Scott Brown

Neil Lennon has described as “ageism” attempts earlier this season to portray Scott Brown as on the wane. And the Celtic manager believes that, at 34, the club captain has the physiology to allow him to perform as he did when he was younger.

There was a Brown-shaped hole in the Scotland midfield for the chastening defeats by Russia and Belgium during the Euro 2020 fortnight – his retirement from international duty acknowledged as gravely diminishing the national team in various post-mortems conducted after qualification for the finals via the group phase became a virtual impossibility.


Yet, prior to Brown’s outstanding showing in Celtic’s recent derby win at Ibrox, he was being talked about as on the way down, an assessment which Lennon rails against.


“It’s ageism, ageism,” said the 48-year-old. “He’s a man for all seasons, I think. When he’s right – and in the main he’s always right – he’s still a helluva player. It’s difficult to play without him at times, but the derby was one of his finest games that I’ve seen from him, and I’ve been here for a long, long time


“It is so dangerous to write off Broony. He’s got that personality. There was a time at Ibrox when he went on a run at Ibrox and it looked like Scott Brown of 21. It was awesome, absolutely awesome. He was like a 400m runner. He started in his own half and it’s fantastic that, at 34, he still has that in the locker. He ran 40, 50 yards in the 70 something minute.

“I thought he was superb in that first half.

“He has the desire and fire, but it’s controlled. His reading of the game, his tackling, which is still a fine art, and I would know a bit about that, is perfect. He was so impressive.”

And the lungs that allowed for Brown, pictured, to make that Ibrox run, will allow him to run games in his quarter-back berth for more than the foreseeable future, according to Lennon.


He’s just got that natural cardio-vascular,” he said. “He’s blessed with that, really. When you see him running in training behind the scenes, he’s still at the forefront of it all, and very powerful. He had a ligament injury in the toe, and that’s sort-of curtailed him a little bit in some of the games – where he was getting injected – and that needs to settle eventually. But looking at him at Ibrox, he looked back to his very, very best.

“Obviously, he’s evolved his game to be that No 6 now, where he reads the game and he still covers the ground, tackles, and recycles the ball brilliantly. When you really need him, he’s there and that’s really important. He’s a big-game player.”

Rumours circulated a month ago that there had been a major fall-out between Lennon and his captain, whom he moulded as his on-field general in leaning on him in that role throughout his four-year first spell in charge from 2010. The Irishman rejects out of hand any suggestion there has been a cooling in their alliance.

“I don’t know where that’s come from at all. It’s complete nonsense, honestly. I can’t control the rumours,” Lennon said.


I love him and, you know, we have a great relationship; a very strong bond with a huge amount of respect and it goes back a long, long way. And I trust him; and he trusts me. It would take a lot for anything to come between that.”

 

Just makes you wonder, how are we going to replace him.

 

Pass!

 

His name is John McGinn and we penny pinched.

 

The same day his contract runs out he should be handed a deal as a player/coach, with the emphasis on coach, only filling in if we really need. We can't let his influence and experience walk away and for whoever we get to replace him he will be the ultimate role model.

 

Depends. Possibly get a big final payday in the MLS but agree for him to come back after. It could possibly be the final time he could make good money.

 

I want him for this and if we get 9 then defo for next year. Yes, reduce the games but defo want him here.

McGinn was the man but we * it, and that boat has sailed. Believe even though it ain't the way we do things shoulda tried for Wanyama, he coulda been here for a few years. Just see if we could make up an incentives deal for him as we couldn't pay the £65k or whatever it was meant to be.

 

Hes a heidless chicken

 

McGinn wouldn't lace Broonys boots..

 

SB: “I enjoyed playing with Scotland but there comes a time when you need to focus on playing with your club. I’ve been able to recharge my batteries and we’re straight back into it.”

SB on
@staderennais
: “We played them already at the start of the season and it was tough. It’s always going to be hard, especially away from home in Europe. They’ve started the season well. We‘re looking forward to it. “


SB: “The new boys were fantastic at Ibrox. They’ve set their standard now and they need to make sure they push on from there.”


SB on
@acciesfc
: “It’s going to be hard. Astroturf is always hard, it slows the game down. They’re always compact as a team and defend as a team so it’s always a hard place to go & we just need to make sure we bring our A game.”

 

SCOTT BROWN says the vile abuse he suffered outside Ibrox wasn’t a one-off – he’s been hearing it for the last 12 years.

A Light Blues supporter asked the Hoops skipper “how’s your sister” in a reference to his sibling Fiona, who passed away in 2008 from skin cancer.

Footage of the incident emerged on social media, leading to pundits, players and fans of all clubs hitting out at the abuse.

The Gers supporter who made the vile remark – a 15-year-old boy – has since been charged by policeand banned from Ibrox for life.


Speaking today, Brown thanked both Rangers and Celtic fans for their support but admitted he’s too used to hearing these kinds of slurs.

He said: “Fans from both sides have been phenomenal to be perfectly honest but it’s not just the one incident, it’s happened over the last 12 years of my career


It’s hard but it’s there. It’s sad, it shouldn’t be happening.


“I play football, I play to win. For 90 minutes you can shout, you can swear at me as much as you want on the park but don’t go into detail off the park like that.

“For me, that’s finished with. It’s about me focusing on playing football now and to continue winning games.”

Asked whether the abuse aimed at him and his fellow players had increased over the years and why, Brown had an explanation.

He added: “That’s easy, social media. Anyone can write what they want


Someone sitting in the house that has probably never played sport thinks they will drink a bottle of vodka and then go and write something online. It’s easy enough done.

“You are always going to get a bit of stick. For me it’s about how you bounce back.

“You block those people out, you focus on your football and you go out there and prove everyone wrong.

People can just shout and say what they want and think it’s appropriate but for me it’s just about getting over that and focus on playing football again.”

 

Another fine display from the Skipper! He and Jullien were our top performers for me.

 

Thought he was excellent last night. Patrolled the midfield and was on top of grenier as soon as he got the ball.

 

That's 3 penalties he has conceded in the past few weeks. Just needs to screw the heed.

 

Only one was a pen tho.

 

Proving us wrong each game. Calls for him to be rested (myself included) and he turns up every week

 

I'm still mystified how I got that so wrong at the start of the season. He must have been carrying an injury or something. Surely I can't have been imagining the gradual drop in form culminating in the Cluj game. It can't be a case of seeing what I wanted to see, because it was the last thing I wanted to see.

I still don't understand what happened.