Who is new Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin? What tactics does he utilise? What is his footballing philosophy and what can he bring to Aberdeen?
I flew to Sweden to find out.
The 46-year-old bade an emotional farewell to home fans as he signed signed off with a 2-0 win against Halmstads BK in his final match at Elfsborg’s Boras Arena.
Elfsborg’s all-terraced “Grand Stand”, packed with the Guliganerna supporters group, was sold out.
Before kick-off Thelin walked out to a standing ovation as supporters chanted his name.
That never abated as fans created a cacophony for 90 minutes in celebration of Thelin and to say thank you to the manager who took them to within goal difference of the Swedish league title last season.
On the full-time whistle, the chants for Thelin ramped up.
However, Thelin put his players first, pushing them forward and urging them to take applause from the chanting fans, a sea of the club’s yellow and black colours.
Captain Johan Larsson led the chants in celebration of Thelin with a megaphone.
Then he handed the megaphone to Thelin.
He admitted he was also going to sing a song, but couldn’t remember one.
The stadium dropped into silence as the new Dons boss delivered his final message to Elfsborg’s home support.
When he finished talking the stadium erupted in song again.
On the touchline there ae no histrionics as he remained ice cool against Halmstad no matter how heated the game got.
Thelin stood at the sides directing his players, like a chess grandmaster moving his pieces.
His calmness transmits to the players.
Managing only the tip of the iceberg
From talking to current Elfsborg players and supporters alike, it is clear Thelin is loved at the Swedish club.
He also clearly loves the club and fans so moving to Aberdeen will be an emotional wrench after six-and-a-half years at the Boras Arena.
Thelin will exit Elfsborg as a club legend.
For all the fans’ and players’ sadness at his imminent departure, it also comes with an acknowledgement it was inevitable.
There is no bitterness at his exit as they feel the time is right for Thelin to move to another country.
He exits with their blessing and a strong conviction that Thelin will be a success in Scotland.
During my time in the beautiful city of Boras in south-west Sweden, population of 114,000, the biggest takeaway is Thelin is Mr Elfsborg.
Selecting the team and formulating the tactics are just the tip of a very big iceberg.
Thelin is deeply embedded into every aspect of the club and he has given Elfsborg an identity.
Club control like Sir Alex Ferguson
Make no mistake.
Thelin has not joined Aberdeen to be a “yes man”.
He is coming to the Granite City to build a team, a club and a lasting legacy of success.
And Thelin will not dilute his vision.
Thelin is very much in the mould of Sir Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen and Manchester United.
Sir Alex was infinitely more than a manager.
He controlled everything at the club, driving standards at every single level.
Thelin is the same at Elfsborg, the beating heart of the club propelling everything.
And the overwhelming consensus within Elfsborg and Boras is that he can be the same at Aberdeen – if given time.
Because overhauling a team, and maybe a club, is no overnight fix.
It took 18 months to begin to see the pay-off from Thelin’s work at Elfsborg.
And it could take a similar time-frame at Aberdeen, so it is vital the Pittodrie board hold their nerve and show faith in the process.
Elfsborg are ‘Sweden’s smartest club’ under Thelin’s guidance
Under the guidance of Thelin, Elfsborg are now known as “Sweden’s smartest club”.
That is because Elfsborg make all the correct decisions in terms of signings in, transfers out, financial calls and success on the pitch.
And the X-factor driving that is Thelin.
One journalist in Boras told me Elfsborg had around £1million in the bank when Thelin arrived. They now have £30m due to his shrewd business in the transfer market.
The clock on his departure has been ticking down for more than a month now until Thelin finally exits Elfsborg after the away clash at bitter rivals IFK Goteborg on June 1.
It underlines just how deeply embedded Thelin is within the club that he opted to stay until the summer break.
Thelin’s are big shoes to fill.
Thelin’s tactics in defeat of Halmstad
Tactically against Halmstads BK, Thelin set up in a 4-3-3 formation but moved away from his favoured low block tactic.
That was primarily because Halmstad adopted the same strategy and the outcome was Elfsborg had far more possession than normal in games.
With the low block strategy, Elfsborg normally focus on protecting their defensive third of the pitch.
They are extremely tight in a deep position, defending the area close to goal.
However, against Halmstads BK, Thelin set his team up with a far higher defensive line and press.
The philosophy was the same though – to hit on the counter-attack.
Ahead of the defence, the midfield and attack are also compact and disciplined with distances between the units at a minimum.
Elfsborg are the football equivalent of Muhammad Ali’s “rope-a-dope” in the Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire in 1974.
Ali sat back on the ropes and soaked up the punches from George Foreman in the world heavyweight title fight before hitting a devastating offensive counter-attack.
Thelin adopts the same counter-attack philosophy with Elfsborg set up to soak up the pressure with minimum damage before hitting back at the optimum moment.
