match thread (image) [FT] Maribor 0 - 0 Rangers

[Gonzo79 15,294]

Maribor have been in the CL group stages regularly.  I hadn't even heard of Osijek before we drew them.  

 

Thursday is by far our toughest test yet.  

[Darthter 542]

11 hours ago, Gonzo79 said:

He's only been a manager for a few weeks.

But he still knows (experience as a player) how to manage difficult away games to your advantage - he has already show this experience against Osijek & Shkupi.

[Frankie 8,562]

All three players have travelled (as have Sadiq and Middleton who played last night for the under 20s).

 

This will be a very tricky game but I don't see why we can't remain diligent in defence and hopefully grab a goal as well.

[buster. 5,195]

6 minutes ago, Darthter said:

But he still knows (experience as a player) how to manage difficult away games to your advantage - he has already show this experience against Osijek & Shkupi.

I think this game has potential to develop in a way that more tests the players ability to deal with a situation.

 

ie. if they score the first goal then we are forced out of the relative comfort zone of a two goal advantage and the pressure mounts as Maribor get encouragment. 

 

First and foremost, we really have to defend well and prevent them from scoring. If Jack, Coulibally and Arfield are playing I'll be happier but still somewhat aprehensive about what happens down the left, as I don't see any options that are decent.

 

Second, we need to counter with menace and not be camped on our 18 yard box.

 

 

[Darthter 542]

16 minutes ago, buster. said:

I think this game has potential to develop in a way that more tests the players ability to deal with a situation.

 

ie. if they score the first goal then we are forced out of the relative comfort zone of a two goal advantage and the pressure mounts as Maribor get encouragment. 

 

First and foremost, we really have to defend well and prevent them from scoring. If Jack, Coulibally and Arfield are playing I'll be happier but still somewhat aprehensive about what happens down the left, as I don't see any options that are decent.

 

Second, we need to counter with menace and not be camped on our 18 yard box.

 

 

Agreed....I think from our side of things, we will be happy to keep the ball in the midfield & breaking up any play they may have.  Couple that with the odd break forward, just to remind them that we're a threat.  We will ultimately play for a 0-0 draw.

 

Maribor HAVE to try & score....if we nullify that option we then have full control of the match.

[craig 5,199]

14 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

He had a very tough game coming up against Osijek but came through it and I would estimate Osijek to be better than Maribor. We all know nothing is ever certain but there is no harm in optimism or at least for me there isn't. We have already exceeded the expectations I had just a couple of months ago.

How many times have you watched Osijek and how many times have you watched Maribor to come to the conclusion Osijek is better than Maribor ?

[Unicorn 206]

Better Rangers teams than this have went away from home in the 2nd leg with a 2 goal advantage and been knocked out so this is far from over.

[Gaffer 1,665]

44 minutes ago, craig said:

How many times have you watched Osijek and how many times have you watched Maribor to come to the conclusion Osijek is better than Maribor ?

As football fans, I think it's quite reasonable (and normal) to make such a sweeping statement after a short period of assessment.  I'll make judgements on teams after ten minutes, so if JFK has taken longer to decide, maybe he's just slow, or meticulous.  ?  It only took me 2 minutes of reading Josh Windass' tweets to decide he was an idiot.  But then again, it took me 4 months before I realised Pena wasn't mentally fit enough to play for us.

 

But seriously, it's always a difficult assessment to make but having watched the games against both so far this season, I really did believe that Osijek were better than Maribor.  Having said that, it could just be that we made Maribor look poorer because of our play, especially in the second half.  Their only goal was a fluke, when an attempted cross ended up looking like a good shot.

 

I felt that Osijek was a technically excellent team, and possibly the best team technically we will face this season.  Maybe Maribor have more tactical awareness (and experience) and that does concern me, but we have nothing to fear.  If we go out and perform even close to the level of last week, I'm confident.

[Walterbear 557]

3 hours ago, buster. said:

I think this game has potential to develop in a way that more tests the players ability to deal with a situation.

 

ie. if they score the first goal then we are forced out of the relative comfort zone of a two goal advantage and the pressure mounts as Maribor get encouragment. 

 

First and foremost, we really have to defend well and prevent them from scoring. If Jack, Coulibally and Arfield are playing I'll be happier but still somewhat aprehensive about what happens down the left, as I don't see any options that are decent.

 

Second, we need to counter with menace and not be camped on our 18 yard box.

 

 

A goal for us will almost certainly take the tie beyind Maribor. I feel we need to score so it’s how to go about that whilst  remaining defensively solid. Watching videos of their previous games and the first leg they are more dangerous on the break and like to cut the ball back to onrushing midfielders from wide positions. 2 sitting in front of the defence is essential for us and remaining tight on the flanks too. Morelos and Murphy really need to take their chances. Of course winning free kicks and corners is another route for us. We have good delivery and an aerial threat.  If we can keep it scoreless to half time we will get more space to kill the tie in open play in the second half. Losing an early goal may be fatal but if we do I wouldn’t then sit on it as we wouldn’t hold out imo. Thus lot are the best team we have played this season especially as they rack up goals at home. 

[craig 5,199]

Oh I'm confident - but making conclusions on the back of ONE game (which is all we have seen of Maribor I suspect) is absolute folly.  There are multitudes of reasons why Osijek may have looked better, but aren't.

 

Maribor could have had an off day

We outplayed them

They could have had a tough game prior

Used tactics that didn't suit them and didn't work

 

There are literally tons of reasons it could be the case so to jump to such conclusions is asking for trouble IMO. 

 

I think we need to remember that up until our offside goal, Maribor had created a number of half chances which on another occasion could have seen then 2 or 3 up (I remember McGregor having two very decent saves, though saves you would expect him to make - and I remember there being a free header in our box and the boy, thankfully, got no touch on it at all when it was easier to score).

 

We only really outplayed them in the 2nd 45 minutes - and that is what is probably impressing me the most with SG so far... Every game (aside from perhaps St Mirren where we didn't really change anything) he has made tweaks at half-time and we have come out stronger in the 2nd half.  It is as if he is taking 45 minutes to see how the opponent are lining up and setting out their tactics... and then negating them to our advantage at half-time.

 

I have been very impressed with his tactical nous so far.

 

Do I think we will go through ?  Yes.

Will it be easy ?  I doubt it

Are Osijek better than Maribor ?  How anyone can conclusively say so after one game is beyond me.

 

PS - at 2 minutes of Windass tweets to realise he is an idiot I would say you were a tad slow