Aberdeen fans have been used to riding the Pittodrie rollercoaster in recent years but it’s unlikely we’ll see a 12-month period featuring more ups and downs than the ones 2024 produced.
Four men took on the role of manager of the club this year, one of them twice, in a tumultuous period for the Dons as Aberdeen put their supporters through the full gamut of emotions.
In hindsight the final month of 2023 provided all the hints of what was to follow.
Barry Robson’s side finished their Europa Conference League campaign with a 2-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt at Pittodrie.
Aberdeen fans were buoyant at the result which came just three days before the League Cup final against Rangers at Hampden.
However, a defensive, cautious display was settled in Rangers’ favour thanks to a James Tavernier goal.
Losing to Rangers would be any Aberdeen fan’s pet hate.
But Robson’s post-match comments that “we have no right as Aberdeen to come down here and run the whole game” rubbed salt into the wound of the Red Army.
A 3-0 home defeat in the final game of 2023 by St Mirren did little to lift the mood.
Managerial whirligig begins at Pittodrie
The opening of the transfer window saw more outs than ins with Rhys Williams and Or Dadia both returning to their parent loan clubs with neither having made a single competitive appearance.
Vicente Besuijen also left Pittodrie, as he joined FC Emmen on loan. The only new face was Killian Phillips, who joined on loan from Crystal Palace.
However, Robson’s tenure was nearing an end and, with the club in eighth place, he was sacked on January 31.
What followed was some hope followed by unadulterated chaos.
First-team coach Peter Leven stepped up to take charge, guiding the club to a 1-1 draw with Celtic at Pittodrie.
With the club in the bottom half of the table it was time for drastic action.
Enter Neil Warnock, the charismatic and eccentric veteran of many a lower league promotion in English football.
Warnock brought Junior Hoilett, a player he had worked with on several occasions in his career, with him to bolster the ranks at Pittodrie.
But the 75-year-old’s tenure was an unmitigated disaster. Warnock won two of his eight games in charge, both in the Scottish Cup.
He did not win any of the six league games he presided over and left the club with the Dons in 10th place, two places worse off than when Robson departed.
Leven rides to the rescue
It was left to Leven to step into the breach again and he lost his first league game in charge of his second tenure as the Dons went down 1-0 at Dundee on March 13.
He did not lose another as Aberdeen went unbeaten in their last eight league games, winning five of them, to finish best of the rest in the bottom half of the Scottish Premiership.
Given how there was genuine concern of a relegation dogfight when Leven took charge it was quite the accomplishment.
Leven also led the Dons at Hampden in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic.
It was an instant Hampden classic as Aberdeen and the Hoops could not be separated after 120 minutes.
With the sides locked together at 3-3 it went to penalties with Brendan Rodgers’ side coming out on top to break the brave Aberdeen hearts.
Perseverance pays off in Dons’ managerial hunt
Leven’s spell in charge came against a backdrop of uncertainty off the field.
The club’s pursuit of Elfsborg boss Jimmy Thelin in the final weeks of Warnock’s reign seemingly reached a dead end with the Swede deciding to stay at his club.
But chairman Dave Cormack would not take no for an answer and by mid-April his powers of persuasion convinced Thelin to agree to move to Scotland to be the new Dons boss in June.
To say the Swede was a breath of fresh air is an understatement.
The Dons boss shook off the sale of star striker Bojan Miovski to Girona by leading his side to 13 wins in a row in the League Cup and the league.
His side’s blistering form resulted in Thelin winning manager of the month in August and October.
The goals were flowing, the brand of football was easy on the eye, and the feelgood factor was firmly back at Aberdeen after the best start of any manager in the club’s history.
Ten wins in the opening 11 league games gave the Dons a healthy lead on Rangers and had them neck and neck with Celtic at the top of the table.
Signs point to first month of 2025 being a defining one
Naturally, confidence was soaring around Pittodrie – but there has been the most sobering of reality checks in November and December.
As first defeats go, a 6-0 mauling by Celtic in the League Cup semi-final was a doozy.
The Dons recovered with a 4-1 win against Dundee in the league but since then it has been a grizzly tale of woe.
A first league defeat at St Mirren saw the Dons fall behind the Hoops and the gap has grown ever wider since.
Rangers have since regained second spot while it is Dundee United who Aberdeen are most concerned about heading into 2025.
As January is almost upon Aberdeen the need to regroup, refresh and reinforce is timely.
How those efforts go in the first month of the new calendar year will go a long way to shaping how 2025 pans out for the Dons.
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