Aberdeen’s boo-boys need to take a reality check as to where the club are now under Jimmy Thelin and where it was last season.
For the first time in his Dons’ career, manager Thelin experienced boos from some fans at half-time in the 1-1 draw with St Johnstone at Pittodrie.
It may have come as a shock to the Swede to hear boos after delivering 10 wins and a draw from the opening 11 Premiership games this season.
The boos were certainly a shock to me.
I thought Thelin and his players had enough credit in the bank after the best ever start to a season in the club’s history to avoid flak at the first sign of a bump in the road.
I was wrong.
Supporters are entitled to boo and make their frustration, sometimes anger, known.
However, there is a time and place.
And when the team are sitting second in the Premiership after a start to the season that at one stage was the best in Europe is not the time.
Nor is Pittodrie the place after a 100% record at home was only stopped four days earlier with a battling 1-0 loss to Premiership leaders Celtic.
Aberdeen fans packed out Pittodrie
The draw against St Johnstone concluded a challenging five game run across 15 days, with three of those fixtures away.
Aberdeen looked tired in the first 45 minutes against St Johnstone.
What they needed was cheers of encouragement to energise them and deliver a boost.
No boos to drag them down.
Aberdeen were poor in the opening half but they did not deserve to be booed.
It was a short-sighted, reflex reaction to a poor 45 minutes without any consideration for the 16 game unbeaten run at the start of the season.
Aberdeen boss Thelin has continually reiterated that he wants to create a connection with the supporters.
A unity that players can thrive off and be inspired by – particularly at Pittodrie.
That connection has sparked and been electric throughout the season.
Aberdeen fans have been superb and sold-out Pittodrie for four successive games for the first time in the club’s long 121-year-history.
Thelin’s three-year Aberdeen plan
Pittodrie was rocking with a formidable atmosphere generated during the 2-1 win against Rangers.
It was a special night.
However that connection cannot only be through the good times.
It must also be through the hard times.
Thelin was clear in his message when arriving at Pittodrie that it is a three-year plan to bring sustained success to the club.
He also stated it would not all be plane sailing, that there would be setbacks.
Now five games without a win Aberdeen have hit that first bump.
Tough times under Neil Warnock
The fans who booed at half-time should cast their minds back nine months to when Aberdeen lost 2-0 to St Johnstone at Pittodrie on February 28.
It was the ninth game in an 11 match winless run in the Premiership as the threat of being dragged into a relegation battle hung over the club.
After the defeat then interim boss Neil Warnock was asked if Aberdeen were in a relegation fight.
“Absolutely,” he replied.
“At the moment, you can’t see us winning another game.”
Aberdeen were in deep, deep trouble.
Warnock would exit soon after with the club facing a scrap against the drop which Peter Leven, as interim boss, would lead them out of.
Now Aberdeen are sitting second in the table.
Time for a reality check for those who booed.
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