Brown won’t angst about lost leaders
CRAIG BROWN recalls an era when the Scotland captain bore a responsibility that stretched far beyond the ceremonial duties of leading the team out and calling the toss of a coin. That’s why the former national coach thinks that the issue of who should fill the void created by Scott Brown’s retirement and the waning of Darren Fletcher’s powers will not be concerning Alex McLeish too much.
For what it’s worth, Brown endorses McLeish’s intentions to consider Kieran Tierney, just 20 years old, for the role. He also believes Hibs’ midfield dynamo John McGinn could emerge as a leader of men in dark blue.
And he reckons the start of a new era and the bid to reach Euro 2020 is the perfect moment to promote a young player.
‘There have been very young captains,’ said Brown, now a director at Aberdeen. ‘I remember Martin Buchan going down to Manchester United and they made him captain. He was just a boy.
‘Darren Fletcher did it for Scotland too. I think McGinn is a potential captain of the team.
‘Brendan Rodgers, who I respect greatly, thinks Kieran Tierney is a potential captain of the team and you don’t need to be older than that to be captain.
‘The captain is less of a role now than it used to be, of course. He can be inspirational in the dressing room and going about the pitch but it’s not the same as it used to be. Back in the days of the selectors there were tactical responsibilities.
‘Also, we have fewer candidates. There is not a Gary McAllister out there for example.
‘Going back further, look at the team when we went to the World Cup in Mexico — the back four: Richard Gough, Alex McLeish, Willie Miller and Maurice Malpas.
‘Midfield — Roy Aitken; a captain if ever you saw one. Graeme Souness, Paul McStay. We had a team of captains.
‘Now we’ve a team of good journeymen players but not dominant players. There are no Billy Bremners or McAllisters playing out there.’
That said, Brown has been mightily impressed with the way Tierney has taken on responsibility at Celtic.
Already established as a firstteam regular by the time Rodgers took over in the summer of 2016, the full-back’s game has soared to new levels and he is now an automatic pick for his country.
McLeish will attempt to shoehorn both Tierney and Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson into his team this week as he prepares Scotland’s bid to qualify for the European Championship finals. Brown (left) can reveal that Fernando Santos, boss of the defending champions Portugal, is an admirer of Tierney’s. ‘I think the only Aberdeen game I have missed in seven years is the night Celtic went up and won 3-0 and Tierney scored,’ he states. ‘I was away on a European course. ‘I was sitting next to Fernando Santos, the manager of Portugal, and I had my wee screen watching the Red TV at dinner. ‘Fernando watched the game with me. Right away he commented on the strength of the young lad playing for Celtic. And the pace.
‘He did it again at Pittodrie a couple of weeks ago. Celtic had just come back from Russia and I thought he was struggling a bit and then he ran 50 yards, struck the ball in the net and then ran 50 yards back to his own fans.’
Brown led Scotland to their last major tournament, the 1998 World Cup.
‘The national team is the flagship,’ he says. ‘You can’t overestimate its importance.
‘It’s ready to take off. And I think Big Alex has a maintenance job because Gordon Strachan’s last 18 months were good. When Leigh Griffiths got his two goals last year against England, the nation was ecstatic.
‘They were jumping out their seats. That’s the impact success can give. Get the national team doing well and everyone buys into it. People want to buy replica strips, kids want to become players and players want to become coaches.’