THEY COULD PICK US OFF
the radar but Brown’s influence is not lost on Zenit boss Roberto Mancini – who described the skipper as the heartbeat of the Celtic side.
The midfielder said: “That’s lovely to hear, especially from a manager of his quality and what he’s done in the game.
“There’s a lot of heart and spirit in our team and our whole dressing room and that’s why we’re so together. We have a big squad and everyone has managed to stay happy.
“I think that’s the best thing and shows what a top-quality job our management staff have done.”
Celts will need to stick together in the St Petersburg cauldron tonight. There will be nearly 60,000 in the ultra-modern arena – even with a section shut by UEFA due to dodgy banners in the group stage.
The dome will be closed to keep out the brutal Siberian conditions but Brown is confident his side are ready for anything.
He said: “We’ve experienced some very hostile atmospheres in the past. The most hostile? Beer Sheva. It was really horrible. Especially in the 40 degree heat and going 2-0 down.
“We needed Craig Gordon to save a penalty as well. That was probably the weirdest, most hostile night we’ve had.
“We were defending, kicking the ball long, doing all the things we don’t do now but we had a bit of luck on our side and got through it.
“I remember playing against Ajax in Amsterdam with the roof shut. But this will be something different.
“And at least it will be warmer – that’s a bonus!
“There will also be a lot more noise in this game but I don’t think that will affect us too much.
“It will definitely take an even better performance than last week for us to go through.
“We had a couple of chances to put the ball in the net a bit earlier so if we get similar opportunities this time we’ll have to take them.
“We’ve got to be brave and play our own brand of football.” FORMER Zenit star Aleksei Igonin has praised Brendan Rodgers for Celtic’s first-leg display and warned his old team they face a tough task tonight.
Many Russians reckon the 1-0 loss at Parkhead was a fluke.
But former captain and Russia star Igonin said: “Celtic’s movement was brilliant and they dominated all areas of the pitch because they worked harder. They were able to totally absorb Zenit and pressurised them into making mistake after mistake.
“Rodgers carefully analysed Zenit and got his tactics absolutely correct. He knew Zenit were weak in the right wing and targeted that area. And the same thing could happen at home.
“If Zenit are not up to par again the Scots will pick them off and find their weakness. This will be a very difficult night for Zenit.”
been on telly non-stop for a week