'Thelin on brink of equalling O'Neill's Celtic record'

When Aberdeen defeated Clyde in the Scottish Cup on the 19 January, it was their 11th victory of the season. This term, that feat has been achieved before September’s out.

That in itself is a stunning return and the fact they’ve all been strung together is all the more remarkable.

It is a feat that has only been achieved once before in Dons history, when Eddie Turnbull led the club to 15 on the bounce 54 years ago. It was something that eluded even Sir Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering side.

The last time they opened a league season with five successive wins was in 2015 -when they were victorious in their first eight - in what looked like a title challenge in the making, only for an inexplicable collapse during the autumn denting Derek McInnes’ hopes of toppling Ronny Deila’s unconvincing Celtic side.

Are things about to get trickier? Having watched a lot of Aberdeen this season, despite a relatively kind fixture list to kick the campaign off, they look like a side that knows exactly what it’s doing with a trip to face Dundee up next in front of an away support that will be in excess of 4,000.

If Jimmy Thelin emerges from Dens Park victorious yet again, he will equal the Scottish record of 12 successive victories set by Martin O'Neill in 2000 when he went on to win a treble in his maiden season at Celtic Park.

After that, and ahead of the October international break, will be a visit from managerless Hearts who haven’t won at Pittodrie since 2016.

It was interesting to read that striker Kevin Nisbet feels the team hasn’t yet got to top gear. Certainly by the end of next month, the Dons will be hoping to have quietened down some sceptics in the media who have suggested they have yet to be truly tested.

Meanwhile, the League Cup win over Spartans on Saturday means they will return to Hampden to face tournament favourites Celtic in the semis, a team they haven’t beaten at the national stadium since 1992 when Eoin Jess took them through to the final of the same competition they will clash in.

There will be a sense of revenge in the air for some of the Aberdeen squad after last season’s Scottish Cup last-four thriller, which saw Brendan Rodgers’ side eventually prevail on penalties - an outcome that made it nine Hampden meetings without success over Celtic for Aberdeen.

Thelin will look at the next five league games ahead of that semi-final and feel he will know exactly what his side are made of by the end of them, with a trip to Celtic Park and Pittodrie battles with rivals Dundee United and Rangers before October’s over.