Maribor are currently playing monopoly with the Slovenian league, having won four titles in a row, and have a very settled, experienced, team.
The season before they eliminated Rangers into oblivion in 2011 they defeated Hibernian home and away, who had Anthony Stokes in their side. It’s worth noting that Edinburgh police arrested 30 Maribor fans following a riot in the city after that tie; this lot have an unfortunate reputation for trouble.
They lost away on Saturday, a defeat which was largely a consequence of their defence having a nightmare, however, among others, they rested key central defender, Marko Suler, who Celtic came close to signing four years ago. They were also reduced to 10 men 30 minutes into the game. It’s unlikely they will be so poor at the back against Celtic.
Dare Vrsoc is their creative fulcrum. He also likes to shoot from distance, with some justification. Whoever in the Celtic team is tasked with winning a personal battle with him will have a great deal of responsibility.
If Celtic leave space at the back Mitja Viler will be the player most likely to exploit. He is lightning fast and will have noticed how Celtic lost goals to pace against Legia. The early scare Gary Mackay-Steven gave us on Saturday further emphasises this vulnerability.
Brazilian-Slovenian striker Marcos Tavares, 30, is Maribor’s royalty. He has scored more goals than anyone in the club’s history, but he is a player who has found his level. He has been over the European football course before so will know how to unsettle defenders.
Macedonian international winger, Agim Ibraimi, scored the goals in the last round which got Maribor this far. He had a couple of unsuccessful seasons in Seria A before returning to Maribor. Good player with tendencies to lunacy.
The fans boo boy is goalkeeper, Jasmin Handanovic, who remains in place despite a disastrous last season. Slovenian clubs throw cross balls into the box to put pressure on him as often as possible. Some early attention might turn the atmosphere inside the stadium on Wednesday.
They score a lot of goals from headers: five of the 12 this season, before the o.g. they benefited from on Saturday.
Our man Blaz in Slovenia tells me they are better than they were when they brought the end of days to Rangers in 2011. Last season’s Europa League campaign, when they progressed from a group containing Russian, English and Belgian opposition, before giving eventual winners, Sevilla a fright, gives an indication of what we can expect.
After those performances last season they knew this could be their Champions League year. Drawing Celtic has put them in a state approaching over-confidence. A shift like we delivered on Saturday will come as a shock.
[calameo code=000390171ae033f39a0c4 lang=en page=120 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
1,180 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- ...
- 31
- »
Sandman
Richard Wilson currently self-harming in BBC studios. Administering Chinese burns to himself and grinding down molars.
What a great mental picture that conjures up!
Marti
According to Folgen Folgen, ( Celtic) “go about their business in a way that sickens normal folk.”
That’ll be playing by the rules then, which is a concept obviously alien to ra peepel, presumably the normal folk to which the sevco trumpet refers.
I also hope we’ve heard the end of the hypocritical and embarrassing whingeing from Legia, a club like sevco with a history of cheating,hooliganism and racism.
Bye Bye. Mind the door disnae hit yer erse on the way oot.
Marko Suler, who Celtic came close to signing four years ago.
That particular phrase has a familiar ring to it.
I’d like to think the CAS would make it clear that Celtic didn’t make any submissions to them and that the parties involved were LW and UEFA.
In saying that I am assuming that we didn’t actually make a submission to the CAS.
Does anyone know definitively that we didn’t or , indeed , if we did?
Wee tune for a Monday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qqd6T_A9LY
HH
Smashy
think tallybhoy has come up withthe best sign off today, erses…..
Ray
Hopefully the end too of the sackcloth and ashes self flagellators on here bemoaning the injustice of it all
If you participate in a comp worth £20m you can afford to pay somebody to understand the rules and fill in a form
If not, tough.
Steinreignedsupreme was it a handball by maldini from a naka shot? Seem to remember darren o dea having a great game.3 hours before they scored against usand that was the year they were in trouble for match fixing I think
Medtim. They will never recognize our contribution to Scottish football even though we are putting money into ever team, especially those teams that hold us back by failing every year in the first round of the Europa.
Poor show from SSN, no guy from Poland on greeting about bad old Celtic tut tut they had someone on every 5 minutes last week telling the world what a raw deal Celtic had givin them HH
quonno
CFC have come very close to signing very many players over the years!
“Aye, he would have been a great signing!”
HH!!
It may well seem harsh on Legia, but the issue is one of precedent being set if UEFA didn’t kick them in to the Europa or we stood aside for them (which may well have been a breach of rules in itself).
I think Legia people knew this but I think they had to try or be seen to try back in Poland.
Sporting integrity in this case was only besmirched by legias comments about Celtic and refusing to accept the punishment stated in rules they should know all about.
