The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Former Dundee United boss Jackie McNamara in the frame for top SFA role
Hearts gaffer continually has digs, says Rodgers
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has accused Craig Levein of being “obsessed” with Scott Brown after the Hearts boss had another dig at the Hoops skipper.
The former Scotland manager suggested Brown had got himself deliberately booked against Kilmarnock on Saturday to ensure he served a suspension before Celtic face Rangers on March 11.
Levein’s latest comments came after Brown had claimed that his yellow card was down to his former Scotland manager’s jibe that “everybody should get a little bit more protection from Scott Brown”.
Rodgers said: “He is a wee bit obsessed with Broony, isn’t he?
“I think it is a huge compliment for Broony that Craig keeps talking about him, if he does, especially as we don’t play them for a little while.
“Broony is a very competitive player. There is nothing really to answer on that.”
The row started after Celtic’s recent midweek victory over Hearts when Levein hit out over Brown’s challenge on Harry Cochrane, which left the 16-year-old with a collarbone injury, and accused him of seeking out the midfielder in response to Celtic’s 4-0 defeat at Tynecastle in December.
Brown will be free to play in tomorrow’s William Hill Scottish Cup tie against Partick Thistle and Rodgers is confident his side will bounce back from the 1-0 Ladbrokes Premiership loss to Kilmarnock, which was only his second defeat by Scottish opposition since he took over at Celtic in 2016.
He said: “I was disappointed after the game, I thought we could have done more despite the pitch and everything else.
“But I have to defend the players as well, it is an horrendous surface to play on.
“I have said (that) when we have won there. It is one of those things that can happen.”
● Celtic made a post-tax profit of £17.4 million in the final six months of 2017, according to the club’s interim report.
The figure is slightly down on the same period in 2016 but revenue increased by 17% to £71.5m.
The club reported they had £30.9m net cash in the bank at the end of the year – more than £12m up on a year earlier.