Manager Jimmy Thelin spoke with the media on Thursday lunchtime as he previewed our Premier Sports Cup Semi-final with Celtic at Hampden Park. RedTV subscribers can watch in full now.

“We have to put the Rangers game behind us because we know there’s another game on Saturday, an important one. We have the players in for breakfast together and then they do their normal treatment and then they go back home and be ready for the next game.

“When you’re working in this business you always have to find this passion and this belief in yourself and be ready. The schedule is there so I think the players are looking forward to this game a lot. They know how much it means for Aberdeen Football Club and the supporters, it’s a big game. I think it’s quite easy to prepare yourself for that game.

“With all the teams today there is a lot of information out there, there are very good scouting systems and everybody knows a lot about each other. For us its more to know what they’re good at, we know their strengths. For us it’s more about trying to be better in our parts of the game, have a strong belief in what we’re going to do and keep working on that. Then the game is there. It’s a cup game, it’s winning or losing and we have to have a strong belief in what we’re doing. Brendan is a good coach, Celtic is a good team but also we know the situation, its a Semi-final so we have to prepare ourselves for that one.

“It’s going to be my first time (at Hampden), I am looking forward to it. It’s a football game and it’s an isolated game. It’s always exciting to go out to this game and we know the feeling. I see the players today, of course it was late yesterday, a lot of emotions but we had a good chat this morning and everybody is looking forward to the game.

“The medical team did an amazing job this morning and everybody is ready to go. Even Kevin was out and is going to train fully tomorrow. That is good so we have everybody to prepare for the game.

“We don’t think too much about the last game. It’s a new game. For us just to prepare for this specific game and not think about the last game we played against them. Of course, I can imagine Brendan and Celtic learnt things about us and we also learnt things about them but then still it is more still to respect their qualities and find the weakness and we have to prepare us for this game tomorrow and then go down and Saturday’s the game.

“A positive mindset is always positive and be optimistic. First of all the games are coming really quick now, the players can’t think about something else, they don’t have time for that. That makes my job a lot easier!

“We have a good squad and everybody is prepared. Again, it’s a different opponent but how they competed yesterday and all of the players yesterday did amazing things. There is a lot of talk about the winning goal, it was so nice to see but also how we defend some parts, how we ran back. Also Nicky did a good slide tackle in that transition against us. It was one block and all these kind of things it’s all so important to try and win the games. They have done really well so far this season and I think everybody is also improving. I am happy with that.

“It’s not about me, it’s the players again. They have different qualities and the game sometime goes in one direction or another. We always try to help the team to find the balance what we need right there, right now. Sometimes you have some luck and it’s doing well and sometimes it’s not the same situation but so far so good.

“I have a lot of luck so I am happy with that! Hopefully it can continue. It’s still early this season but of course we are happy with the results but we also know how many good teams there are in this league, how many good coaches, managers and coaching staff and all of these kind of things. We need to be humble and these tight games also, so far we have got the results and we have to keep trying and improve ourselves every week and be better and better. Our only way to do that and as I have told you before is take it week by week and training by training and game by game. You never know what can happen inside a squad so we try to be a little bit better every week but also we have an opponent. So far the results have been good.”

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