JAY Emmanuel-Thomas may not be renowned for his diligence, but his trickery and eye for a pass on returning to Aberdeen’s starting line-up have been both productive and impressive.
JET’s engines are purring again after a lengthy period of a relegation to the bench as his manager, Stephen Glass, decided his style of play didn’t fit-in with his strategy.
But the re-introduction of the striker, signed in the summer after a spell at Livingston, has helped deliver two successive wins, first against his former club and then when they dished out a 4-1 thumping to St Mirren at the weekend.
The towering front man had been an absentee since mid-September, his presence required only alongside other substitutes as many Dons’ supporters wondered if they’d got it wrong when they hailed his arrival.
“He is creative and has an imagination that not many other players have and he has the ability to execute it,” Glass insisted. “He can release players and he can frustrate players, too.
“We knew what we were getting when we brought him here. You take the rough with the smooth.
“He is not going to be an absolute dog for the team in terms of working, but he does his work.
“What he does give you is an imagination; he sees passes. He sees other players and he brings people into the game.
“I think his physicality in the game helped us control the ball against St Mirren when we did. I’m delighted with him.”
Emmanuel-Thomas is equally pleased with himself as well as with a team that has now re-discovered its mojo and now in sixth place in the Premiership table with the aim to continue to move upwards to be in contention for a place in European football once more.
His defensive work, too, especially at opponents’ set-pieces, has been exemplary with his 6ft 3ins height and upper-body strength proving useful.
“It all about timing,” JET said of his return to the team, “and it has to work out to plan. The gaffer has things he wants to try and work on. The last couple of games I’ve got my opportunity and I have tried to take it.
“It is great and I am enjoying it. We might not have had the best time in recent weeks but we will pick up and start to push on for sure.”
He pointed to the Dons producing attacking performances and creating scoring opportunities in recent weeks without capitalising on them with victories. A shaky defence, too, has been stiffened.
“It is great,” he added, “and when you look at the table it gives you that motivation to keep pushing. “We need to keep striving to get into that top four or three and keep going from there.”
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