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.
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Weefra
Interesting what you were saying about protecting your hens from the foxes, there is a fox in my work (rail depot) which brazenly goes about its business anytime of the day, comes within a few metres of humans. I assume this is caused by urbanisation and that the country fox is a bit more predictable.
Sipsini , she’s met some of the better looking .
HH
Sanna
martybhoy59
23:47 on 18 August, 2014,
I feed a fox when I’m nightshift, a gallus wee bugger, as you say they are becoming urbanised…. And cocky… Might not be too long before they become pets.
Sannabhoy, I’ll leave the ladies to you, I’ve gave up with them, I just attract nutters :(
Sipsini
Haha, I am a nutterphile too.
Nutters are attracted to our good looks and charm in oor wee asylum.
They are all nutters in the rubber room.
Was telling my wife about all the hen talk on here and now she’s gone all clucky on me.
Sannabhoy and 2000 kids say thank you to bucketeers and donators
23:50 on
18 August, 2014
Sipsini , she’s met some of the better looking .
HH
Sanna
——————–
hello bud.
felt quite rubbidge i couldnt support the buckjt collection this time.
but you did ok.
look for a few losing bets contributions from me,
seems Ronnie isnt a dud after all.
martybhoy59
Don’t start me on foxes. They are vermin of the highest order, in some cases, worse than rats. The urbanised foxes will, eventually bring all sorts of health issues to urban areas simply by their lifestyle. It’s one thing to say they keep the rat population down, but if residents are feeding them they don’t have to hunt rats. Think about that. The best thing you can give a fox is a .22 nuff said. IMHO of course.
Car in for it’s second service tomorrow, another big hole in the wallet. Night Night Timland. KTF.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Don’t start me on zombies. They are vermin of the highest order, in some cases, worse than huns. The urbanised zombies will, eventually bring all sorts of health issues to urban areas simply by their lifestyle. It’s one thing to say they keep the hun population down, but if residents are feeding them they don’t have to hunt huns. Think about that.
DD, when we’re allowed out on a day pass, we can head for the pubic triangle as it’s known.
Don’t tell acgr.
You know where ;)
I’ll mark out the loonies as we spend all day with them anyway……….;)
saint stivs
Couldn’t have put that better myself. We are on the same wavelength. Silver bullet??? Hahaha
Night.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
St Stivs
Hahahahaha. Magic.
hahhaha,
wee fra jan venegoor heselling
St Stivs
That’s sent me to bed laughing.
Cheers
Sipsini
Next home Saturday game, we will hit the Gallowgate after. Any non nutters doon there? :))
Think I missed out an l there ;)
St stivs
Brilliant away to sleep with a smile on my face
Whenever I hear (or read) about agency X (SFA, Police, Judges, MSM etc…) investigating RFCil or SevcoFC, on any of a vast array of issues, I always have the vision of a pantomime with the whole audience screaming “It’s behind you” .
The audience all know that you already know what is behind you but you just don’t want to look….
DD, game on bud. Keep you clear of the nutters, you can keep me clear of maddies.
Kip time, I pad for work tomorrow, as it’s as quiet as thirty huns at a home game.
just heard from reliable source remo freuer coming over tomorrow for talks
Sipsini
Nice one. :) GNGB
oops remo freuler f c zurich mid fielder
tansbell
00:27 on
19 August, 2014
just heard from reliable source remo freuer coming over tomorrow for talks/
to your hoose ? or the fitba club
If hardly anyone turns up at Ibrox, wouldn’t it be better financially for Sevco to be drawn away from home?
I would have thought the minimum, break even, crown attendance for Sevco would be way, way higher that the numbers which attended their walkover last night.
Interesting to read that the Easedales want to buy up Clyde Fergusons shipyard. Looks like Clyde’s Ferguson did a good giveaway job last night.
Tansbell
Heard from a good source he is a real good one. Hope you are right and he signs. Ronny seems to have an eye for a player.
ibrox break even point was discussed at length last season as 27,000 .
off to bed.
keep it lit.
in lennon i trust.
ronnie a wee ways to go.
but cmon you can do it diala
hope he can pick a top striker
no news on the Ghana winger?
Tansbell
Would break the bank for Chris Martin at Derby.
ayeb good prospect think well get someone weve never heard off
Tansbell
Who??? :)))
wish i knew but havent heard anything????
