Jimmy Thelin's undefeated run as Aberdeen manager came to an end this weekend and in a manner that nobody could have seen coming. The Dons sit level on points atop the Premiership table and were coming off a 2-1 win over the Rangers in midweek. So, most expected them to give Celtic a tough time at Hampden Park in the Scottish Cup semi-finals.
Just a couple of weeks ago, they had shown that they were capable of doing that. Aberdeen came back from two goals down at Parkhead to draw 2-2 against Celtic. They had the ball in the back of the net a third time as well but that one was ruled out.
Naturally, Celtic fans were wary going into the game. But unexpectedly, it turned out to be a bit of a walk in the park for the Hoops.
They won 6-0 against their closest competition this season so far. Daizen Maeda got himself a Hampden Park hattrick while Kyogo, Nicolas Kuhn and Cameron Carter-Vickers were on the scoresheet as well. Celtic fans would have been happy with the Aberdeen manager's classy comments after the game.
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin makes classy Celtic claim
Thelin did not come up with any excuses for the results. Instead, he gave credit to Celtic and his own club's supporters. As reported by 67 Hail Hail, the Aberdeen manager said:
"That’s football sometimes. We feel ready when the game starts but Celtic was really strong today and we have things that we didn’t reach the level today what we want and that’s football sometimes.
“You just go away games and when you end 6-0 of course it’s not nice for anyone. The positive thing today was this togetherness with the supporters when the game was over and they put some energy into the team and the hunger for the next game is the most important thing today.
“I think now we have to move on from this game as same and I saw the same thing when we win games. Refocus and put how we can grow and learn from this game."
The result must have been a dent in Aberdeen's confidence for sure. It remains to be seen if they can go back to their high-flying ways after losing 6-0 to the team they are hoping to keep up with in the league.
For Celtic, the focus must be on themselves. They proved that on their day, they are a class apart in Scottish football. Now, it is about maintaining that level and not letting standards slip.