Captain Brown is just the same as he ever was in the eyes of Dylan
Dylan Mcgeouch believes Aberdeen are reaping the benefit of the Scott Brown effect.
The pair, who were team-mates at Celtic from 2011 to 2015, have reunited at Pittodrie under Stephen Glass.
And what he has seen so far has convinced Mcgeouch that the new Dons skipper is every bit as good at marshalling as he was when he first encountered him in the Hoops.
“You always know what you are going to get off Broony, what he brings both on and off the pitch,” said Mcgeouch.
“He is someone who drives people on, who doesn’t accept standards dropping.
“The best illustration is his mentality when he is on the pitch.
“He drags people about, and makes sure they are doing their jobs, and makes sure they are on point with no slacking.
“He had that at Celtic when I first went in as an 18-year-old, and he was club captain. It has not left him.
“Now it is just a different set of players, and they are reacting well to it.
“I am not surprised because, if you look back, you will see he has exhibited those leadership skills right through his career.”
Mcgeouch admits Brown’s arrival at Pittodrie has had him reflecting on his own career path.
“It is a bit funny thinking about back in the day at Celtic,” he said.
“I remember those first meetings with Scott and, of course, back then you never think that in 10 years’ time we will be up in Aberdeen together doing the same things. Obviously we share a lot of great memories – Champions League and winning leagues and cups.
“It is good to be back with him. We are mates off the pitch as well, and I think he is a great guy, one I have always kept in touch with.”
Mcgeouch may have been with Aberdeen for a little longer, having signed in January 2020 but he acknowledges he is still battling to establish himself as a regular starter.
Against the Icelanders of Breidablik last Thursday night, for example, he had to settle for coming on off the substitutes’ bench.
“I think every player will tell you there’s frustration when you’re not starting games. There’s a little bit of that for me,” said Mcgeouch (below).
“But when the manager came in last year, I think I finished the season pretty well.
“He put me on at half-time on Thursday, and hopefully I caught his eye and can get a run in the team.”
Aberdeen’s European involvement should assist on that front, with the pile-up of fixtures pushing the case for squad rotation.
“That’s up to the manager and his backroom staff, but we’ve got a good squad. He showed that on Thursday night when he put on three subs,” said the midfielder.
“It was good getting the shout at halftime to come on. “Thankfully, second-half, we dealt with their shape a bit better when we changed our formation.
“We caused them some problems and we limited them going forwards. “So the manager can trust the boys on the bench, knowing what we can do. “We have had a lot of games and that is what happens when you have European football.
“You know you’re going to play Thursday-sunday most weeks, so it’s a good situation to be in. “Hopefully, we can get a positive result whoever starts, but there are boys who can come off the bench as well. “I think trying to keep everyone happy is one of the main challenges for every manager.
“When the team is winning and doing well, you can’t really moan. You have to wait for your opportunity. “I would rather play, but you’re waiting for that time to get on to the pitch, showing the manager he can trust you. “When you’ve got a strong squad, it’s a good situation to be in.”