Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin believes the “drive and passion” of chairman Dave Cormack will be key to the bid to bring success back to Pittodrie.
United States-based Cormack fought hard to secure Thelin from Elfsborg.
The Swedish top-flight club were reluctant to lose the 46-year-old who led them to a league runners-up finish last season.
Elfsborg had previously beaten off interest from Sunderland and Swansea who were linked with moves for Thelin in December.
A Belgian club, understood to be Westerlo, were also tracking Thelin.
Thelin was also linked with the Sweden manager’s job following the departure of Janne Andersson last November.
However Aberdeen chief executive Alan Burrows recently said Cormack was “relentless” in his pursuit of Thelin and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Cormack eventually got his man when securing Thelin on a three-year contract.
Thelin said: “For me, it’s good that the chairman has that drive as a person
“I have good talks and good relations with him.
“If you want to achieve something you have to have passion and drive.
“And to manage sometimes when times get tough, to keep moving.
“That’s a signal that’s positive.
“That he (Cormack) has this drive and passion about making progress.”
There has been a large turnaround in managers at Pittodrie in recent years.
The Pittodrie hierarchy axed Barry Robson (January 2024), Jim Goodwin (January 2023), Stephen Glass (February 2022) and Derek McInnes (March 2021).
There was also the disastrous period of Neil Warnock who quit after just 33 days in the interim manager role.
The message from Elfsborg players and supporters is that Thelin will bring success to Aberdeen, but it could take time and patience.
Thelin says he has discussed a timeline for success with Cormack.
He said: “We need it step by step.
“If football was so easy and you flip a coin and everything is good tomorrow then no one would work.
“Everyone would sit down and relax.
“We have also talked about the timeline.”
Aberdeen have returned to the Granite City after a week-long training camp in Portugal.
Dons supporters will see Thelin in the dugout for the first time when facing Peterhead away in a friendly on Wednesday.
Thelin only missed out on landing the Swedish top flight title last season on goal difference, edged out by Malmo.
The 46-year-old has been tasked with bringing success back to the Pittodrie club after last season’s bottom-six finish.
‘You cannot promise anything’
Normally a new manager will make promises and set targets to appease fans early.
There is none of that from Thelin who remains refreshingly honest.
Thelin wants to get Aberdeen back onto the European stage after the club played in the Europa Conference League group stage last season.
However he says he can promise one thing only, that he and his squad will give their all.
And hopefully success comes from that.
He said: “You cannot promise anything.
“My hope is that we take the steps and be stable on the European spots and try to achieve something.
“What I can promise is that we will do everything we can to get better and to grow as a team and a club.
“And when you do that, that is when you get results.
“So we have to stick to that.
“Sitting here on the first day and promising a lot of things is not a good way.”
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