Jimmy Thelin is delighted that his Aberdeen squad are already starting to grasp his way of working.
The 46-year-old was appointed as the new Pittodrie manager in April but only officially began the role in June.
Thelin recently took the Aberdeen team to Portugal for a week-long pre-season camp and was eager to highlight the importance of the exercise - particularly because he believes he's witnessing tangible progress.
“We had some really good days with lots of training but also time in the evenings and in between training to get to know each other, the former Elfsborg boss confirmed.
“It’s been an important week for everyone. The players have done really well. We tried not to give them too much information too soon but the players have been amazing.
“The energy is there, they are curious and they want to work together. You have to respect how quickly you can do things but I still see progress every day.”
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Aberdeen were unable to find a friendly opponent in Portugal but did play a 11-a side match between themselves, which gave Thelin a small glimpse of how his players can perform.
They will now face Peterhead in a friendly on Wednesday before they begin competitive action with a Premier Sports Cup group stage opener against Queen of the South on Saturday.
That's when Thelin knows he will get a real taste of Scottish football - and how his men react to those demands.
“We had an internal game and the lines showed up more consistently," the Swede explained. "That’s what we want to achieve now – to make things happen more consistently.
“It’s easy to be good when everything is fine and going well. But the key is to show up and take the points when there are hard times. You cannot go through a season without struggling a little bit but we have to be strong together and take these points which are important at the end of the season.
“We can help each other to grow together and this week is a good start but we cannot stop. It’s an injection when you have so many hours together but now we have to keep working and keep building.”
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The Red Army are desperate to see more summer signings following the additions of Peter Ambrose, Gavin Molloy, and Dimitar Mitov.
While, Alfie Bavidge, Vicente Besuijen and Jayden Richardson are all back from loan spells and will be given opportunities.
Despite that Thelin has told supporters to be patient and hinted that they are still actively seeking new recruits.
He added: “It’s always a process. We want to improve. Let’s see what the future brings.”
