As Aberdeen prepares for their second Scottish Cup match of the season, Jimmy Thelin has instructed his team to learn from their loss to Hibs and turn the tide of the season.

The underperforming Dons will host Dunfermline at Pittodrie on Sunday, and prior to their fifth-round matchup, a memorial service for the late Jimmy Calderwood is scheduled.

Thelin finally dropped his guard by ordering his team to stop playing the way they did, which caused Aberdeen to extend their losing streak to 14 games at Easter Road. Aberdeen enters the match with the lowest record in the Premiership.

However, since last Saturday, the team has improved, and Mats Knoester will be playing against the Pars on Sunday in front of Premier Sports media.

Thelin expressed his happiness to the media after a hectic winter transfer window, saying, “I think it was a good window for us.”

“To find the greatest answer for the team, both in the short and long term, everyone put in a lot of effort. In addition to adding quality for the immediate goals we have, we are working to rebuild a little bit for the future.

“The form we are in the league that we have to improve some parts and create a stronger competition inside the squad so we can get one or two levels up in intensity and how we compete on the pitch with ourselves, but also inside the team to be playing, but also against our opponents.”

Even while acquiring two new players was exciting, attention was quickly returned to correcting Aberdeen’s dismal 2025 start.

Only their 3-0 success over Elgin in the Scottish Cup last time out made for somewhat encouraging reading, as they are now on a 14-game losing streak in the league.

Thelin and his team won’t quickly forget the dissatisfied voices of the remaining supporters following the Hibs loss.

“After the Hibs game, it was a significant feeling; we can’t continue like this,” the Dons manager continued. We need to make a swift and immediate shift. The response was really strong during the week due to the increased competition within the group as well as the high level of effort on the training field.

Since it enables you to know when to be strong and when to be weak in specific circumstances, I think that having a healthy relationship is essential for everyone. You are conscious of your human transgressions.

“They know themselves, so sometimes you don’t have to say it. That is not the issue. We go over the game at our weekly meetings, and nothing has changed. However, this time, we might have brought up some different points, such as how competitive you are.

“I also belong to the group. I’m the manager and my staff and the players, so it’s not about them or me. We have an identity, what we want to show to our supporters and ourselves, what we want to stand for playing football games and how we compete.

“It’s not how you lose games, but how you lose them, in my opinion. Even when you feel like you’re giving it your all, they were better. In certain aspects of the games, you have to demonstrate more, such as when we are communicating our true values to the fans, opponents, and ourselves.

“We are an aggressive, high-pressure team with an aggressive attack, but we don’t show that right now. That’s about taking more steps, playing more minutes, and the game is more intense. It’s up to us to look in the mirror, accept responsibility for our actions, and make quick changes.

“Although I am hopeful that we can move up to third position in the standings, something has to change at this moment. The guys returned on Tuesday with an extremely high level of energy, and this week’s training has been excellent. Everyone is aware that it is about us.

“It usually takes time to try to adjust some aspects of the direction we wish to pursue in the future. We know that the results must arrive, but it’s still a long time, even though it’s only been six months. Although everyone is aware of that, we are still working to develop and modify certain aspects, so your performance may fluctuate a little.