RIVALRY laced with RESPECT
Berra is looking forward to renewing hostilities with Brown and believes former Celt can only improve Dons
CHRISTOPHE BERRA talks fondly of enjoying the company of a charming chap called Scott Brown during his days in the Scotland squad. ‘A top guy, good guy, very bubbly and cheerful,’ says Berra of his captain in the national team and leader of men.
That’s a description rather removed from the withering verdict passed by an unimpressed Berra when Brown was chief agitator of a fractious aftermath to the 2019 Scottish Cup final.
Berra was, naturally, defending his own men when critical of Brown for lacking class with his curious in-your-opponent’s-face approach to celebrating an historic Celtic Treble.
The veteran defender can vouch for there being two sides to Aberdeen’s new driving force.
Over 16 years on from their first clash in an Edinburgh derby, Berra is fully aware which version will confront him at Stark’s Park.
Brown will have his game face on and Berra (right) can respect that even if the persona is not as attractive as the off-field demeanour.
Berra said: ‘The only times I’ve come across Scott off the field was in international camps.
‘On the pitch, he’s over the white line and a different guy. A different animal, really.
‘Some players are like that — they get a bad reputation on the pitch but off it they are totally different.
‘That’s how he does it.
Very focused and just wants to win the game and do his best.
‘I think he makes Aberdeen a more formidable opponent, they’ve had a great start to the season.
‘He’s had a great career, is a very good player. Aberdeen will be looking to get that conductor in midfield, that job he did for Celtic for so many years — to keep the game ticking over, chip in with a goal or two, to do what he’s made a really good career of.’
Berra anticipates Aberdeen will reap the benefit of Brown’s football brain not only during their bid for big-game wins such as in the high noon Premier Sports Cup showdown in Kirkcaldy.
Recruited as a player-coach, Brown arrived at Pittodrie brimful with knowledge of the work of Brendan Rodgers.
That’s no bad thing, as Berra has noted how his current boss, John McGlynn, has successfully built his exciting Raith Rovers side around the framework of a Rodgers approach.
McGlynn schemed from the Rodgers playbook to produce some of the most attractive football seen in the second tier for a while.
It was most effective, too, as the previous year’s promoted side from League One surprised many by reaching the play-offs before losing out to Dundee. Berra can see Brown passing on a flavour of that to Aberdeen’s new manager Stephen Glass.
He added: ‘Scott will bring a bit of, not arrogance, but a confidence that people feed off and he’ll pass on his experience to certain players.
‘I think he’ll help out the manager as well. He’s probably experienced more as a player than the manager, such as his time at Celtic where he worked with Brendan Rodgers.
‘I’m sure the manager will tap into him and put it all together. The two teams might have similar styles when we meet, it should be a good game.’
Berra battled against the Easter Road midfield double act of Glass and Brown on several occasions through 2005 and 2006 after breaking into the Hearts team. He and Celtic skipper Brown then renewed rivalry following Berra’s eight years in England with Wolves and Ipswich Town.
Both 36, they’ve taken alternative routes aimed at tackling a coaching career when hanging up their boots.
Berra opted to concentrate fully on playing with Raith for at least another two years, while Brown was named as part of the backroom team at Pittodrie.
‘I think I read in his first year he’s not going to do so much coaching, he wants to concentrate on playing,’ noted Berra. ‘If he’s not involved so much, he might do a bit more. It’s a lot to ask, to rest physically and mentally, if you’re playing.
‘I still had aspirations to play, still felt I had that to give. I wanted to experience a different way of playing under a different manager.
‘I’m still picking up things and I’m sure I’ll pick up more from John, he was my first coach with the Under-18s at Hearts.
‘I’ve aspirations to become a manager. I know it’s not going to be easy but, if you have players wanting to learn and work hard, that’s half the battle — and that’s what the manager has here.’
Berra fell out of favour at Hearts midway through the third season of his second spell, finishing the 2019/20 season on loan at Dundee.
Last term he only featured a handful of times in the Championship and made his penultimate start for the club in the Scottish Cup exit at Brora Rangers.
‘For me, I needed a change,’ he admitted.
‘A new challenge, fresh faces,
Scott will bring a bit of confidence and will pass on experience to certain players
new surroundings and team-mates.
‘Obviously I’m coming towards the end of my career, so working under the manager here is great.
‘I could see late last year the attractive style of football he was playing. The older I’ve got I’ve began to look back at games and studied what we could have done better, things like that.
‘So, tactically, it’s interesting to see what the manager is doing, I’ve really enjoyed that side.
‘It will be high risk at times, we’ll give chances and goals away, so it’s about finding that balance.
‘But we’re doing everything we can to do the right things, as anyone who’s watched Raith can see.’ Rovers took Livingston to penalties in their group-stage game and now host another Premiership side in round two.
Berra noted: ‘It’s going to be a really tough game. Over the last six years or longer, Aberdeen has been the third force in Scotland.
‘There’s been change, they’re a different team playing in a different way and have started the season well, as we’ve seen in Europe. ‘On paper, you’d expect them to win as they are the Premiership team, but we like what we’re doing here and we’ve got a chance.’