A lot of work in margins needed before Malmo

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Malmo’s season started well. They were undefeated in their first eight games, recording wins against current league leaders, Gothenburg, and recent champions, Helsingborg, as well as a 2-2 draw at Elfsborg, but form soon slumped.

They’ve only recorded back to back wins in the league once since. Wednesday’s 3-0 over Salzburg is by some measure their best result of the season. Right now, there will be a lot of football fans in Austria wondering how on earth Salzburg are out of the Champions League. There’s a fair chance there’s just as many fans in Sweden wondering how Malmo remain in the competition, but there are clues.

Salzburg lost narrowly to Rapid Vienna days before the capitulation in Sweden, the second reversal in two league games this season. They beat a team from a regional league in the cup (0-7) but that and the 2-0 win over Malmo is the only positives in an early season full of panic.

Preseason friendlies are not to be regarded as an indication of anything, but home win over a weak-looking Southampton was the only friendly in which they avoided defeat in four attempts. At most this indicates their fitness was behind the curve.

The most telling inferences from all of these stats is that the margins between success and failure for Malmo, Salzburg, and Celtic, are tight. We could and should have beaten Maribor a year ago. Dedryck Boyata’s late goal against Qarabag transpired to be all that separated us from them. We are looking fit, and organised, but you and I both know we’ve yet to spark up front. We have a lot of work to do in the margins before the end of the month.

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  1. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Mrs BT looking at holiday in October

     

    £800 cheaper for same holiday if flying from Manchester rather than Edinburgh

     

    There needs to be something done about this

     

    Total rip off

  2. Good morning my friends in celtic ,getting ready for 9 .30 mass then a day of lurking ps celtic to win 3-0 super no 1st goalscorer

  3. foghorn leghorn on

    BLANTYRETIM IS PRAYING FOR THE KNOX FAMILY on 9TH AUGUST 2015 7:17 AM

     

     

    NEWRADBHOY

     

     

    12.45 Celtic park time

     

     

    Happy birthday bhoy

     

    ——–

     

     

    NEWRADBHOY,

     

     

    i fear BT isnt joining in your birthday spirit

     

     

    he has given you a false kick off time

     

     

    the real kick off time is 12.30 Celtic Park time

     

     

    sounds like a deliberate ruse on his part to get you to miss the first 15 minutes when he has it on good authority that we will score 4 goals

     

     

    though in saying that, from what i remember of Rhodes, it is effin roastin at this time of year so you will be too busy trying to find some air conditioning to bother about watching soccerball!!

  4. Re William Hill/Guinness…

     

     

    Is it ok for myself to still use WH bogs while working?

     

    Guinness….nae loss ,don’t much like the stuff .

     

     

    Newradbhoy…Happy birthday young yin.

     

     

    Hail hail

  5. BT.

     

    Thank you .

     

    We got all inclusive here 2weeks for the same price half board in Spain.

     

    Benidorm is apparently choca .

     

    People not going to Tunisia or Turkey etc.

  6. BT – it’s a disgrace. How do they justify that?

     

     

    On the drink and the bookies – Guinness? Getting harder to get a good pint – and never mind the Unionist Brewer of Old, what about the multi national soulless crowd that own them now along with many other iconic brands and not a few good Scotch Whiskys? That’s my beef with them.

     

     

    Murphy’s – nice drink – even nicer in Cork. Who owns them?

     

     

    Beamish – had a few pints when I was much younger. To my taste it was really, really awful. But next time I’m in the ‘rebel’ county I’ll give it a go.

     

     

    William Hill, Black and Tan? Was there ever an ethical bookie?

  7. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Foghorn

     

    Like bobby evens I will now need to go to an earlier mass

     

    St Joseph’s at 12 and a 2 minute walk to the pv was my plan

  8. Podi/BT

     

     

    Praia da Luz indeed. Just on way to airport now and it’s actually raining!

  9. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    RT

     

    No idea, know that snp trying to get tax changed as part of the smith commission

     

     

    Paolosboots brother has opened a small brewery in Derry I think, I’ll get info from him today

  10. Foghorn Leghorn.

     

    Thanks for keeping me informed.

     

    BT, you little winder uperrer you.

     

    Funny face hingmy.

  11. foghorn leghorn on

    BLANTYRETIM IS PRAYING FOR THE KNOX FAMILY on 9TH AUGUST 2015 8:36 AM

     

     

    Foghorn

     

     

    Like bobby evens I will now need to go to an earlier mass

     

     

    St Joseph’s at 12 and a 2 minute walk to the pv was my plan

     

    ——-

     

     

    you could always ask them to hold the kick off for 15 minutes until you arrive

     

     

    if they refuse then just play the “do you know who i am” card

     

     

    that should do the trick ;-)

  12. HT

     

     

    Glad you’ve had a nice holiday,we where in Portugal in June weather was fantastic

     

    didn’t know it rained there :O)

     

     

    Thinking of going back for a wee week in Sept/Oct before Scottish Winter ends.HH

  13. Lads, for anyone that is interested…

     

     

    CQN Fantasy Football League :

     

    584394-608012

     

     

    My team is : Leoes de Lisboa

     

     

    Cheers, fleagle1888

  14. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Foghorn

     

    He was at mass last night and will be picking up the gang soon to head to Firhill

  15. NEWRADBHOY

     

     

    Happy Birthday, enjoy your day.