When the time is right, bang, Elfsborg hit with a rapid counter-attack that leaves opponents reeling.
Elfsborg’s counter-attacks are not wild “haymaker” long balls hoisted up front to a target man.
They are systematic, clinical and incisive combinations of passes, switches of play, dribbles and forays down the wing or through the channels.
The opening goal against Halmstads BK was a rapid counter-attack that initiated deep in Elfsborg’s half.
In eight rapid fire, accurate passes the ball was in Halmstads BK’s penalty area for Ahmed Qasem to fire home from six yards.
Like Ali, who stopped Foreman, this counter-attack is highly effective and can deliver a knock-out blow.
Dominating possession an anomaly
The threat had been there before the opening goal as in the 43rd minute Elfsborg flooded forward when a Halmstads BK attack disintegrated.
In two passes, Elfsborg raced from their own box into their opponents’ penalty area.
Before Halmstad could regroup, in the blink of an eye, Arber Zeneli had the ball in the box and was only denied the opener when keeper Tim Erlansson pulled off a superb save.
Eventually it paid off with Qasem’s opener.
After celebrating with his team-mates Qasem made a beeline to celebrate with manager Thelin.
It was 2-0 in the 89th minute when Johan Larsson converted from close range.
Only the heroics of Halmstad keeper Erlansson prevented this being a more emphatic win in Thelin’s home farewell.
Elfsborg had 61% of the ball against Halmstad.
But dominating possession is an anomaly for Thelin’s team.
Against league champions Malmo on May 5 Elfsborg had just 18% of possession – but won 3-1.
There is a perception that giving up the ball for long spells can be boring and negative.
It is not.
There is an excitement to Elfsborg’s play because when they attack it is so decisive and quick it has fans up in their seats.
Open, engaging, funny and humble
During my time in Boras, the mantra from Elfsborg supporters and players alike was Aberdeen need to show patience with Thelin’s tactics – as it will pay off.
Whether Thelin adopts these tactics within Scotland remains to be seen, but they have served him well throughout his time at Elfsborg.
Thelin is a modern manager, highly adaptable and is not rigidly locked into one definitive way of playing.
He can mix it up depending on opponents, as was shown against Halmstad.
I flew into Gothenburg and then took the 60 kilometre drive to Boras having heard reports that Thelin is Sweden’s most boring manager.
I chatted with the new Dons manager after a training session at Boras Arena and found him to be anything but boring.
He was open, engaging, funny and humble.
Thelin is clearly enthused to begin his Pittodrie career.
But for now all focus is on Elfsborg and he wants to bow out on a high in the remaining two fixtures.
He will lead out Elfsborg against defending Allsvenskan champions Malmo (Tuesday, May 28) before his final bow against IFK Goteborg on Saturday June 1.
There is a bitter rivalry between the clubs and beating IFK Goteborg will be a fitting finale for an Elfsborg legend.
It is perhaps apt that Thelin’s final game will be in the city of Aberdeen’s greatest triumph, where the Gothenburg Greats beat Real Madrid to claim the European Cup Winners’ Cup in May 1983.
Thelin will be charged with getting Aberdeen back into European football.
He exits having led Elfsborg into the Europa League qualifying rounds for 2024-25.
‘Jimmy will be great for Aberdeen if they give him time’
What is clear from my time in Boras is that Thelin loves this club, its supporters and the city.
It is reciprocated in spades.
Every fan I talked to whether at the game, in the streets or in restaurants are gutted to see him leave.
As I walked around the stadium pre-match, there was buzz of excitement as the fans were determined to give Thelin and his assistants Christer Persson and Emir Bajrami a memorable home send-off.
However, that was tempered by a palpable feeling of sadness.
The Jimmy Thelin era is ending for Elfsborg, the club he took from mid-table obscurity to the brink of league title glory.
Die-hard supporter Torrbeorn Lindstrom has not missed an Elfsborg game for decades, and even attends their open training sessions.
We sat in the baking hot sun, watching take the team through a training session at the Boras Arena, on the eve of the game.
Torrbeorn travelled to Thelin’s first pre-season with Elfsborg in Spain in 2016 when the manager had only started in the role.
He phoned many friends at Thelin’s former club Jonkopings Sodra IF for the lowdown on the boss, and they all gave glowing reports.
Torrbeorn spent two weeks at the training camp and talked with Thelin every day, forging a friendship.
That bond remains strong.
Torrbeorn said: “Jimmy is very honest. When he was younger he started his own club (FC Ljungarum) in 2005.
“So he knows what it takes to run a club. He has been great for Elfsborg.
“And he will be great for Aberdeen if they give him time.”
Eflsborg’s loss is Aberdeen’s gain. But as the people of Elfsborg and Boras say, give Thelin time and he will transform Aberdeen.
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