Alan Burrows expresses hope for Jimmy Thelin's long-term success at Aberdeen amid managerial instability

Alan Burrows is hopeful that Jimmy Thelin can break the recent trend of Aberdeen managers being sacked, and instead leave Pittodrie because he's been headhunted.

The managerial position at Aberdeen has seen a high turnover in recent seasons, with Stephen Glass, Jim Goodwin, and Barry Robson all having brief stints. Thelin, a popular choice among the Red Army, was brought in from Elfsborg by chairman Dave Cormack.

Burrows is optimistic that the 46-year-old's appointment will bring the success Aberdeen fans are yearning for, and when Thelin does eventually depart, it will be for bigger opportunities, reports the Daily Record.

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Thelin stated: "The nature of football is that guys who have significantly longer stays, particularly in the UK market, are very rare. When managers do well it becomes harder to keep them.

"I would prefer to have a good manager for a short period of time than a poor or average person for a long time. We don't want it to be here today and gone tomorrow clearly but at the same time we would like success.

"If success means fighting people off with a stick, like Elfsborg did for a long time, then that is fine. I would rather be doing that than the opposite. The onus is to drive for success on the pitch, to match our success off it."

Burrows, the chief executive of Aberdeen, recognises the pressure and expectations on the club to perform. He has acknowledged this but insists that everyone, including the board, needs to exercise patience as Thelin adjusts to Scottish football.

"If you look at Jimmy's tenures in Sweden there have been a couple of characteristics in Sweden and the main one is longevity," Burrows said. "In managerial terms, at Elfsborg (his time there) it is a lifetime but even at Jonkopings Sodra he was three or for years.

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"At both clubs, it took him time to get things moving. Jimmy, the board and I have discussed how we want the team to play and in the image that he wants to play. They are aligned and that is one of the reasons why he is here.

"There is a need for patience from everyone. From people at the club, patience amongst the supporter base and all aspects of Aberdeen FC. We really believe this and history proves it that given time, backing and support Jimmy can really get a team motoring and that is what we are all hoping for."

Securing Thelin's services at Aberdeen proved to be a lengthy and complicated process. The Dons made an approach last season but Elfsborg were about to start their season and didn't want to lose him.

Thelin also felt a sense of loyalty to his employers. However, chairman Cormack was persistent and finally, after several months, he secured his target.

"Dave was a driver," Burrows stated. "It would have been very easy for us to pivot as a club and go in a different direction when we were coming up against the opposition that we were.

"Elfsborg were very keen to keep him but Dave being Dave, when he has that enthusiasm for something and wants something to happen then he is relentless to try and get it done. He was the one pushing harder than anyone and refusing to take no for an answer to a certain extent.

"He wasn't going to let it go and it probably made Jimmy feel good about things. You want to go places where people are fighting for you and want you to be there.

"When the board made the decision then Dave was adamant he was going to get him in. We had to bend and flex a little ourselves.

"Ideally, we would have liked him on before the of season and to get a chance to assess the players. With Peter Leven staying on there is a bit of continuity and Jimmy has been watching a lot of our games since the appointment was made."

Thelin was already well-known to Aberdeen's board having previously been interviewed by them prior to Barry Robson's appointment, during which Robson succeeded in taking Aberdeen to a third-place finish and into European group stage football.

Reflecting on this, Burrows said: "He was extremely impressive. He came over and his ideas matched up with ours. He said the right things and he came across the way you would want your manager to come across because he has a presence.

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"His beliefs and philosophies matched ours in terms of an attacking, exciting brand of football; that is ruthless in its nature and we felt Aberdeen should play. It was very close.

"What he has acknowledged and everybody involved in the situation has acknowledged is that Barry went on an unbelievable run.

"History might dictate something different but when you look at the conditions and things might not have worked out longer term, but if you could go back in time and would make the same decision, even though it went wrong then you might not be happy but you can live with your decision.

"Barry deserved a shot at it, even though Jimmy was successful at Elfsborg and how good an interviewee he was. I was comfortable about the decision we made in giving it to Barry."