Legia were acting like a flakey ex-girlfriend who couldn’t accept being dumped. I’m sure they’ll get over it eventually.
For all those whingeing FFr’s banging on about Honour and Decency.
As the wee man in the bunnet said.
IT WOULD’VE COST LESS TO GO INTO LIQUIDATION.
BUT IT WOULD ALSO BE HUMILIATING FOR CELTIC.
SO WE PAID ALL THE BILLS.
….Shortie………..
Dick is the new Chic……
Horribly Hurtin’.
Rock Tree Bhoy 16:54 on 18 August, 2014
“Steinreignedsupreme – not successful then, but I do remember, it was an excellent try.”
Fine margins. The Maldini handball was a shocking decision, and would have seen Celtic through. Milan destroyed Manchester United in the next round.
Souness and Nicholas both claimed Milan were the poorest team in the last eight and had no chance of going further while analysing our game at the San Siro, but they did win it.
Ginger 17:02 on 18 August, 2014
“Steinreignedsupreme was it a handball by maldini from a naka shot?”
That’s the one.
I wonder if follow follow paste words from these fine pages to their den of enquity. If so chaps …Karma is a bitch.
I suppose when the rules in your home country are so malleable in your favour, morf would be jealous it makes some sense. Imagine the temerity of two organisations following a pre existing set of rules.
Get your Zadoc ring tones fired up, why would you not wind up the hurting huns at every opportunity. Drive them roon the bend and over the edge. It would be rude not to.
Hunners and millions available free at acgr@hotmail.co.uk
squire danaher, you need one for that hun janny.
phelim brady
16:42 on 18 August, 2014
They’re taking the news well over on FF – “If it was the UEFA delegate that saw it first it only became ‘actionable’ when Bheast FC made an official complaint. Moreover, if the UEFA delegate saw it why did he not caution LW before the game that they were potentially making an admin mistake worth 20m quid?
The reality is that Bheast FC habitually -after Sion- employ ‘low-level paper gatherers’ to plumb these depths because they go about their business in a way that sickens normal folk.”
——————-
Ha ha ha GIRFUY
By my reckoning the only avenue left open for Legia Warsaw now is to hire The A-Team. I pity the fools.
bt
Belated happy birthday wishes to TOHG!
Apologies, but been rather busy the last two weeks. Wife n daughter been dragging me all over the place – mostly beaches, handbag, shoe and clothes shops!
I’m skint again.
HH!!
In addition to previous post.
Never pass up the opportunity to remind THEM that THEY have sloped the pack man big time.
Even down to the face (presumably red) painter.
Gotta feel so sorry for the Warsaw legians :)
Gotta feel even sorrier for the zombie legions who seem to have done the impossible and taken the news even harder than the poles ;))
And a special vote of sympathy for the SMSM who would appear to have lost the holy grail ;)))
Not long In from work and I see legia are oot, can’t say I didn’t expect that decision but it’s good to get that wee niggle out of my head…roll on Wednesday.
Tbj, your a bad man….;)
Cheers tallybhoy
Poor Henning. Even when he wins (finally) against Celtic, he loses.
That Legia owner needs a hair cut urgently. That should be his priority.
The following is probably unworthy of me.
Look on the bright side.
It is surely a sign of social progress when THEY are taking up the cudgels on behalf of Polish Papes.
I don’t know why there is ever an expectation that the media will ever deliver a better product that a multi crowd sourced blog such as this. Their main objective is to sell stories in language an 8 year old would understand to maximise advertising income. I prefer to get my analysis and facts from legal, accounting, business and finance experts rather than a fan with a typewriter who is good enough for the big papers.
CSA verdict…….Leigh Griffiths breathes a sigh of relief…………
TBM
Quite incredible, 20 minutes in from the 5 o’clock headlines and SS News have yet to mention the CAS decision, although it is on the ticker tape that runs along the bottom of the screen, now if we’d been chucked out they would have talked about nothing else – FACT.
craigwhitesoptometrist
16:12 on 18 August, 2014
The game on Wednesday in Javea.
If your in the Port, Cheers will have it on and if your at the beach then Geographic or Platino will show it if it is on Sky and I am sure it is on Sky 5.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Court of arbitration for dodgy haircuts would certainly find old Dariuz guilty as charged.
thats them discussing it now…just to remind you of the background….6 – 1….what a shower.
We have momentum…
Momentum is a fine thing to have.
A wee cheeky impressive signing tonight would build on that.
As would a fine result on Wednesday and a marked improvement from the disasters against Legia.
Who knows where momentum can take us next.
Rock Tree Bhoy
Big Jim White can’t bring himself to accept it…
Sad to see that Sam Galbraith has died. He was neurosurgeon who operated on my Godmother , giving her many more years to enjoy her seat at Celtic Park.
RIP