Boss Jimmy Thelin insists his assistants Emir Bajrami and Christer Persson play a key role in the bid to bring the glory days back to Aberdeen.
Persson and Bajrami have avoided the limelight since arriving at Pittodrie in the summer with Thelin.
Both were important members of Thelin’s coaching team at former club Elfsborg of the Swedish Allsvenskan.
Thelin says his assistants “both understand me in a really good way”.
Under Thelin the Reds have raced to a sensational 11-game unbeaten start to the Premiership campaign.
Aberdeen are level on points at the top of the table with defending Premiership champions Celtic.
The Dons have also opened up a nine point lead on third-placed Rangers.
Thelin says former Swedish international Bajrami and Persson are driving the bid to elevate Aberdeen to an even higher level of performance.
He also underlined the importance of assistant first team coach Peter Leven and goalkeeping coach Craig Hinchliffe.
Thelin said: “We came in from Sweden and Emir and Christer both understand me in a really good way.
“We have a very good mix and in the football context Craig and Peter are both from Scotland and know the league.
“That is good for us.
“If you come in as a new manager you want to reach out to as many players and to as many staff as quickly as possible.
“To show what we want to do, which principles we’re going to work with, and then it’s just a normal working routine.”
‘We share the responsibility’
Capped 18 times by Sweden, Bajrami had two spells at Elfsborg as a player.
The former winger also played for Twente (Netherlands), Monaco (France) and Panathinaikos (Greece).
Bajrami, 36, retired from playing in 2018 while at Elfsborg and moved into youth coaching at the club.
In 2020 he joined Thelin’s first team staff and was a coach during two Allsvenskan runners-up finishes with Thelin.
Former defender Persson, 44, played for Kalmar FF (Sweden) and Tonsberg (Denmark).
Persson retired in 2014 after a period with Jonkopings Sodra
It was at Jonkopings Sodra when he first began working as a coach with Thelin in 2014.
The following year Thellin and Persson led Jonkopings Sodra to the Superettan title to secure Swedish top-flight football for the first time since 1969.
When Thelin moved to Elfsborg in 2018, Persson remained at Jonkopings Sodra for another year.
Persson then went into management when leading lower-league Motala AIF for two years.
He earned promotion to the Swedish third-tier in his first season.
In 2021 Persson again linked up with Thelin at Elfsborg.
On how he, Bajrami and Persson work at Cormack Park, Thelin said: “We identify some players we want to work with more individually.
“And then we share this because it’s many players and that’s why it’s important.
“I think the players are going to make the team be better.
“The more we can improve the individual players the better the team will be.
“So it’s an important part of the job to stay close to the players so they can grow.
“And so we can grow as a team.
“We share this responsibility to identify which player has to work on what.
“Some of the coaches have different backgrounds so we try to use that as well and then make individual programmes.”
‘Everything is connected in one way, it is not American football’
Thelin retained Leven as assistant first team coach when taking on the role of Aberdeen manager.
As interim boss Leven led the Dons to a nine game Premiership unbeaten run last season to eradicate any threat of being dragged into a relegation play-off battle.
Aberdeen also appointed Craig Hinchliffe as their new goalkeeping coach this summer following the departure of Craig Samson to Hibernian.
At Elfsborg former defender Persson helped Thelin organise the rearguard.
The Elfsborg defence conceded just 26 goals in 30 league games in the 2023 Swedish league season – the Allsvenskan’s best defensive record.
Former winger Bajrami focused on helping Thelin hone Elfsborg’s high tempo, attacking game.
However, at Aberdeen the roles are more fluid as Thelin aims to bring an identity to the club’s play at all levels.
Thelin said: “Everything is connected in one way, it’s not American football like you can stop the game.
“How you defend and how you attack, it’s some principles they share.
“And then sometimes maybe Christer and Emir will focus on some parts of the game.
“And Peter and Craig on other parts.
“But also, on specific players.”