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Oh Dear..! Bit Of Blowback….
Over GCC ‘Fleg Issue’……
Still….It Obviously Brought Joy To The Green Brigade And Their Shady Leaders….
Expect We Can Always Count On The Qatari Royals….
To Make Up The Difference..? :-)
And Counc.Erchie Graham…
Whit A DIPLOMAT…?
Car-Crash Of An Interview On Reporting. Scotland Last Week..
Does He Cut Grass For The Cooncil..
As His Day-Job..?
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(From Daily Express) :-
Damaging boycott is cost of city flag stunt
PLANS to bring 600 US visitors to Glasgow have been abandoned because of the city council’s decision to fly the Palestinian flag.
By: Kerry Gill
Mon, August 18, 2014
The US trip would have injected hundreds of thousands of pounds into
Glasgow [WATTIE CHEUNG]
The trip, which would have injected hundreds of thousands of pounds into Glasgow, and the Scottish economy, was a reward to 600 salesmen and women, and their spouses.
The Vice-President of one of the leading special event companies in the US has told the council that the planned six-day trip is off.
The company is one of the Fortune group whose members are the top 500 worldwide corporations, including WalMart, Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, Volkswagen and Coca Cola.
But, after reading about Glasgow’s decision to fly the Palestinian flag over the City Chambers to show solidarity with Gaza, the New York-based vice-president of the company wrote to Glasgow’s Lord Provost, Sadie Docherty, saying: “I was, until I read the article in the Scottish Express, and substantiated by the press all over the world, spearheading an event in Glasgow for 600 business visitors to be guests of your wonderful city.
“We were scheduling six days in Glasgow, three for business and three for leisure time.
“Having read your statement endorsing Hamas and its leadership due to the number of Muslims in your city, I have decided to cancel all plans for our trip. We are a Fortune 500 Company, so costs were really not a serious consideration, location was.
Hopefully, the Muslim population that you so sincerely endorse will have the spending power of the very people you have chased away so well.
Vice-President of the Fortune 500 group company
“Hopefully, the Muslim population that you so sincerely endorse will have the spending power of the very people you have chased away so well.”
In another email, sent to the Express, he described Glasgow Council’s decision as a “stupid move” and asked whether Ms Docherty would have the “courage of her convictions” to reply to his message.
However, after four days, the Lord Provost had not replied to the vice-president and he sent Ms Docherty a further email saying: “It appears that being Provost of a wonderful city such as Glasgow does not require the holder of said title to have any manners, or upbringing whatsoever.”
A council spokeswoman said: “The council has received more than 1,500 emails/calls/online forms, etc, about the flag and is responding to each.”
Shortly after the council’s response, the New York vice-president revealed that he had just had a reply from Councillor Archie Graham.
Councillor Graham told him: “Glasgow utterly abhors and rejects any forms of discrimination, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.”
The vice-president responded saying his decision to abandon the trip to Glasgow would not be reversed.
Related articles
Fury as Muslim mayor flies Palestinian flag over UK town hall in ‘gesture of solidarity’
Outrage as Glasgow City Council plans to fly Palestinian flag
Fury over Glasgow city plans to hoist Palestine flag
*ttp://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/500601/Damaging-boycott-is-cost-of-city-flag-stunt
http://m.clarionproject.org/analysis/us-overlooks-global-terror-funding-prized-ally-qatar
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SOoo…..The Fragrant M♥ggie M♥Gill
Spotted Hivin’ “Ugandan Discussions” Wi’ The Big Yin…..
At Newark Airport..?
That’s IT …..Doll !
Pol-Pot ACGR Can Hiv Ye……
God Bless KevJ…..
The Thinking Woman’s Crumpet
Viva Timbhoy2…
“Scourge” Of The CLIQUE..!
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Hope we get a goalscoring centre for a change. Seems a long time since we signed our last. Super Hooperman.
im hearing wasako signed pending medical
aye lennie didnt seem to have the nack where strikers were concerned
nakasammi & phylis deitrichson
Last I heard the Celtic View was published by the same people that publish the Ranger and the Mason. Might be out of date info now, but that was genuine info whenever.
If Celtic have complained about the Polish goalie’s story, and many others recently I hope, then the club need to tell the fans. The club often seem happy to leave that information vacuum like it was poison which lets the poison pen blunts have a field day.
HH
So missed the deadline ?
11pm