While Maribor were clearly second best at home to Celtic last week they remain a potent threat to our season. You can be sure they’ve watched every minute of every game Celtic have played this season and will have dissected each defensive lapse. Our acknowledged weaknesses – primarily a defence which has yet to find cohesion – will be well-known to each of them.
The vast acreage of Celtic Park should suit the mobile, pressing, game Ronny Deila has brought to our play. It will be difficult for Maribor to cover all defensive zones, so with Celtic certain to play without a target-man, I expect the visitors to concede territory on the wings, defend their penalty area and force Celtic to play through them.
We will inevitably leave space at the back, in particular down the wings. How attentive we deal with this risk could determine the outcome of the tie.
Maribor’s schedule since facing Celtic on Wednesday suggests their biggest challenge will be to maintain energy levels late in the game. Thursday will have been a rest day, only light training would have taken place Friday and the bulk of the first team had a league game on Saturday evening. Yesterday would be another rest day, and they will travel today before a light job on Celtic Park this evening.
By contrast, the bulk of those who will start for Celtic tomorrow will have had normal preparatory training Friday, Saturday, Sunday, with some light work tomorrow. Those who made substitute appearances on Saturday will not have made a significant debit on energy levels.
We need to keep the ball moving early on, curtail rest times and have Maribor accessing their reserve tanks as early as possible.
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Delaneys Dunky
10:54 on 26 August, 2014
KevJ
I will have my Celtic kit on tonight.
____________________________
Good for you mhan – hope it goes well for ye fella.
Almost all of my family will be there, some who have
gone to a better place will also be looking down.
Me…I’ll be playing the role of Father Brennan in the Omen
locked inside my room away from the demons.
Hail Hail
Personally, I’m delighted we have our manager. Much happier than I would have been if we had had Henrik.
The SMSM do their best to undermine us once again. Imagine what they will be like in an Independent Scotland………Hmmmmmm
Kev
The difference is that you don’t actually know.
Your’s is based on those wee voices in yer nut!
BocchiniBhoy
10:56 on 26 August, 2014
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Nobody is expecting Celtic to be run like an EPL club
so, reign it in please.
Tom McLaughlin. Football is in part is about mind games and the Maribor coach will try to put doubt in the Celtic players minds while trying to motivate his own players.That is the way of the game and is to be expected. H.H.
Rock Tree Bhoy
10:53
It’s a no-win situation for the Celtic-haters at the Scotsman. Our “third-choice” manager could be about to net us an extra 20m pounds.
KevJ
My granddaughter aged 8 will be attending her first Euro game. I canny wait to see her reaction. You will be in Paradise in spirit.
Hail Hail
Hamiltontim
11:01 on 26 August, 2014
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Oh. and you do know?
Do yerself a favor…don’t listen to any of the ‘bored’
plants on here or elswhere.
Belfast Celt,
Keep telling it like it is. Too many on here live in some sort of fantasy world, where we share an even playing field with teams in England. We don’t even have a level playing field in Scotland. Mind you, that is purely football wise. It will be even worse if the undead get an assisted passage into the Premier League. My only consolation is that the SMSM will faun over McCoist so much that they will have him for life.
mon the hoops
Delaneys Dunky
11:03 on 26 August, 2014
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My spirit is ‘always’ where Celtic play but, my other spirit
that disny have the Jungle anymore gets unleashed on here :)
Hope she has a wonderful time, that’s brilliant stuff pal, brilliant.
Hail Hail
Celtic are a much better run club than any in the EPL.
Bye.
Rock Tree Boy
Recruiting a manager will be like any recruitment in that a list is drawn up.
In normal business that can be done by placing a vacancy advert, getting applicants then matching their skills and experience to the job specification.
The best match, usually after interview wins.
In football the job in big clubs is not usually advertised so possible recruits will be sounded out or put themselves forward or put forward by someone else.
After that it’s the same process- match skills and experience to job spec – how else could Deila got the job given Celtic’s approach to running their football operation.
When KevJ makes up his frankly poisonous comment about NO putting off HL he shows tremendous disrespect to both men and an apparent ignorance into recruitment.
Drawing up a list does not mean setting a preference, that comes after the skills and experience match. HL, being a level headed guy, is more likely to have recognised he does not have enough managerial experience behind him and declined when asked if interested.
It’s a story either written in ignorance of how things work or knowledge of such but with malevolent or poisonous intent and ol KevJ swallowed it.
Wouldn’t it be great if the crowd gives Ronny himself a tremendous welcome tonight.
A wee blast of ‘One Ronny Deila…..’
NO was supposed to be NL
KevJ
No team in the CL group stages wants to get Celtic, regardless of your thoughts about whipping boys, Our home record is excellent against the best opposition.
There are going to be a lot of new faces in the squad this year so plenty to look forward to, take the rough with the smooth but enjoy it all the same.
Kittoch
Good morning all.
I do get why some people critsize our financial policy, as is their right, but I just love supporting Celtic and not one comment from them will make me change my mind. 2-0 tonight. COYBIG.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Auldheid
“NO was supposed to be NL”
Hmmmm….? Freud would have something to say about that 0:-)
JJ
YES. C’mon the hoops. Everyone behind the team tonight for 90 minutes or more. Time to remind everyone what it means to be Celtic. Hail, Hail.
Hail Hail
KevJungle is a Celtic fan…not a ‘supporter’.
11:04 on 26 August, 2014
Hamiltontim
11:01 on 26 August, 2014
_____________________
Oh. and you do know?
Do yerself a favor…don’t listen to any of the ‘bored’
plants on here or elswhere.