     

     

    VP

     

     

    Na me neither! :-)

     

     

    We’re thinking of trying to get back in October too, love it here.

  16. An earlier then usual visit from me. Mrs corkcelt has deserted me for a few days for the company of her sisters, in beautiful Skibbereen in West Cork. So I have my day planned, mess about for next hour or two, 11.30 Mass. Celtic Game, followed by All Ireland Hurling Semi. Tea in my daughters gaffe, a couple of pints, home to watch finish of Golf, (hope Shane Lowry wins,) bed & kick off to-morrow with Golf with my buddies. Life’s a bitch.

  17. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Happy birthday to the shadow who thanks to HT will be at Firhill today with her dad marspapa

  18. Marrakesh Express on

    Anyone settle an argument?

     

    Who scored more direct from a free kick , Lubo or Naka?

  19. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Marrakech

     

    I’d think naka because I think he probably played more matches and had no competition from other players whereas Lubo had Henrik and Thommo

  20. BT,

     

     

    You can get a train from Central direct to Manchester airport, done it a few times myself.

     

     

    P

  21. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Podi

     

    It’s 6am flight so Mrs BT will drive

     

    Googybboy will be spared this time 8)

  22. Morning, heading to Edinburgh about eleven…hopefully make a pub to watch the game. ….

     

     

     

    Where though,..?

     

     

    Ayrshire is Green and White

  23. prestonpans bhoys on

    A Hoopy Birthday to newradbhoy, you’ll get roasted at this time of the year in Greece!

  24. kikinthenakas on

    My bhoy over from Belfast for his summer hi days 4 of his pals are staying with me. They are all going to the game today..one young bhoy never been to a hoops game in his life. Looking forward to seeing their faces when they get back..off to make them their breakfast..got them a few beers yesterday so there will be a problem getting them up. They are all 26 after all. Going on the supporters bus my pals runs..asked if they could take a beer on the bus..my pal said..surprised you asked me that..they’ll no get on without it.

     

    Forza the Belfast Brigade..

     

    Kikinthenakas

  25. RobertT

     

     

    ………………

     

    …………………………………Come over from the Libationery Dark Side….

     

    “Mr” Beamish is waiting to greet you with a beaker of Ambrosia!

     

     

    HH

  26. kikinthenakas on

    My bhoy over from Belfast for his summer holidays 4 of his pals are staying with me. They are all going to the game today..one young bhoy never been to a hoops game in his life. Looking forward to seeing their faces when they get back..off to make them their breakfast..got them a few beers yesterday so there will be a problem getting them up. They are all 16 after all. Going on the supporters bus my pals runs..asked if they could take a beer on the bus..my pal said..surprised you asked me that..they’ll no get on without it. Forza the Belfast brigade.

     

    Kikinthenakas

  27. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Paddymacoz at 3.54 .

     

     

    My dad is 89 and told me his versions of why the huns were called the huns.

     

     

    As the rangers (il) fans were loyal to the British royal family, who were of German descent, anf the germans were known as the hun in world war 1 , then the name hun was applied to the first club to play at ibrox. A killie fan I know called the first club to play at ibrox, the boche. The name the French called the Germans in world war 1.

     

     

    Another reason my dad gave was that rangers(il) players were not called up to fight as they were given jobs in reserved occupations (the shipyards etc) during the war . This was seen as a way of not fighting against the Hun.

     

     

     

    Alternatively, the blue brethren were described as maraudiing huns by a Wolverhampton journalist when they played Wolves in the early sixties.

     

     

    These could be the reasons they were given the apt title we lovingly refer to them as.

  28. Regards the match this lunchtime – I think Commons will do the needful in front of goal, and hopefully wee jamesie will be allowed out to play and justify everyone’s patience……

     

     

     

     

    HH

  29. HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPY Birthday

     

    To the Braw Miss marspapa

     

    Cyber hugs tae you and yer da \ 0 /

  30. Paul67

     

     

    I’m finding the new layout too confusing and difficult to navigate .

     

    I also find it difficult to find the latest article thread.

     

     

    I don’t know if there are more like me?

     

     

    I just thought that you would want the feedback.

     

     

    It’s put me off visiting the site,and I find myself frustrated by it all.

     

     

    I come on hear to get away from the stresses of the real world,and instead I’m getting more stressed.(:-)

     

     

    TT

  31. I’m looking for a big win today. 1 goal in the first half and 3 in the second. Although another 2-0 after a long trip away and tough game midweek will also suffice.

     

     

    Let’s just take a higher percentage of our chances.