Paul Third: Can Jimmy Thelin get a new tune out of his Aberdeen players?

If you will pardon the ABBA puns, Knowing Me, Knowing You will be The Name of the Game for all concerned at Aberdeen this week.

The countdown is now firmly under way for the Jimmy Thelin era at Aberdeen with Dons fans having less than two weeks to wait for their first glimpse of their new-look side in action.

It has been a case of out of sight if not quite out of mind in terms of Aberdeen’s Swedish manager and his preparations for the new season so far.

The Dons continue their build-up to the new season in Portugal this week in what will be an important period for the manager, his backroom staff and players old and new.

For Thelin, it’s a chance to get inside the heads of his squad, to find out what makes them tick and establish what techniques he needs to utilise to get the best out of them.

Who needs the arm round the shoulder or warrants the proverbial boot up the backside?

Those distinctions are important.

It’s certainly an easier job to do in pre-season when pressure is nil and all that early campaign optimism is surging through the squad.

Communication is key for Thelin

It’s telling that captain Graeme Shinnie revealed in his pre-Portugal chat with the club’s website that he first spoke to his manager at the end of the season and a couple of additional chats have already taken place.

Clearly communication is key in the Dons boss’ book given new arrivals Peter Ambrose, Gavin Molloy and Dimitar Mitov all referenced the discussions they had with Thelin prior to signing on the dotted line to join the club.

There is little doubt more of that lies ahead.

What has been apparent from Thelin’s interviews so far, and the glimpses of life inside Cormack Park, is the importance the Dons manager places on being able to get his message across.

There will be no them and us, only we, whether that’s the coaching staff, the players or the fans watching from the sidelines.

Shinnie is already ensuring he does his bit by making sure his new team-mates are aware their karaoke initiation will be required this week in front of the staff at the team hotel.

It’s all part of the bond-building process Thelin clearly places so much stock in.

Jimmy Thelin needs the trust of Aberdeen players

The biggest quality any manager possesses is trust.

Without it the chances of getting your players to execute your plan are slim to put it mildly.

A new manager’s arrival heralds the start of a judging process but it’s a two-way street.

He may be assessing his players but rest assured that same group will be sizing up their new man in charge.

Getting a group to buy into your methods and your plan can only be achieved if they believe in what you are doing and that you are helping make them better.

Without it you are facing an uphill task from day one – and there have been numerous examples of doubting Thomases put in that position at clubs.

But the early noises from Aberdeen suggest the new manager is making progress already.

We’ll all get the chance to see soon enough just how much has been made.