PREMIERSHIP LIVE I’m sorry we let fans down.. We wanted a showpiece season but it wasn’t to be.. It’s a fantastic club and it will RISE AGAIN
Scott backs rebuild job after thrashing
SCOTT BROWN believes Celtic will bounce back strongly with a new boss and a new resolve.
The Parkhead captain was on a low and said sorry to fans after bowing out of the Old Firm scene on the end of a crushing 4-1 loss in his 44th appearance in the fixture.
It has been a brutal campaign but Brown is backing the deposed champions to climb high again after his departure.
The 35-year-old knows sweeping changes are coming with Eddie Howe in line to become manager and a raft of alterations made to a ripped-up playing squad with new CEO Dominic McKay already in place.
Brown has been unable to get his hands on any silverware through a dismal 2020-21 term.
However, with the trophyless season coming at the end of a decade-long period of dominance with him as skipper, he’s convinced this is just a short-term setback and Celtic will be back with strength.
Brown, who will join Aberdeen as a player-coach, said: “It’s going to be a big change. There’s going to be a new manager in place, whatever happens will happen.
“Whoever the manager is will want to put his own philosophy on it, his own style of play, and he will want to bring his own players as well.
“It’s the right time for me to go, it’s a new challenge for me and a new chapter but this club will be back, it’s a fantastic club.
“Over the years, we’ve had one really bad season over the last 10, so I’m sure they will be back. I have belief and faith in the players.
“It was a hard game for the fans but we are disappointed as much as they are.
“We’re sorry for letting them down over the season because this was supposed to be our showcase season and it wasn’t to be.
“Whoever is in charge, and we have Dominic coming in as well, I’m sure everyone will be looking forward to a fresh start.
“It’s been a hard season and it was a hard game as well but Celtic will be back next season.”
Brown was unable to savour a winning farewell against Rangers
CRAIG SWAN as the leader of his club after another miserable afternoon in this campaign against the new champions.
Celtic were hit hard by the loss of an opening goal to Kemar Roofe and vice-captain Callum McGregor to a red card at the same time as they attempted to win a derby at the fifth attempt.
Odsonne Edouard equalised but Alfredo Morelos almost immediately restored the hosts’ advantage when he nutmegged Brown in the box before lashing home. The 10 men could not haul themselves back into it, despite having chances.
Brown was replaced by Ismaila Soro in a changing of the guard after Roofe’s second made it 3-1 to Rangers and was on the bench as sub Jermain Defoe slotted home the fourth to complete a crushing day.
But he said: “It’s not about me. It’s about the team ultimately and it has been throughout the last 14 years of my career at Celtic.
“There have been ups and downs but this is definitely a low blow for us to come here.
“We’ve come here and had some fantastic games and didn’t deserve to lose 4-1. But it’s hard when you go down to 10 men as well.
“The lads fought, the effort was there, it was just always going to be a hard performance with 10 men for 65 minutes.
“I’m sad to be going but it’s the right time for me. It’s a huge fixture, Rangers versus Celtic, and I’ve enjoyed them.
“I’ve had some great memories in them as well and some disappointing ones.
“From now on, it’s about me
going to Aberdeen next season and hopefully coming back and challenging as well.
“I’ve got two games left at Celtic and I need to make the most of them.”
Interim boss John Kennedy was full of praise for the captain’s contribution.
And Kennedy said: “He won’t be judged on that. It’s not his fault. He can’t do much about it.
“He has come here plenty of times and won. He’s won many more trophies than a lot of people on the pitch. Scott has had a terrific time at Celtic. This shouldn’t be any sort of mark against him.” Celtic’s campaign was, in many ways, summed up by the final derby disappointment where the familiar failure to take chances and key moments going against them were punished heavily. Brown was disappointed at the red card handed out to McGregor and said: “It was always going to be hard with 10 men. We kept fighting, we created chances, we were a bit unlucky we didn’t score at the start of the second half and then they went up the park and scored another goal. It was about us taking the chances.
“We’ve struggled to score goals as a team and defensively, pressing from the front, we’ve not done as well as we probably should throughout the whole team.
“I have to take responsibility for that as well because I’m the captain on the park.
“It’s not just John Kennedy, it’s everyone together, we take the responsibility as well and we’re not shying away from that.”