Is Aberdeen revival recipe for success or unsustainable?

The Aberdeen is a zero.

The Red Army might become a new favorite after Sunday’s victory at Livingston, which was the club’s fourth straight 1-0 victory in their six previous Scottish Premiership games.

Jimmy Thelin’s managerial change from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-4-1 has resulted in a run of five clean sheets in seven domestic games and a rise from bottom to seventh place, three points off the top six.

Only Celtic and Rangers have scored more points in their eight league games thanks to the newfound steel at the back.

However, they must still persuade from the beginning. There is no threat in the final third of the league, where there are only 10 league goals in 13 games, which is the second-wenigstens among them.

Thelin praised his team’s defensive display in West Lothian, which allowed them to maintain their lead in the first half thanks to Livingston’s dominance.

In the first period, David Martindale’s side, which is currently at the bottom of the table and without a win since August, managed a whopping 10 shots, seven of which came from inside Aberdeen’s penalty area.

Thelin told BBC Scotland: “Livingston did a lot of good things with some good chances in the first half.

“We stayed in the game, and gradually we grew,” he said, adding that there was more team harmony.

However, even though they were better in the first half, we had a chance to win the game once more thanks to their effective defense.

The success of Aberdeen’s turnaround was largely attributed to the back three of Nicky Devlin, Jack Milne, and Mats Knoester.

Milne, 22, appears to be growing in stature and confidence as he intercepts a crucial pass before colliding with the post to stop a near-certain goal.

Knoester won seven aerial duels and made 12 clearances from the end of the box.

Devlin did not fall far behind, allowing Livingston striker Tete Yengi to clear the ball just before the winner was scored in the other box.

At the beginning of the season and for a significant portion of the previous term, that resilience was lacking. Only Aberdeen and Heart of Midlothian and Celtic currently have six clean sheets in the league.

You need to keep in mind that the league started off well, that we are in Europe, and that we play every three days, Thelin said.

It’s to get through this time as many points as possible, share the burden as a team, and make adjustments where necessary, but not too often that we lose touch with one another.

“The players did well,” he said. The game started like it did after we had a difficult game on Thursday when we arrived.

Having said that, it’s reasonable to wonder how long a team can continue to grind out unproven victories while allowing more chances than they give up.

Some fans may also be willing to demand more because Aberdeen’s budget should allow for European qualification.

In their previous nine games, Aberdeen have only scored once.

Before the Premiership action this weekend, Thelin had to make bleak reading from a look at some key metrics.

They had the fewest passes and crosses into the opposition’s box, and they placed ninth in the division in terms of chances created in open play.

They ultimately fail to deliver crosses and take enough shots, and they also have poor accuracy at doing so.

Only St Mirren converts a smaller portion of their shots, and they have the league’s worst crossing accuracy from open play.

Aberdeen’s conversion rate is a meager 6.4%. They have had the second-lowest chances possible, so it’s not even as though they are relying on set pieces.

Thelin gained notoriety for playing wingers, who were frequently his Elfsborg side’s main source of ideas and goals.

However, due to the change in body, players like Kenan Bilalovic, Topi Keskinen, Jesper Karlsson, and Nicolas Milanovic either have limited game time or are playing further upfield, where space is congested.

After making his debut a month ago, Dylan Lobban, 20, on the right, gave Stuart Armstrong a chance to face Livingston.

He still needs assistance as he enters senior football.

Unexpected, Sivert Heltne Nilsen, 34, who had previously been subject to criticism for his mobility, was given a starting midfield berth at Almondvale.

Does it, however, show that no other starters are making a compelling case for their position?

On Sunday, Aberdeen’s passing accuracy dropped to 72%, and that dropped to 60% in the final third.

Thelin’s main themes in speaking about performances were calmness, composure, and players taking more personal responsibility for the game.

They frequently fail to form sustained attacks.

Do Aberdeen have time to address these pressing problems given the congested schedule that runs through January?

Do they have Thelin’s intense and counter-attacking squad members with the running ability to execute it?

Or can they simply reassess in January after a difficult start to the season?