Defender Jack MacKenzie insists the Aberdeen players would be happy for Peter Leven to remain interim boss for the rest of the season.
The Aberdeen hierarchy are still searching for a permanent manager more than two months after Barry Robson was axed.
Elfsborg manager Jimmy Thelin is one of the Pittodrie board’s top targets for the post.
It is understood Thelin is keen on a potential move to Aberdeen but is reluctant to leave Elfsborg without a boss so early in the season.
The Swedish Allsvenskan only started last weekend.
Elfsborg have warned Aberdeen they will fight to retain Thelin who is contracted until the end of the 2026 Swedish season.
Aberdeen are in the late stages in the hunt for a manager but it is understood the board could be willing to wait until the summer to land their top target.
Leven has confirmed he is ready to manage the Dons until the end of the campaign if it helps land the preferred managerial candidate.
MacKenzie insists the players would be content with that situation as Leven has been “brilliant” since taking on the interim manager’s role.
He said: “The club can trust Peter to take the team to the end of the season and if that’s what they need, absolutely.
“As players, we would be happy with that.
“We all enjoy the way he wants to play and are on board with it.
“We all really like Peter and he’s been brilliant since he came in here, not just as the manager but as a coach as well.
“All the boys love him and we’re happy to be working with him.
“He’s got a way of playing and we have taken to that as well. ”
‘He has instilled a lot of confidence’
Leven was informed by the Pittodrie hierarchy earlier this week that he would be in the dugout for today’s trip to Livingston.
That allowed the 40-year-old and the squad full focus to prepare for the game away from any distractions of the ongoing search for a new manager.
Leven has led the Dons to back-to-back Premiership wins to greatly reduce the threat of relegation.
Today Aberdeen will bid to win three successive league matches for the first time this season.
Left-back MacKenzie, 23, said: “Has his (Leven’s) relationship with us changed?
“I wouldn’t say too much, he’s got a good relationship with everyone.
“He’s instilled a lot of confidence in the boys, obviously winning helps with that.
“We are on board with what he wants to do.
“He’s been doing a great job and that will continue.”
‘We feel in a better place’
Aberdeen had hoped to appoint a new manager during the international break but failed to deliver within that time frame.
Pittodrie chief executive Alan Burrows recently said the search for a new manager was “entering the very final stages”.
Leven inherited a squad faced with the threat of relegation that had failed to win any of the six league fixtures under previous interim boss Neil Warnock.
The Dons sit a lowly ninth in the Premiership table.
MacKenzie said: “A club like Aberdeen shouldn’t be in the situation we’re in.
“However we are, and we have to get out of it.
“It’s all about fighting our way to more wins.
“We feel in a lot better place after winning the last two games.
“That’s three out of four we’ve won now.
“The season has been a bit of a head-scratcher because our form in the cups has been very good and we played well in Europe.
“The league has been our issue and the fact we’ve not won three in a row so far says it all really.
“That’s a damning stat.
“But we have been winning games again recently and we want to have a strong finish to the season.”
Memorable goal celebration at Livingston
MacKenzie will today return to the stadium where he scored his first senior goal for Aberdeen.
He netted in injury time in a 2-1 win against Livingston on August 8, 2021 to spark wild celebrations by the travelling Red Army.
MacKenzie said: “I have good memories of Livingston after scoring my first goal there.
“The celebrations were a bit wild because it was the first away game fans were allowed back in after lockdown.
“So everyone was fired up.
“That was a brilliant moment in my career so I’d love another moment like that this weekend.
“I think I’m due a goal because of the amount of shots I’ve had
“It’s always a tough game down at Livingston.
“They are fighting for their lives so we will have to be on our game.”
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