The Bologna loanee made it six goals for the season by netting the equaliser in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Dundee United
Jesper Karlsson and Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin
Jimmy Thelin can’t give any guarantees that goal hero Jesper Karlsson will see out the season at Aberdeen.
The Swedish international netted the goal in Saturday night’s 1-1 draw with Dundee United. Karlsson, who has six goals for the Dons, is on-loan from Italian side Bologna and they could yet decide to recall him or sell him in the January window. Thelin said: “I said what I always say in the windows, we have to wait and see.
“It’s difficult to, so many windows, let’s see what’s going to happen, when the window is closing. Again, I’m always happy when people are here, but then what happens, let’s see. Yes, I think so, I think he’s playing a lot and improving, and so I think of course, he’s happy to be here.
“I think he’s happy, and he’s important for us, but the window is always the window.”
The Dons manager was frustrated his side had to settle for a home point against United. They fell behind after a Nicky Devlin blunder allowed Amar Fatah to put the visitors ahead, before Karlsson levelled.
Thelin knows his team needs to stop shooting themselves in the foot defensively. The Swede claimed: “First of all, we’re in this together, it’s not me, or them, or someone specific, but the goals, everybody knows, we talk about them.
“It is soft goals, the opponent has to hurt us harder, to get something from it, the only way is to live and experience, and learn from these things and improve. That’s the most important thing, we have to find a way, when we play at home, and we are pushing, that these critical moments are super important and don’t give them a chance.
“We have to be sharper, because today, it was from nothing, and then we have a situation, and I think we just need to grow, and help each other, to go out and practice again, and maybe be, how we can help each other on the pitch better, be closer to each other, so we have another chance, to prove ourselves on Tuesday.
“There are going to be a lot more of these situations, against Hibernian, how they play, so it’s another chance for us, to prove that we can take the ste, that we need to do.”
Aberdeen dominated for long spells but they need to turn that possession into more chances and goals. Thelin confirmed: “No, I think it’s been like, how can I say, now your feeling is not good, of course, for anyone because you didn’t win the game.
“Also how we didn’t win the game. I think the first half is okay, they played quite deep and did it well, but also the way we put our crosses and also fight for the ball in their box was not good enough in the first half.
“I think they get the first touch and most of the balls, and we didn’t beat them and win the scenarios, but we have control in the situations, we step in and win a lot when they try to break off transitions.
Jesper Karlsson scores to make it 1-1(Image: SNS Group)
“Then the goal, the score, we make it so difficult for ourselves to get out and get behind in the second half and it’s this frustration at home.
“I think we put in some quite good performances in some of the games, but we end up behind in this moment and then it’s difficult to go out. We have to chase the game every time, and I think this is a thing we have to grow and do better, and it’s important things inside football to be really sharp in this moment.
“They need to do more to hurt us when we have so much control of the game, so that’s the way forward for us, but of course in the second half, still the energy is there, they push for an equaliser, we get the equaliser, and in the end, we have to do more work on the training pitch with these crosses, and arriving to the box when we play against low blocks, and also take more shots, we don’t give away the, how can I say, when we have the opportunity, take the opportunity, don’t give it to someone else to take the responsibility.
“We have to be more consistent there, and when they play like they did, we have to create more scenarios for a scoring chance, and overload some areas better.
“So to be fair to the United, they did the game plan well, of course they shouldn’t get that goal, we should be more stable there, and it’s a different game, football is like, when they get this belief, they grow of course, and they’re always good in set plays, and throw-ins.
“They do that really well also, so they defend well, they will have some situations around the set plays, but it’s more about ourselves today, that we didn’t work sharp enough, I think some things are positive, but it doesn’t feel like that now, when you don’t get all three points.”