Jimmy Thelen: Aberdeen coach was sacked after five games without a win

Thielen was under pressure earlier in the season, as Aberdeen took just one point from their opening six league games and were knocked out of the Premier League Cup at the hands of Motherwell.

However, improvement at domestic level has given the former Elfsborg coach more time.

Aberdeen, who play Rangers in their next two matches, sit second bottom in the Conference League stage with just two points, with Thielen having won just eight of a possible 30 games in all competitions since Hampden’s win.

“I’m not going to talk too much about the game, but more about ourselves,” Thielen said after Saturday’s loss. “Desire, there are a lot of individual decisions.”

“Football is more than technique and systems. It’s how you behave on the football field. It’s about responsibility. We’ve been here before, we’ve gone back, but now we’ve taken some steps back.

“Even if you don’t have a perfect game, you should always feel like we’re giving the fans everything, and we’re not doing that now. That’s not good enough.

“I’m the coach, I’m in charge, but sometimes the players have to look in the mirror and know what football is about. We have to let go of our egos and play better as a team.”