Pressing, passing & coaching - Thelin's Aberdeen revolution

If the pre-match pyrotechnics show at Pittodrie on Saturday was anything to go by, the Aberdeen faithful are totally sold by Jimmy Thelin, with the scenes resembling a title party rather than the fifth league game of the season.

The Swedish manager extended his record-breaking, winning start to life as Aberdeen boss to 10 games with the weekend's Scottish Premiership win against Motherwell, but insists he is simply "taking it game by game".

Some sections of the support cannot help but get caught up in the buzz, though. From suggestions the Dons will split the Old Firm to Pape Gueye being pipped for the Ballon d'Or, confidence is high in the north east.

And while JJ Bull, Aberdeen fan and football analyst for The Athletic, did not quite have the league flag flying behind him in his appearance on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, he waxed lyrical - and offered tactical insight - on the "fun" Aberdeen side we have seen light up the Scottish Premiership at the start of the season.

"The way they are playing, you can see there is a future in it, it is actually working, there is a clear style of play," Bull said.

"You need to get the wins for people to buy into it. The way we are playing, there is a lot of energy, they want to get the ball back and I think that resonates well with the fans."

When Thelin officially got to work in early June, despite being announced in April, he said he was "here to create something special".

It raised eyebrows given Aberdeen had just finished the season in the bottom six, sacked Barry Robson when the club were eighth and suffered a 33-day saga with Neil Warnock in charge.

When Warnock called time on his short stint, some perceived the club to be in chaos.

Peter Leven steadied the ship, again, and left a healthier-looking handover for Thelin.

Still, it was expected Thelin would need time to galvanise a group of under-performing players low on confidence.

Instead, Aberdeen have generated momentum like a steam train with no upcoming stops.

But what exactly are the fans loving about Thelin's management?

"There is real bravery on the ball," Bull said. "They don’t just launch the ball forward, they play lots of long passes when there is the time to do it, they don't just do it instantly to 'get rid'.

"When there's pressure, they accept the pressure and try to play through it.

"The press changes to where it needs to be, they're all very good at pressing. They're forcing teams into making errors they don't want to make, and then they're also counter-pressing really well.

"That means they can then play the ball forward long when they want to because they know there will be bodies in the right positions.

"The team looks really well coached by a very good coach."

The early signs suggest they are just that. Not only has Thelin recruited well, with the likes of Finland international Topi Keskinen and Norwegian Silvert Heltne Nilsen, but he has rejuvenated Reds players already in the building.

Gueye is the unlikely leading scorer in the Premiership, while Shayden Morris and Graeme Shinnie have also shone under their new manager.

"You're seeing players who suddenly look really, really good," Bull added.

"Thelin has brought something slightly different to what we've seen so far, but crucially, it's just worked from the start."

It has been the dream start, but the acid test is just around the corner with last season's top three, and Dundee United, all waiting in October.

It is a run that will ask questions of Thelin's masterplan, but he has had all the answers so far.