Frizzell leads the way for Killie’s kids
THERE are a number of possible explanations for the fact Scott Brown produced one of his most subdued performances at Kilmarnock. A week on from his Scotland comeback, there may have been a slight physical reaction to the strains of a Wembley international but the tricky artificial surface at Rugby Park is a more likely culprit for his struggle to provide his high-level drive to the Celtic midfield.
The third, and possibly most compelling, factor was the performance of his direct opponent.
Adam Frizzell may be just 18 years of age, and diminutive in stature, but he stuck to Brown like glue on Friday night, preventing the Parkhead captain from pulling the strings in an awkward 1-0 victory for the league leaders.
If such scrappy successes are the hallmarks of a title-winning team — and Brendan Rodgers’ side are already dead certainties to lift the Premiership crown — games like these can also reveal fresh reserves of optimism for team’s conducting an altogether different fight.
Stuart Armstrong may have emerged as the match-winner but Frizzell and fellow academy graduate Greg Taylor each staked a claim to be named man of the match. And Frizzell admits he revelled in his task of getting up close and personal with the Scotland’s most notoriously competitive operator.
‘It was a great battle,’ he said afterwards. ‘You know Scott Brown, he is always going to be right in about you and I knew I had to match that.
‘I felt I did. We tried to go man for man with them in midfield and I thought we matched them. If myself and Rory McKenzie had sat off Brown and Armstrong, they would have been able to run the game.
‘I just had to stick to the shape and make sure he wasn’t spreading the play. The switch of play kills the team, so we tried to keep them to one side and stop them popping it about. I sensed him getting frustrated a bit as the game went on and that was my aim.
‘It was a good battle and at the end of it we shook hands. We didn’t exchange any words, you know how it is — you leave it out on the park.’
Killie narrowly escaped relegation last season and, in the wake of the play-off victory over Falkirk, manager Lee Clark promised wholesale change in an effort to change the trajectory.
He brought in a full team’s worth of new players, mostly from south of the border and several on loan, but Frizzell took comfort from one key aspect to the average profile of the new recruits.
‘The positive thing for me is that most of the manager’s signings were young players,’ said Frizzell.
‘The gaffer is not afraid to play the young boys if we are performing for him. I had a few games last season but I knew I would have to work hard to make more of an impression this year.
‘Playing against Scott Brown was exactly the type of challenge I was looking for. You want to test yourself against the best and you are not going to get much higher than that in Scotland.
‘The manager said I played well but I know I need to add goals to my game. I need to produce more in the final third as I haven’t scored yet for Killie.’
If Brown represents a benchmark for Frizzell, the Celtic captain will lead his team on to the very highest plain of club football on Wednesday night with the visit of Barcelona.
In that context, Friday’s game offered few clues as to how they might fare. A switch back from plastic to grass will be one factor in altering Rodgers’ team selection with defenders Kolo Toure and Jozo Simunovic — the latter of whom is still being nursed towards optimum condition following knee surgery — back in contention to start.
Tom Rogic and Emilio Izaguirre, rested after far-flung international commitments with Australia and Honduras, will also be in the frame.