spent a fortune in the summer, and that’s why I was a wee bit nervous coming into this game because their run can’t continue with the quality they have. We were on a bit of a hiding to nothing but I’m sure Jimmy will respect my concern isn’t Aberdeen. It was probably our most complete performance of the season so far.'

With United’s victory lifting them into the upper tiers of the table and Aberdeen’s crisis deepening, Thelin and his staff face a crucial challenge in the build-up to the weekend trip to Motherwell. The club has stressed resilience, but supporters are eager for a tangible improvement that can halt this ominous slide and restore a sense of momentum after a sequence that has left Aberdeen searching for answers on and off the pitch.