————————–
Aye, because I’m well known on here for swallowing board propoganda :-)
What I’ve been told is that it was PL who didn’t want Keane despite DD being in favour of the appointment.
I’m thankful that PL got his way on this one.
Dunno if anybody heard jc on talksport earlier but he mentioned playing with two holding midfielders.
Let’s not kid ourselves also that the whole ECL approach is geared to feeding the rich clubs from the big 5 at the expense of the smaller and weaker countries.
An utter disgrace the champions have to go through the qualifiers yet 3rd placed teams can waltz in.
The pot seedings is to ensure less risk of the usual suspects hitting the knockout stages, earning the bigger purses and allowing themselves to pull away even further.
Big week ahead for the club. I’m going to enjoy it.
I met KevJ , briefly, in George Square and he seemed a decent guy. This morning, I am thoroughly disliking his narrow-minded,repetitive posts.
Hail! Hail! The Celts are here!
JJ
Geordie – Might be kidology or it might just be about plugging that gap between midfield and attack that gave them the goal last week.
Impetus to attack is with them.
KevJ PeeTheBed said:
Take a step back and think about that.
A game v’s MARIBOR and – it’s bite yer nails time?
Who’s fault is that?
The SMSM?
The downsizing Celtic ‘bored’?
So Celtic are facing Maribor for a place in the CL groups stages and you say “Who’s (sic) fault is that?”
Are you saying it’s a bad thing? Something that needs to be blamed on someone?
Or are you saying it is terrible that we are facing Maribor and are not 5-0 up from the first leg, so we’re all a wee bit nervous?
Look at the first leg results in the other 4 Champions route play-offs . . .
0-1
1-1
1-1
1-1
Are you saying all those 4 teams at home tonight should be ashamed that they still have to win the tie?
Here we are on the morning of our biggest game for a year and all you can do is litter the blog with your sniping and unhappiness with life in general. What gives you the right to abuse good Celtic supporters? Your hunnish ramblings are very revealing. Get yourself a boyfriend and leave us in peace to enjoy the build up to the big game. I’d give up on Keevins and McNee. I believe they are happily married. You need to lower your expectations. TSD would be up for it if you can afford the bus fare.
Back in again for a couple of minutes…
Hamiltontim
11:15 on 26 August, 2014
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What I would take out of that is, RD is a puppet and RK isny.
Hail Hail
Auldheid
11:10 on 26 August, 2014
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I’ll believe the Henrik story before I belive
any of your attempts at brainwashing.
Only saying.
big wavy
11:11 on
26 August, 2014
Wouldn’t it be great if the crowd gives Ronny himself a tremendous welcome tonight.
A wee blast of ‘One Ronny Deila…..’
Whilst agreeing strongly with your comment, I feel the support will have to learn, first of all, how to pronounce his name. Dye La is not too difficult, I agree, but a race who have no problem with Auchterlonie from Auchtermuchtie seem to struggle with it 0:-)
JJ
Looking forward to hearing that music again tonight !
Taking my wee 10 year old niece from Seville to her first ever Celtic game. My son’s girlfriend to her first Celtic park game.
No matter how bitter the MSM are….No matter the lies and agenda’s they perpetrate….
Nights like this are always special, really special. They are what we yearned for 16 years ago when we were on the outside looking in.
We now have these on a regular basis these days. They are where we belong despite the crazy finanacial imbalance of TV revenues and bias vs small TV markets.
It is a magnificent feat that WE have achieved this past 16 years. A well run club bucking the trend and living within it’s means yet competing with the best in Europe whilst many others have imploded.
It is a credit to the fans and the management of our club that we can enjoy it from a position of relative financial comfort and not be risking extinction to achieve what we are enjoying. Even more so in a country which begrudges us every success.
I am disappointed the GB wont be there, interesting that many malcontent attention seekers will also be missing. Their loss not Celtics for sure. Many more will replace them. I am sure those attending are in for 95 minutes of an emotional rollercoaster…..hopefully to the ultimate joy. Celebrating the 14th anniversary of the 6-2 game on Wednesday and a place in the big draw on Thursday….
Let me guess………….
…we have a BIG game coming up?
HH.
Tom McLaughlin
11:18 on 26 August, 2014
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Being nervous about Maribor – says it all.
Oh, and your bought and paid for.
Jungle Jim said:
I met KevJ , briefly, in George Square
You met KevJ in George Square and he was in his underpants?
That figures.
Larsson as manager of Falkenberg: Played 21; Won 6; Drawn 5: Lost 10; For 26; Against 33
An unbelievable player but still finding as feet as a manager and absolutely no where near ready for Celtic.
Jungle Jim
That’s a good point. I don’t know why we haven’t settled on the old ‘wee’ or ‘big’ definition for him that Glasgow does so well.
There’s only one big Ronny, there’s only one big Ronny.
Avoids embarrassment all round.
King of Kings will most likely have been asked if interested in the job ……not offered it as reported….
Scurillous attempt to undermine.
I am so glad our man is made of tough stuff and and ignore these halfwits.
It seems to me RD had enough self believe about himself to convince Celtic that he should be given his shot at being Celtic manager some others did not have that same belief in themselves.I think the guy deserves all the support we can give him and I hope he has a long and sucessfull career with Celtic. H.H.
It seems to me RD had enough self belief about himself to convince Celtic that he should be given his shot at being Celtic manager some others did not have that same belief in themselves.I think the guy deserves all the support we can give him and I hope he has a long and sucessfull career with Celtic. H.H.