Jimmy Thelin will need do a lot more than just SAY his Aberdeen side won’t fear Celtic in the Scottish Cup final

In last Monday’s Trinity Tims podcast, we discussed the upcoming mid-week game against Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

James asked me if it would have any impact on the cup final.

Whether we could use it as a barometer for the game next Saturday.

I said no, and that I thought it might be a bit of dress rehearsal.

But I felt you couldn’t take too much from it, as a cup final is a hell of a lot different to a league game.

Bearing in mind that Aberdeen went into that game still in a position to secure third place, and Europa League football, it meant more to them than it did to us.

Brendan Rodgers team selection on the night said as much.

When Jimmy Thelin saw it, he must have thought that his side had a good chance of getting something out of the game.

Yet his Aberdeen side capitulated in spectacular style at home to what was almost a Celtic second string.

It really doesn’t auger well for the upcoming Scottish Cup final on Saturday for them, does it?

When you consider they were still in with a chance of finishing third on Wednesday, by Saturday afternoon, they had dropped to fifth in the table after capitulating to Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United side.

There is a hint of irony in all of that.

Especially when you take into consideration Goodwin’s ill-fated spell as manager of Aberdeen a couple of years ago.

He must have been quietly satisfied at the final whistle on Saturday with his United side finishing fourth on their return to the top flight.

Considering the journey which brough him to that juncture.

After being sacked from Aberdeen in 2023, Goodwin took over at Dundee United, but could not avoid relegation from the Scottish Premiership.

He won the Scottish Championship in the 23/24 season.

He has now managed to finish above his previous employers after returning to the Premiership.

Goodwin must have felt an element of karma in all of that.

But how did it go so spectacularly wrong for his opposite number in the dugout last Saturday?

Jimmy Thelin hit the ground running a the start of this season, matching Celtic blow for blow until November.

It’s also important to note that just prior to the 6-0 League Cup semi-final defeat to us on Saturday November 2nd, his side had beaten the Ibrox side convincingly at Pittodrie on the previous Wednesday night.

I declared at that time that Thelin and his Aberdeen side were the real deal.

Because the evidence prior and up to that point the stated as much.

But on the back of that hammering at Hampden on the 2nd of November, Thelin and his side’s challenge, which had looked very real up to that point, imploded.

Could one bad result really inflict such serious damage to a side’s morale?

It looks like it did.

Because Aberdeen fell off a cliff after November 2nd.

On Wednesday the 30th of October after ten games played, they were undefeated and level on points with us having amassed 28 points.

In addition, they were 9 points ahead of the Ibrox side.

In the aftermath of that, they managed to accumulate only 25 points in the following 28 fixtures.

The reality is that in anyone’s language, that’s a pretty spectacular implosion.

Which was highlighted by the hammering our second string inflicted on Aberdeen last Wednesday night.

It’s kind of hard to comprehend how Thelin’s side suffered such a rapid decline after their blistering start.

Which has now culminated in them facing us in the Scottish Cup final.

Thelin is quoted in the media as saying “This is the last punch” for them.

Considering their piss poor performance against us on Wednesday night last, this last punch would want pack a serious knock-out blow.

When Willie Miller stated he feared for their chances at Hampden against us, you can really see why.

Thelin will need to do a lot more than just saying his side won’t fear us in the Cup final because on the evidence of past performances against us, they have everything to fear.

Saying you won’t fear something, doesn’t mean that you don’t actually fear it.

The Aberdeen players will all be scarred after their experiences against Celtic this season.

And they can’t read anything into the 2-2 draw they secured against last October at this point.

That was clearly a much different Aberdeen side.

The reality is that if we score early at Hampden on Saturday, the Dons are going to be in trouble.

That is the scenario Thelin must avoid at all costs if he is to stand any chance.

I’m not saying that I’m going into this Cup final brimful of confidence that we’re going to win and win well.

But I’m confident enough in Celtic’s ability to beat Aberdeen.

I base that on what I’ve seen since November 2nd.

And I cannot say that results for Aberdeen since then against us will fill them full of confidence.

Especially after last Wednesday night’s humbling.

Which in reality could have been far worse had Dimitar Mitov not made some crucial saves.

In reality, on current form, Jimmy Thelin will have to perform something of a minor miracle to beat Celtic next Saturday.

This last punch he’s talking about?

If he’s to have any chance of winning, he needs to be able to do the Ropa Dopa, as it were.

Absorb every punch we throw at them, and then hit us with one helluva sucker punch.

And Aberdeen’s ability to survive the Ropa Dopa against Celtic?

Well, I’ll let results since last November do the talking on that score.

They don’t make for pretty reading…