Last week saw a disappointing announcement for those who cherish the patter side of Scottish football after Dave Cormack revealed he was going on a prolonged period of silence on social media.
The Aberdeen owner is a little bit of an eccentric character in SPFL circles. There is no doubting the passion he has for his boyhood club and he's certainly put his money where his mouth is, both investing in the first-team squad and paying for a purpose-built training base. But he also named it after himself – Cormack Park – and it's this type of self-assurance that enables him to interact with the general public on X/Twitter, not to mention fronting up to the media on occasions where most chairmen/chairwomen would go into hiding.
There's always a debate to be had around owners who indulge the wider public. Some wish they wouldn't go on Sportsound to have a go at the presenter for things said about the club, as Cormack did, preferring the stoic types who don't give you an awful lot other than trying to reek of professionalism. Others prefer the open communication, regardless of the manner in which it's delivered, while supporters of other clubs certainly appreciate it, especially when Aberdeen are struggling on the park as it provides another stick to beat them with.
If you were being generous, you could say Cormack's shooting from the hip provided a healthy distraction away from the struggles of his club. And this is perhaps the reason why he's chosen to take a back seat for the time being; because this team certainly doesn't need anything distracting from it.
Nine games to begin the SPFL 2024/25 calendar has brought nine wins for the Pittodrie side under the guidance of new manager Jimmy Thelin. After a string of disappointing permanent hires (Stephen Glass, Jim Goodwin and Barry Robson) the club hierarchy decided to think outside the box and picked one of the more respected coaches in Scandinavian football. Scottish sides are notoriously reluctant to recruit coaches from outwith the British Isles – and with good reason because they're often the victim of xenophobic ridicule from media and fans alike – but it's certainly worked out so far for the Dandies.
What's particularly impressive is that Thelin has not completely overhauled the squad. Yes, there have been some key recruits, and we'll get to them soon enough, but when the Swede walked in the door this summer he made it clear it was a clean slate for everyone involved. Shayden Morris, Pape Gueye and Vicente Besuijen have all been granted a second chance after previously being looked upon as outcasts.
None of them are going to be in the running for Player of the Year award, but they've all contributed so far this term and the squad now looks a lot deeper than it did at the tail end of last season, when they lacked much of anything in attack beyond top goalscorer Bojan Miovski.
The Dons recently sold their talismanic figure to Girona for an eye-watering, yet richly-deserved, fee of £6.8 million, but his departure shouldn't precipitate a drop in form. After all, they've won each of their last two league matches following the transfer and he only started once, making three total appearances, in the six games prior to his exit. Aberdeen wisely planned ahead for life without him. They may also have a ready-made replacement in new signing Kevin Nisbet, who has more than proved himself at this level and scored the winner against Ross County last time out.
In addition to getting a tune out of outcasts, Thelin is also getting better play from several key members of last season's first-team squad. Captain Graeme Shinnie was capable of putting in some big performances following his return to the club, but he lacked consistency and he sometimes looked a shadow of the player who left for Derby in 2019. While he hasn't quite been at peak Shinnie (at 33 that's always unlikely to happen) his baseline level of performance has undoubtedly improved. At the back, Slobodan Rubezic is looking a much more solid prospect after a good few bombscare moments last term, while Jamie McGrath has been a revelation in an 'unnatural' role on the left of midfield. Leighton Clarkson also appeared to have a new lease of life during the Premier Sports Cup matches before injury permitted him from playing a league match to this point.
As mentioned earlier, the improvement has certainly been supplemented by shrewd business in the transfer market, some of which can be credited to Thelin and others to the club's recruitment team. Getting Dimitar Mitov for £300,000 from St Johnstone was an absolute steal and gives Aberdeen arguably the best goalkeeper in the entire league; Gavin Molloy bears little resemblance to a centre-half physically but he plays well above his size and is the perfect partner for Rubezic, while in Topi Keskinen they've added some much-needed technical quality in the final third.
The highest praise, however, must be reserved for the signing of Sivert Heltne Nilsen. Paying money for a 32-year-old with no prior experience in Scottish football looked risky business, but Thelin vouched for his former Elfsborg pupil and he's been exceptional to start the campaign. A physical roadblock for the opposition, he's a defensive-midfield spoiler but one isn't just limited to playing short, sideways passes either. He's capable of unlocking the opposing defence with a threaded through ball. His presence has brought balance to the team and he's the single biggest reason on the park for his new side's improvement.
With Hearts and Kilmarnock floundering, and Hibs being Hibs, Aberdeen are already odds-on favourites to reclaim third place at the end of this season. They're performing above expectations with a manager who has a clear vision and a team who should only get better the more they gel together.
No wonder Cormack is so content to sit back and quietly enjoy it all.
