Ex-team-mate Thomson urges Brown to play on for Scotland
● Ex-team-mate Thomson urges Brown to give Strachan the answer he wants to hear
Kevin Thomson is desperate for scott brown to keep playing for Scotland and believes Gordon Strachan can persuade the Celtic captain to prolong his international career.
Former Hibs and Rangers midfielder Thomson, an exteam-mate of Brown, insists his close friend is back at the top of his game and playing as well as anyone in Scotland.
Brown is currently agonising over what to do in Dubai, where Celtic are based during the Premiership’s winter break. Brown has described the dilemma as the “biggest decision of his career” and he intends to speak to both national boss Strachan and Brendan Rodgers, the Celtic manager, before making up his mind.
The midfielder retired from internationals in August but was tempted to return for November’s crucial World Cup qualifying clash with England, where he made his 51st appearance in a disappointing 3-0 defeat at Wembley.
Scotland’s next competitive game is the equally vital home clash with Slovenia at Hampden in March. But Brown sounds most concerned about the scheduling of the return match with England, on 10 June. Celtic are due back at training for the 2017-18 season just ten days later.
With Brown, pictured, sounding cooler on the idea of continuing with Scotland, Thomson hopes Strachan can persuade the 31-year-old to play on.
“In my opinion, if there is anyone who is going to sway his mind it would be Gordon,” said Thomson yesterday. “That will be a conversation that Gordon and him are going to have. He thinks Gordon is as good as it gets, really. So, if there is one person who is going to get him to sway his mind and pull that jersey on it would definitely be him.”
Thomson has been in text contact with Brown as he continues his deliberations in the Middle East.
“It’s been a tough one for him sitting in Dubai for the last couple of weeks hasn’t it?” joked Thomson. “Every time I get a text from him he’s talking about pina coladas!” But Thomson understands the serious nature of Brown’s quandary and the risk he is taking by agreeing to put even more physical demands on his body. Brown missed parts of last season due to injury but has been an inspiring figure for Celtic this season under Rodgers in an unbeaten run of 24 domestic matches.
“Of course it’s a difficult decision for him because he’s probably playing as well as he’s played for the last three or four years,” said Thomson.
“I think he’s got that competitive edge back now that Rangers are in the league and knowing that they have to be at the top of their game and they can’t have any slacking.
“They’re like a train on fire, they’re running away with it. But, for Scott personally, I think he’s as good as anyone (in the country). I would love to see him pulling on the dark blue jersey and helping the country. But from a personal point of view it’s down to him and what he thinks is best for himself and his family.
“As a fan I would love to see him play because I still think he helps the team,” Thomson added.
“As a mate I would still love to see him play. But for Scott the decision has to be his and what he feels comfortable with.
“It has to be a gut decision based on what he feels can prolong his career for as long as he possibly can. Sadly, Celtic is his bread and butter. Scotland is amazing and as fans we would all love to see him play. But if Scott plays an extra campaign with Scotland and it curtails his club career then it’s probably the wrong decision.”
Gordon Strachan does not blame the sections of the artan Army who have called for him to be axed as Scotland manager.
The national team boss has found himself the subject of severe criticism following his team’s nightmare start to World Cup qualifying.
The Scots sit second bottom of Group F having taken just four points from four games and Strachan can understand the frustration of the fans.
He told Sky Sports: “There’s a huge bit of disappointment that’s for sure. You have to deal with that.
“I think that maybe a year previous, I thought we were so close to being a good team.
“I think we were playing like a team, we moved like a team together and that was a disappointment because I thought we were going to take it from there to become a right good side.
“Circumstances are against you sometimes, but we can’t blame anyone else apart from ourselves.
“And I’m not indignant of anyone questioning your position as a manager, none whatsoever. I can understand that. There’s ways of doing it obviously, because that’s what happens in football.
“Antonio Conte, he wasn’t very good at the beginning of the season, now he’s a genius. (Pep) Guardiola was a genius at the beginning season, now he’s not so much of a genius and that can change in weeks in football.
“But what I do like about this job is I love the job. I love working with people, I love coaching players. The group that I’ve got is fantastic.”
The tide of public opinion began flowing away from Strachan after his side failed to build on a positive start to the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, with his team ultimately missing out on last summer’s finals in France.
But the former Celtic boss believes he still has the backing of a significant portion of the Tartan Army.
“I can’t go around their houses and say ‘listen, this is what I’m trying to do – please like me’,” said the 59-year-old. “I can’t do that, I’ve just got to get on with my job.
“But in saying that the people that I’ve been in contact with have been absolutely fabulous, so that’s good.
“The support I’ve got from people in the game has been great, plus I’m confident in myself and the people that I work with that we can change it around and qualify.”
Scotland’s hopes of reaching the World Cup in Russia in 18 months’ time are hanging by a thread but Strachan hopes a win against second-placed Slovenia at Hampden on 26 March may allow his team to hold on to some faint hope of ending their 20-year wait to reach a major tournament.
He added: “What we have to do is start winning games at home. And we have to win the next one, that’s for sure. So that’s our mindset now.
“We’ll probably play a friendly before it, because what we have at the moment is a lot of players who are not getting a game regularly.
“Two or three weeks after the England game, we have six strikers who we usually call on and only one played for their team that weekend. So that’s why we’ll have a friendly, so guys like that can have games.
“It’s been a disappointing year but we have to put that aside now and look forward to this year. Whatever happens the players will give as much as they can.”
“I think we were playing like a team, we moved like a team together… I thought we were going to take it from there to become a right good side” GORDON STRACHAN