Aberdeen full-back Jack MacKenzie believes new manager Jimmy Thelin will help make him a more potent attacking threat.
The 24-year-old defender reckons he needs to improve going forward from the left-back role to deliver more assists.
MacKenzie says Thelin’s drive to create a “high, pressing, direct, fast, attacking team” will accelerate his own bid to become more dangerous in attack.
Defender MacKenzie has started all three games so far under Thelin in the Premier Sports Cup group stage.
Thelin boasts a 100 percent win rate in the Pittodrie hot-seat, albeit against lower league opposition, and Aberdeen top Group A.
MacKenzie said: “The manager can help benefit the attacking side of my game.
“When I look back to last season I think that my attacking play did improve.
“However, I am still looking to massively improve that as I still didn’t have the number of assists and chances created that I would like.
“That’s something I’m looking at this season.”
‘He wants us to be more high pressing and direct’
Although officially confirmed as Aberdeen manager on April 16, Thelin had to wait three months to make his Pittodrie dugout debut.
Thelin opted to remain at Elfsborg until the Swedish top-flight entered a summer break.
By then the Scottish season was over and in the close season.
He led the Reds for the first time in the Granite City in a 2-1 Premier Sports Cup defeat of Airdrie on Tuesday.
Thelin has had little more than a month to work with the Dons since the squad returned for pre-season training.
But MacKenzie insists his football ethos is already being embraced by the squad.
He said: “The manager has come in with his ideas of playing and we have worked on that a lot in training.
“You can see signs of that in the games.
“For us it is just about building the way he wants us to play and keeping improving.
“He wants us to be more high pressing and direct.
“We want to be a fast, attacking team.
“When it works it is brilliant.
“I really enjoy playing it and am really enjoying training.
“All the players are.”
Hoping for the return of stability
Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack battled hard to secure Thelin amid much resistance from Elfsborg, who were desperate to retain the 46-year-old.
Thelin led Elfsborg to a runners-up finish in the Swedish top-flight last season.
Pittodrie’s board have burned through mangers in recent seasons.
The axe fell on Barry Robson (January 2024), Jim Goodwin (January 2023), Stephen Glass (February 2022) and Derek McInnes (March 2021).
There was also a disastrous interim manager period under Neil Warnock last season which lasted just 38 days before he quit.
MacKenzie hopes the arrival of Thelin is the catalyst for stability.
He said: “Over my time in the first team it has been a bit chop and change with the managers and coaching staff.
“I’m hoping this one will be for the long term.
“I have absolutely loved it so far under the new manager.
“He has looked to instill a real culture and team spirit in the club.
“That’s important to him and it is important to us as well.
“We are still in the transfer window so players will come and leave.
“I feel there is a strong team spirit and that will grow as the games go on.”
‘I want to keep moving forward’
MacKenzie made 39 appearances last season as he established himself as a first-team regular.
He has retained that position by starting every game under Thelin so far.
MacKenzie aims to continue his career trajectory at Pittodrie by bringing further improvement to his game this season.
He said: “Just playing the games last season was important for me.
“It was probably the first season I have stayed relatively injury free.
“It is so difficult to get a rhythm when you come out for a few weeks then play again.
“Last season I had a decent run of games and now want to kick on even more.
“I felt I had a big jump last season in terms of my performances and am looking for the same again.
“I’m not looking to stand still. I want to keep moving forward.
“This season I want to get better and improve myself further, which will hopefully help the team as well.”
‘I need to be a mature head in the dressing room’
It is now more than three years since MacKenzie made his first-team debut when he started in a 1-0 loss to Dundee United in March 2021.
He is the only player from that team still at Pittodrie.
As one of the longest-serving players at the club, he aims to make his experience count.
MacKenzie said: “I’m 24 now and need to be a mature head in the dressing room.
“We have quite a few younger players there, so it is important.”
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