By Callum McFadden from Hampden Park
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin shared his thoughts with myself and a number of journalists following his side’s hard-fought victory in the semifinal, praising the squad’s resilience, tactical maturity, and unity.
After a challenging season, the Dons now look forward to a cup final that could mark a historic moment for the club and its supporters.
Congratulations Jimmy. Did your players make it harder for themselves than they had to?
“There’s always a counter-attack or set piece that can go against you. We had to be really concentrated. We learned lessons from last week. I think the players kept their patience. We put in a lot of crosses, and although they defended well, we kept pushing and brought on fresh players.
“How the squad managed this game—the subs came in, gave energy, and gave us that final punch to win. Last weekend, our subs didn’t impact the game the way we wanted, but today they did.
“Yeah, and sometimes when you’re a man up and leading, everyone expects it to go your way – but you need to experience those moments to learn. This time we didn’t expose ourselves, didn’t force things. We believed in our game, played more maturely as a team, and didn’t get stressed.
“Of course, we didn’t want penalties – you never know what can happen – so we pushed for a late winner, and we got it. Everyone is really happy. Hearts put us under a lot of pressure early on. It’s easy to break down under that, but we didn’t. Eventually, we found our rhythm. The players showed real character.
“We’ve now had two semifinals this season, plus other important games. It’s part of our journey together, to become more stable. I think we managed it well today.
“We’ve stayed focused throughout the season – whether in winning streaks or challenging moments. We focus on our own performance and growth. It’s a long season, and we’ve needed the whole squad. More and more players are stepping up, which gives us more options, especially with injuries.”
How special does the achievement of reaching the Scottish Cup final feel?
“I’ve been in some semifinals, so it’s special. Now that we’re in the final, we want to win it. You could hear it after the game – supporters, players, staff – we’re all so connected and wanted this so much. It means a lot to me. You don’t get many chances in your career to reach big finals or fight at the top of the league, so we have to enjoy it and keep fighting.
“A final is more than football – it’s emotions, expectations, everything around it. That’s why cup games are so difficult. You can’t always predict them. You have to live those moments to learn from them.”
Aberdeen have not won this trophy since 1990. Can that be extra motivation for you and the players?
“We don’t need extra motivation. We know what this means. We’ll try our best to achieve something special. We’ve put ourselves in a good position – now we have to take the fight on the 24th [of May in the final].”
Callum McFadden 