Jimmy Thelin on the lessons that his Aberdeen players must learn before battle in Bucharest
The Dons fought back to a 2-2 draw to earn a Europa League shoot-out in the second leg
Jimmy Thelin has acknowledged that Aberdeen have to learn lessons and can’t keep gifting goals if they want to realise their Europa League dream.
The goals were lost as Jack Milne was caught out of position and then Gavin Molloy and Mats Knoester got in a tangle for the second, before strikes from Dante Polvara and Ester Sokler bailed them out.
It means the tie goes down to next Thursday’s clash in the National Arena in Bucharest to decide who goes into the group stages of the Europa League and Conference League.
The Aberdeen manager stated: “We have some really strong learning points, in the way we gave away the goals they scored. “It doesn’t matter if it is the Europa League, a play-off or a league or cup game, we can’t put ourselves in these situations.
“We started the second half and after 50 seconds we were two down in such an important game, but we still found a way to give us a chance. “It is difficult to win at that moment but it gave us the chance to stay in the Europa League.
“The mentality was the positive thing. “We now have one week to improve, talk through this and be really strong and prepared for a really strong performance in the second leg.”
The Scottish Cup winners had also been pretty toothless at the top end of the park this season in the Premiership but they came alive with their late Pittodrie comeback.
Thelin believes his team are now starting to click as an attacking force. He claimed: “We had some good chances in the first half. It is these small moments that kept us in the game and the quality they have when they get opportunities.
“In the League Cup (against Morton), we showed we are starting to produce more situations inside the box.
“That is something we are really working hard with. We didn’t create so much in the first two games in the league and even on Thursday before they were one man down we were arriving much better into the box to create situations.
“We need to keep working on this and just work on the last part, where to put the pass or where to arrive in the attacking zones is the last thing we need to produce better. At least, the ball is arriving there and we have players there and it comes down to the timing.
“Again, I have to be proud of how we came back but we have to do much better in the games.”
A big thing for Aberdeen was the Red Army stayed behind them in times of adversity, against a Romanian side who were bang average and travelled to Scotland without any real ambition of trying to win the game.
“In the first moment our 12th player was the supporters,” Thelin insisted. “The surroundings at Pittodrie helped us to stay in the game and in the fight to give us a chance to go through in the second leg. “That is the most positive thing and also the mentality of the players because it is so difficult the way we conceded the goals. “The mentality and the supporters were the difference to give us that extra punch and energy.”
Aberdeen have a free weekend to prepare for Bucharest and Thelin expects FCSB to be very different from the way they played things out at Pittodrie.
Thelin, speaking to RedTV, confirmed: “It is going to be a different type of game. “If you look at them when they play away from home but we also have one week to prepare and be ready for it.
“”We have to have a strong belief and maybe make some little adjustments from home and away and we will be ready.”