Mats Knoester: ‘Crazy’ for Jimmy Thelin to take all of blame for easy-to-beat Aberdeen
Aberdeen's Knoester defends boss Thelin, who prepared his players for 'everything' ahead of a defeat at Dundee United which further worsened a series of dire stats around the Swede's side.
Aberdeen centre-back Mats Knoester says it is “crazy” for boss Jimmy Thelin to carry the can for their dreadful start to the season – and the soft Dons players need “to look in the mirror”.
A 2-0 defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice on Tuesday extended the Dons’ winless (and goalless) Premiership start to five matches – a 26-year low.
In what has been a deeply-concerning opening to the campaign following the euphoria of the Scottish Cup success in May, Thelin’s team, rather than going from strength to strength, have just one league point so far.
They have also missed out on the Europa League and, on Saturday, exited the Premier Sports Cup at the hands of this weekend’s league opponents Motherwell.
There are a host of bad stats to choose from, but on the league front, under Thelin, it is now just five victories in 32 league matches dating back to November last year.
While the Swede and his players were booed off by the Aberdeen fans for the third successive match on Tuesday, The Press and Journal understands the Dons board are still backing Thelin’s three-year project, which started last summer.
Knoester – who played 90 minutes in the loss to United – says Thelin prepared his squad for “everything” at Tannadice – and it was the players who “gave it away in two moments”.
He said: “We need to get out of this for everybody.
“You always see the manager as the one who is taking the responsibility, but it is 11 players on the pitch who are not doing well – it is our responsibility as well to take it.
“I have to say our manager prepared us for everything and, again, we gave it away in two moment.
“It is a bit crazy just to say the manager is to blame.
“The players need to look in the mirror and do better.”
‘We aren’t getting destroyed… but you have to fix it’
Like for Aberdeen fans, the Scottish Cup final win over Celtic – and the extended party which followed – feels a long time ago for Knoester.
However, he is taking heart from his view, while Thelin’s team are losing, they are not being “destroyed” in games.
But Knoester recognises the current performances and results – which have Aberdeen propping up the Premiership – simply cannot go on.
“It is hard to talk about the Scottish Cup now because it is a new season and we are in this situation now,” Knoester said.
“If I have to look at the positive side, we aren’t getting destroyed in games and it is just small things we need to do right in games.
“If that happens week after week, you have to fix it.
“Even if it is small things in a game, it can be disastrous if it keeps going.”
Knoester’s view on why Aberdeen keep losing
Knoester thinks Aberdeen, with a squad revamped in the summer and subject to significant investment, CAN get back on track.
The Dutch defender – who has experience of coming through tough times before, at previous clubs Heracles and Ferencvaros – gave a detailed assessment of how he thinks softness in both defence and attack is what is costing the Reds.
He said: “We can fix it, but we need to do it.
“It is the same story week in, week out.
“In a lot of the games we give it away very easily.
“Also, when we create chances, we don’t seem to force things – as Dundee United did.
“With all respect, they didn’t do anything special, but they put us on the back foot, they created momentum and got something out of it.
“We forget to do that and it has been like that for a few games.
“We have done well in the (start of the) game and have had possession of the ball, but we haven’t created too many chances and then we lose a goal and the game.
“We need to be better in surviving difficult moments and also to be a lot more clinical in the end phase.”
‘I don’t feel tense’ – Knoester
Thelin himself suggested Aberdeen’s failure (again) to create clear-cut chances in attack, before being punished by hosts United, was a result of his under-fire side starting “stiff”.
But Knoester, while admitting he is feeling increasing pressure from the Dons’ current plight, insists he personally doesn’t feel tension affecting his play.
He said: “Personally, I don’t feel tense in a way of playing.
“Of course, there is pressure on us because the results are not good. You definitely feel a pressure – but that is also good and necessary because the expectations are high.
“They should be high for a club like Aberdeen and we just need to handle that and try and get this mindset we have nothing to lose.
“We haven’t had a good result yet, apart from a cup game.”
Time for Dons to be hard on each other
The sole domestic victory so far came in the previous round of the League Cup – a 3-0 win over Championship Morton – with Saturday’s 1-0 loss at home to top-flight rivals Motherwell ending the Dons interest in this season’s first domestic trophy.
This Saturday, Aberdeen visit Well in Premiership, with Knoester looking for a “bit of revenge” to get their campaign going.
He says the Reds need to be “hard on ourselves and each other” in the coming days in an attempt to get a desperately-needed result.
“It is always the older and more experienced guys who have to take the responsibility and lift up the team. At the same time, they need to hold people accountable,” Knoester said.
“We have to be hard on each other and ourselves and then after that get back on your feet, get together and start to turn it around.”
[Source: Press and Journal]
