Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin insists the club delivered a strong January transfer window to reignite the push to finish third in the Premiership.
Thelin is confident his winter window signings can solve the goalscoring and defensive problems which have plunged the Reds into a 14-game winless collapse in the league.
The Swede also reckons he has secured new additions who will be key to his long-term project to bring success back to the club.
Aberdeen’s board backed Thelin’s bid to strengthen in January, and outlaid more than £1million to solve a defensive crisis.
The Dons have registered only five Premiership clean sheets in 25 Premiership games.
Centre-back Mats Knoester was signed on a two-and-a-half-year deal on transfer deadline day, having recently left Hungarian club Ferencvaros.
Thelin had already signed centre-back Kristers Tobers from Swiss club Grasshoppers for £600,000 and full-back Alexander Jensen from Swedish outfit Brommapojkarna for £545,000.
Centre-back Alfie Dorrington was drafted in on loan from Tottenham until the end of the season.
Signings to solve scoring problem
The problems are not restricted to defence – as Aberdeen have failed to score in the last five league matches.
In a bid to solve the scoring drought, Thelin signed striker Oday Dabbagh on loan from Belgian club Charleroi on transfer deadline day.
Thelin had previously secured winger Jeppe Okkels on loan from Preston North End.
Aberdeen have the option to make the deals for both Dabbagh and Okkels permanent.
Thelin said: “I think it was a good window for us.
“Everybody worked really hard to find the best solution for the squad for the short term, but also for the long term.
“We are also trying to rebuild for the future, whilst also adding quality for the short term objectives we have right now – our form in the league, which we have to improve.
“We had to create stronger competition inside the squad to get one or two levels up in intensity.
“That is intensity in training and against opponents.
“We have to show our fans and opponents what we stand for, that we are an aggressive. high-pressing team.”
As well as the six additions, there were also exits from Pittodrie during the January transfer window.
Exits from Pittodrie in January
Cape Verde international Duk was sold to Spanish La Liga side Leganes on Monday – deadline day – for a fee understood to be £600,000.
However Duk’s former club Benfica are due 50% of the fee.
Duk’s contract was set to expire at the end of the season and he had scored just two goals this season, against League Two Elgin City in a 3-0 Scottish Cup win.
Centre-back Angus MacDonald also exited in January and signed for English League One club Exeter City.
Left-back James McGarry was sent on loan to Greek top-flight side Athens Kallithea for the remainder of the season.
The Pittodrie hierarchy bankrolled Thelin’s squad strengthening in the window in a bid to turn around a season which is in freefall.
Thelin’s Aberdeen career began with a bang as he delivered an 11-game unbeaten start to the Premiership season, with 10 wins, and the Dons were level on points with Premiership leaders Celtic after 11 league games.
They have now dropped to fourth spot – and are only five points clear of the bottom six.
Thelin targets third placed finish
However, despite the form collapse, Thelin is looking up the table, not down.
Aberdeen are only two points behind third-placed Dundee United.
A third-place finish secures a UEFA Europa League second qualifying round spot.
Thelin said: “I’m an optimistic person and I still think we can catch third place in the table.
“But there has to be a turning point right now.
“We have to change it now and change it quick.
“The response has been really strong this week.”
Thelin will look for the catalyst to reignite the season to come in the Scottish Cup clash against Dunfermline Athletic on Sunday.
Fired up to reignite faltering season
The Dons host the Championship club, who appointed new manager Michael Tidser last month, in the fifth round.
Thelin said: “Dunfermline have changed manager.
“Now they are playing more with how they build up the game.
“They are a good team.
“ut we also are a good team – we have just been out of form for a while.
“With how the squad have responded this week in training, and with the new players, we are ready to show our fans what we can do.”
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