Gothenburg Great Eric Black insists the Scandinavian market should be a prime target for Aberdeen under new manager Jimmy Thelin.
The former Dons striker is excited at the prospect of a fresh start for his former club under Swedish boss Thelin.
Black, who scored the first goal in the 2-1 win against Real Madrid in the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup final in Gothenburg, hopes Thelin’s knowledge of Scandinavian players can open up a new market for Aberdeen.
He said: “Jimmy Thelin’s arrival is refreshing and for one will give us a more in-depth knowledge of the Scandinavian market.
“You just need to look at what Ange Postecolgou did at Celtic with his knowledge of Asian football.
“Clubs can know about markets, but not really trust it because they don’t know it enough.
“Thelin will give the club a huge insight into the Scandinavian market.
“In my experience of the players there they are robust, technically good, powerful and in in most cases will speak English.
“They can come in ready made, and obviously the climate here doesn’t worry them too much.
“It’s a great market, but whether he will go into it or not I have no idea. But certainly it’s an avenue which can be explored more than it has been.”
Dons can find another Miovski
Thelin is running the rule over his players in Portugal in a training camp this week and one of the new faces being put through his paces is striker Bojan Miovski.
The forward, the leading scorer last season for the club with 26 goals, is expected to attract major bids this summer from interested clubs.
Black knows the Dons face a fight to hang on to their star striker, but believes the club can find a quality replacement if the North Macedonia international leaves the club.
He said: “Miovski has been exceptional. I know now the challenge is to try to retain him and like every Aberdeen supporter I am hoping he will stay.
“It’s maybe looking unlikely, but I don’t know the ins and outs.
“That’s the nature of football clubs now, though – if you score 26 goals you are going to be sought after.
“It will have happened to 40% of clubs in Europe just now and it’s how you transition which matters.
“You need to have the infrastructure, the internal back-up to find and get the next one.
“That’s the challenge for the club if he goes and it’s not an impossible one.
“If he does stay great, but if he leaves I’m sure they will find another in two or three weeks.
“Whether he can score 26 goals or not I’ve no idea, but I’m sure he will make a contribution.”
‘Setting the tone is key’ for Thelin
The Dons are into week two of their preparations for the new season, which begins next weekend with a trip to Queen of the South in the Premier Sports Cup.
Black believes pre-season is the most important period for any new manager coming into a club.
He said: “Thelin is hands on with the players now, so of course pre-season camps are important.
“I’ve been on so many of them, probably about 40 as a player or coach, and it’s a time for interacting, getting to know people and setting the tone.
“As a coach you can pull two or three guys and get to know them while they get to know you.
“I worked with Steve Bruce for 10 years or so, and any club we went into the key thing was always setting the tone and creating the atmosphere of what our work was going to be and what coming into your work every day was going to be about.
“That’s a key thing. You can have all the philosophies of how you want to play, but if the atmosphere within the club is not right you are going to struggle.
“But from what I’m reading and hearing, he is certainly doing that and it sounds encouraging.”
Black humbled to become patron of AFC Community Trust
Black, 60, was speaking at the announcement of his appointment as a patron of Aberdeen FC Community Trust.
The Trust is celebrating its 10th year and turned to arguably the most famous number 10 in the club’s history to help commemorate their special year.
Black said: “I was approached last year by Liz to see whether I would consider being a patron for the year for the Trust’s 10th anniversary.
“I was very humbled to be asked, which is why I said yes straight away.
“We all know they do good work, but if I’m honest I was slightly ignorant as to just how deep into the community they go.
“The aspects of where they touch is just remarkable and, as I said, I’m humbled to be asked and now educating myself in the workings of the Trust.”
Black involved in Trust activities
The Gothenburg Great spent time with pupils at St Joseph’s Primary School and shared stories of his career with the football memories group on Monday.
He joined an active ageing walking group along the beachfront and visited one of the Trust’s partner schools, Northfield Academy, on Tuesday.
He said: “My visit on Monday to St Joseph’s was amazing and there were a lot of bright kids.
“I asked one of the girls to explain the game to me – and I guarantee she’ll be a mastermind shortly.
“She was eight or nine, but so articulate in how she explained the game to me.
“The football is how you engage these kids, but the rest, encompassing social behaviour, is remarkable.
“I also spent time with the football memories group and it was fabulous. I could have spent the whole day there talking to them and listening to their stories.
“The detail these men and women who have followed football and Aberdeen (have) is fantastic.”
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