Aberdeen’s week-long training camp in Portugal will be fundamental to Jimmy Thelin’s bid to deliver success in the upcoming campaign.
Manager Thelin is only into his second week working with the squad during pre-season training and time is of the essence.
Aberdeen’s season begins with a Premier Sports Cup group stage tie away to Queen of the South on Saturday July 13.
The clock is rapidly ticking down on the new season – which is why Thelin’s week in the Algarve will be key, as it offers an invaluable window to the Swede to understand the players and build his team.
Thelin worked for a week with the Dons at Cormack Park before jetting out to Portugal.
He will have got an early insight into their strengths and weaknesses as players and how they can – or cannot – fit into his long-term plans going forward.
However, the players, and Thelin, all went home after those training sessions in the Granite City.
Out here, in the near-30-degree heat they are together all day, every day – and that time will be important.
Portugal also offers Thelin the first opportunity to work with star striker Bojan Miovski, who missed the first week of pre-season.
Miovski was given a week extension to his break because he was on international duty with North Macedonia during the summer.
The 25-year-old. who is on the radar of clubs across Europe, met up with Thelin and the Dons in the Algarve.
As the mercury rises, Thelin has put the Dons through double training sessions in the isolation of their remote training camp.
He will be able to put across his ideas, tactics, demands and standards to the players and work hard on integrating that into the team.
However, it is away from the training pitch that really matters out here in Portugal.
Thelin will have a week to bond with the players and gain their trust, and for the players to likewise gain his trust.
Aberdeen officially confirmed Thelin as manager on April 18.
However, the 46-year-old opted to remain at Elfsborg until the Swedish top-flight entered a summer break on June 1.
During that six-week period after agreeing to join the Dons, he gave his all to leading Elfsborg – but did his homework on the Aberdeen squad at night.
However, you can only get so much information from watching videos and reading reports.
A manager only fully understands a player, and if he can fit into his plans, when taking them through training sessions and getting to know them away from football.
And you cannot get a sense of the personality of a player from videos.
That is where spending every day together in Portugal will be a valuable foundation as Thelin plots a plan to deliver success to the club.
Thelin has organised activities such as a quiz night and games of Jenga to forge that bond with him, his coaching staff and the squad.
A team that laughs together and are friends fight together to get wins and glory.
Portugal also offers the opportunity for players to stake a claim to be part of Thelin’s plans as he has confirmed it will be a clean slate for all.
That could offer a route to a first-team return for Vicente Besuijen, who has been frozen out for 18 months under two different managers.
Signed for £400,000 from ADO Den Haag in January 2022, Besuijen was on loan at Dutch club FC Emmen last season.
The winger scored in seven of eight games, and also pitched in with an assist, in Emmen’s run to the semi-finals of the promotion play-offs.
Besuijen, who has two years left on his Dons deal, could be the type of winger to fit into Thelin’s plans.
He can prove that in Portugal.
Aberdeen will begin the Thelin era at Queen of the South’s Palmerston Park, but the vital work will have been done 1,800 miles away in Portugal.
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