What Jimmy Thelin told Aberdeen players after first league defeat – 'He sees the big picture'

Sivert Nilsen insists emotions do not control Aberdeen as boss Jimmy Thelin sees the big picture.

The Dons head for Edinburgh on Tuesday night to face Hibs, determined not to let the loss of an unbeaten Premiership record dim the ambitions of the club. Defeat at St Mirren ended the brilliant top-flight run as the Reds went down 2-1 in Paisley. However, Thelin refused to play a blame game, insisting it was crucial to learn from mistakes and focus on the next steps.

Nilsen says the manager’s calm and philosophical outlook seeps through the squad. The midfielder has seen it all before during his time with the gaffer at Elfsborg, with his measured take on events in Paisley and throughout his Pittodrie tenure key to the success of the squad. Nilsen said: “He sees the big picture so that’s something he takes over to the group as well, that we are focusing on the right things.

“The emotions don’t control us, so that’s a very important thing now. It helps a lot, for sure, that you know the manager is a good one and one I’ve learned a lot from. And I felt like I wanted to learn more from him.

“Also, I know in my head he’s a guy who gets good results because he’s a smart man and that’s a journey I want to be a part of. It’s a big part of why I came. He’s a very demanding manager and he has high standards, so that’s one of the things he’s Dons fans made their feelings on the squad abundantly clear following the loss in Paisley.

Freezing cold having had to wait an extra hour for the game to kick-off, the Dons punters then had to suffer as their side succumbed to a first league loss in 12. But their response at full-time spoke volumes as they stood to applaud their heroes.

Nilsen wanted to give them another success as he added: