OLD FIRM PREVIEW
SCOTT BROWN is lean, mean and ready to take on Rangers.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers believes his captain is as strong as he has been for years – and that’s down to some fat-busting training.
All eyes will be on the duel between Brown and Joey Barton in Saturday’s Old Firm clash.
The Englishman started the hype when he signed on at Ibrox, but Rodgers is confident his man can handle the pressure.
He said: “Scott’s been a real influence. I’ve been super-impressed by him in lots of ways – fitness, tactical ideas, quality and resilience. Everyone can see he’s at a really good level.
“He’s doing his work, coming in every day, preparing himself for training.
“He’s as lean as he’s ever been. He’s nearly 10% leaner in terms of his actual body composition.
“He’s fighting fit, strong, has quality. He’s started the season really well.
“But I won’t be asking anything more of him in Saturday’s game.
“Sometimes there’s a wee bit of a myth around the big players always producing in the big games. You’re not being asked to do anything extraordinary – just play your game.
“There’s no more or less pressure on one player than there is on another. But it’s how you cope with it that’s important.”
Not everyone thinks of Brown as the game’s most intelligent footballer.
It’s often assumed he lacks discipline and is the type of player easily wound up by the opposition. His manager completely disagrees. He said: “From what I’ve seen from Scott, he copes with pressure really well.
“How do I know that? I know because when I ask him to do certain detailed things in the game, he does it to the letter. “That tells me he’s a thinking player. “Sometimes the game can become a blur to players and they are like rabbits caught in the headlights. He’s not like that.
“Yes, these games are super-competitive and you want your team to be like that, and the supporters demand that.
“But Scott is experienced and this is part of the knowledge that surrounds these games.”
Although Rodgers worked with Rangers manager Mark Warburton at Watford, he’s keen to play down any talk of a close friendship between them.
He said: “He’s a friend and a colleague in the same profession, so I respect that like I do all managers.
“We’ve had little bits of contact since we worked together, but there are closer friendships in the game. He’s a good guy, a good man and he’s done well since he came up here.
“He’s galvanised the club, got them promoted and he’ll look to continue the progress this season.”
The Northern Irishman hopes his team can possibly surprise Rangers.
“We will play in a certain style but the system is dependent on other things,” he said.
“I like my team to play in different styles, shapes and formations. But there will always be an intensity, speed, aggression and penetration about our play.
“The feeling around the club is a real good one at the moment.
“Clubs have an emotional side and I think the fans and everyone else are on an emotional high.
“They’re liking what they’re seeing, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do.
“I’ve never been to a Celtic-Rangers game so I’m really looking forward to it.
“My experience in derbies is that they’re not always the best football games.
“But we will always have the notion to play well and it’s important for us that we keep this real momentum going.”