Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin has warned no one at Pittodrie can relax despite a nine game winning start to the season.
Swede Thelin has raced to the perfect start to his career in the Granite City by leading the Reds to nine wins from nine games in all competitions.
Aberdeen sit second in the Premiership table table and only trail leaders Celtic by goal difference.
Thelin’s in-form Dons are also in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final where they face League Two Spartans at Pittodrie.
However the 46-year-old says there can be no let up and will demand his players and the club push to constantly improve.
He warns losing that relentless drive to raise the bar will let other teams overtake Aberdeen and “take your spot”.
Thelin said: “If you want to be good in the long-term then you need to improve everyone all the time.
“Otherwise other teams will overtake you and take your spot.
“That is why nobody can relax.
“You always need that hunger for improvement.
“It can be tricky in the football world if you don’t keep working hard and prepare yourself in a good way.
“It is not so easy and there is a lot of work behind a victory.
“We need to be consistent with the performance from now until May which is a long time away and a lot of things can happen.
“We have to try to keep improving things and also keep the energy in the squad.”
‘It is not only the manager and players’
Thelin’s winning start to his Pittodrie career looked in jeopardy when drawing 0-0 with Ross County deep into time added on.
However the never-say-die Dons scored a dramatic winner via a Kevin Nisbet strike to secure a 1-0 victory.
In celebration of that goal Thelin shook hands with all the substitutes and backroom staff on the bench.
It was no one-off gesture in the euphoria of the last gasp winner.
Thelin shakes hands with all the staff in the Dons dugout after every goal.
He has done it since the first goal in the first game under his management, a 3-0 Premier Sports Cup away win against Queen of the South.
Thelin explains why… and why it is so important?
He said: “We celebrate together because everyone has an important role to play in this.
“For me, it’s important that everybody feels they have a big role and are part of this.
“We all have important parts to achieve success.
“It is not only the manager and players.
“It is the support staff around the team, all the people helping around the club.
“There are so many helping to achieve success.
“It is important everyone feels safe and are all working hard to be better everyday.
“It is not just the players but everyone.”
Thelin focusing on the future, not living in the past
Thelin led Elsborg to a runners-up finish in the Swedish top-flight last season, losing the league title race to Malmo only on goal difference.
It was the second time Thelin had secured an Allsvenskan runners-up finish with Elfsborg having also achieved that in 2020.
In 2015 Thelin won the Superettan title with Jönköpings Södra IF to secure top-flight football for the first time since 1969.
He has now delivered a flawless nine wins from nine as Aberdeen manager.
When asked what his longest winning streak previous to the Dons was, Thelin cannot remember.
He insists he does not live in the past, all his focus is on building a successful future for Aberdeen.
On his longest winning run prior to Aberdeen, he said: “I have no clue. I don’t know.
“I’m always looking forward, I am never looking back.
“It’s boring sometimes but that is how I work in the football business.
“I’m always trying to think about the future and how we can build a strong future rather than look at the past.
“When my career is over I can maybe check that up but now I have no clue.”
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