Scott Brown

Was immense yesterday..

 

Could have had one against Hearts as well if not for a good save for Zlamal.

I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he’s taken more shots in 2019 already than he did in 2018.

 

Celtic captain Scott Brown admitted that he was “devastated” when Brendan Rodgers broke the news to him last week about quitting the club, but the midfielder believes the Parkhead side have shown their character in the week that has past since the news. Rodgers took Brown into his office on Monday afternoon to break the news that he was going to speak to Leicester, with the Celtic backroom staff also informed.

But Brown also explained that the first bit of advice offered by short-term manager Neil Lennon was to show to people that it was the players who have dominated the domestic landscape for the last 32 months.

Since news broke of Rodgers’ departure to Leicester last Tuesday morning, Celtic have take three points at Tynecastle and booked their place in the semi-final of the William Hill Scottish Cup with a comfortable win over Hibs at Easter Road on Saturday evening.

“When Brendan first pulled me in to tell me I was devastated. It is probably the only way to describe it because he is a class manager. He was brilliant with me on a personal level and brilliant for the club and I was blown away, to be honest.

“But one of the first things that Neil Lennon said to us is that it is us as players who have had to go and show what we have got and what we are about on the pitch. And I think that is what we tried to take on board this week.

“It wasn’t the easiest of weeks but I think the manner of the two results, two big wins, have given an indication of the character that we have got within the squad. It would have been easy for us to use Brendan’s departure as an excuse for letting things slip but we haven’t done that.

“In fact, it’s the first time that we have won at Tynecastle this season and it’s the first time we have won at Easter Road for five years as someone pointed out to me. So we’ve done pretty well and it is now just a case of keeping that focus.”

The draw for the semi-finals will be made this evening straight after the quarter-final tie between Partick Thistle and Hearts.

But Brown is relaxed about whoever might come out of the hat.

“My only concern is that we were in it, that’s what my job is,” said the Celtic captain. “Anything else is out of our hands.”

For the first time since the mid-winter break Celtic will have a free midweek. Lennon has confirmed that the players will be given time off to draw breath after what has been a hectic seven days at the club and Brown is appreciative of the chance to let the events of Rodgers’ departure sink in.

“It’s all about going forward for us now,” he said. “But the chance to get a bit of down time and just take stock will be good for us. It gives us an opportunity to gather our thoughts and shake off any wee knocks and prepare for what is a big month now. I think we have all had a chance to take it in and now it is about making sure we are at our best. Our focus won't slip.

“We have Aberdeen on Saturday afternoon and we just want to make sure that we are all looking to keep things going.”

 

Broony just highlighting the fact how much Fraudgers just doesnt give a *.Clearly he quietly slipped off like a coward and left Brown and kennedy to pick up the pieces.

 

Ledley on him

 

In terms of looking for positives from the game, there was a 30 minute spell that second half where he was unbelievable there.

 

Yep. He was excellent. The only player who really tried to make something happen.

 

Bit of a slog there Broony...

 

MOTM today , He rolled back the years today and it was a pity none of the other players followed his brilliant example .

 

Plays completely different under lennon I feel. Dangerous balls into attacking areas , looking fir the forward pass. One his best performances of the season today.

 

Past it my *!

 

Celtic captain Scott Brown has hit out at the Hibernian supporter who confronted Rangers captain James Tavernier at Easter Road on Friday night.

Brown claimed the incident as Rangers drew 1-1 with Hibs was a “disgrace” and he warned that the current rise in hooligan behaviour at Scottish grounds will inevitably lead to a player eventually being hit with a weapon on the pitch if authorities do not clamp down on the problem.

There have been a spate of incidents this season involving coins thrown at players and officials while Celtic winger Scott Sinclair had a glass bottle thrown at him at Easter Road last Saturday night.


Brown himself was at the centre of an incident at Ibrox in 2017 during a 5-1 Celtic win when a Rangers supporter confronted him on the pitch, something he acknowledged is a surreal distraction from the game.

“It is a disgrace,” he said. “You can’t have fans run on the park and try to hit players or kick players or kick the ball. As Leeann [Dempster] says, it is not really a fan it is a hooligan more than anything.

“It is last minute. You just don’t realise it is happening when someone runs up to you. Lucky enough they don’t have something to hit you with because that is going to be the next thing – someone is going to run on the park and hit someone with something. We have got to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

And Brown’s frustration has been exacerbated by the fact he feels the incidents have detracted from the quality and excitement that the league has had to offer this season.

“Usually it doesn’t happen that often in Scotland,” he said. “Out football couldn’t be in a better place right now. We have done well in the Champions League and the Europa League and we just need to get back to focussing on the football instead of individuals killing the game and making it more about them than it is about the teams.

Especially when someone is getting a bottle of Buckfast thrown at them. If that hits someone on the head then the game ends up getting called off. You don’t want to see that. You don’t want to see people getting hurt.”


Despite that, Brown has maintained that he has not feel compromised heading out into any pitch this term.

“I wouldn’t say it is player safety,” he said. “I have felt safe going on the park, especially at Celtic Park and going away from home I have felt safe every single game that I have been involved in. It is up to individuals and it is hard to stop individuals."

Meanwhile, Brown was relaxed about yesterday’s stalemate with Aberdeen which ended Celtic’s unblemished home league record this season.

"It was a wee bit frustrating,” he lamented. "We made it more into a battle than anything else. We didn't play our usual style it's a point and we are still eight clear. We have had a fantastic run in 2019 and this just continues it.

"It was always going to be hard after the last few weeks with a manager coming in and one leaving. For us, it's just about the performance. It wasn't up to scratch and we didn't create as much as we usually do. We didn't get on the front foot.

"The gaffer has been brilliant since he came in. He has spoken well and been really positive. He will continue to do that. He wants us to play the same way but also be direct and create chances. We were just a little bit sloppy but as the manager said, it's been a rollercoaster couple of weeks.

"Hopefully we are now over that and we go again against Dundee.”

 

Hr and the CBs were excellent today. Cleaned up everything

 

Brown wins both for me.