It’s sometimes a struggle to remember the giddy heights of the 2006/07 when the muted signing of Scott Brown was seen as a transfer coup d’état. It was a must have. He was the new black.
I’m scared to think off the lost hours I would have accrued if Twitter was the beast it was now trying to follow the saga of him and Kevin Thomson.
It was a big long saga that kept the E-Tims Rumour Mill – that weekly raconteur who you would ensure that you went out your way to read, is now largely redundant and is a bit like that fun bloke who always used to be down the pub but is now married with kids and you don’t see him for months on end –Â going with meat for many months.
He also caused the famous Pieman to declare that Brown was definitely signing for R*ngers then some weeks later he signed for us. I’m welling up here thinking about it. The £4.4m fee was an afterthought.
Now, as we lurch into the last year of the players contract the fee is no longer an afterthought but a concern.
Brown has made 119 appearances and scored 11 goals in his four full seasons. He played 9 games less and scored 2 goals more for Hibs. This came as a surprise.
Brown was supposed to be a dynamic goal scoring midfielder. Well, at least that’s what I chose to remember. These thoughts mainly were born from two performances in against us in 05/06 – when he was superb and scored as Hibs tore us a new one at CP – and in 06/07 – again scoring but we were saved that day by a Big Bear Like Dutchman taking his home bow. He was also the reason that Roy Keane called it a day.
In his four seasons he has proven to be dynamic but not goal scoring. He has an unrefined style, that is so typically Scottish, of a dog chasing a crisp poke and would still be chasing that crisp poke a week on Wednesday if you didn’t tell it to stop.
Strachan claimed that Brown added a more defensive side to his game. I was hoping to argue that Strachan ruined that dynamic goal scoring midfielder that we signed but the stats say that’s not true.
I can argue that it was Strachan’s thinking that saw the players limitations highlighted on an almost weekly basis in what has seen our midfield become a resting place for plethora of dead centre midfielders unable to make it function in past seasons.
That is cruel, cruel assessment on the player. His peers voted him SPFA Player Of The Year in 2008/09. Sepp Blatter wasn’t involved in that vote. Respected coaches, and some not respected ones in the game laud the player.
This blogger thinks that since Lennon took charge Brown has been in his best form no matter what the SPFA said in 2009. A man management miracle.
This not to say that much like those who went before, when he has been deployed in the middle, his partners have had to ensure they are well warmed up and dosed with extra winter green. It’s a hard shift and a hard watch at times.
I no longer blame the player for this. Much like The Hangover Part Two something that works the first time round may not work second time round and too often managers believe that Brown can play in that mix in certain games.
In a strange way this is testament to his ability, performances and willingness.
The introduction of Ki, Ledley and Kayal have seen a dramatic improvement in Brown’s form. Never before has he had intelligence and legs alongside him in the midfield. Those players allow Brown to be Brown.
He seems to have been unleashed from his thinking role into an enjoyable role. It suits him better to be out wide being that puppy desperately trying to catch that crisp poke and a pest.
His performance in the 2-2 draw at Ibrox sums up what he can do. It was a role made for him. Controlled, provocative and gallus. He left his foe gasping for air.
The £4.4m fee means that he is probably the highest paid player left at Celtic. This means that it’s a wage that we are unlikely to match now. The players head will have flickered with interest with the close to £40,000 a week that former Hibs colleagues earn fighting relegation in the EPL.
You don’t have to think to hard to see Brown in a Steve Bruce or Mick McCarthy team.
Just as the player who some have seen as the joker and the problem starts to prove his worth to a wider audience the spectre of him going raises it’s head.
It’s a big season for Scott Brown.
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I think he’s been as bad this season as he has been every other season apart from goal against huns.Things still more often than not break down with him.Don’t know how or why people have been saying he’s been playing well espec out wide,it’s not that he’s played well imo it’s more than when he’s not in the middle he does less damage.He still can’t with any reliability control a simple ball or make a simple pass.Bench player for me at best,far better options in the middle and will be shocking if we go into next season with him as our first choice right winger.Don’t like criticising him so much as he’s our captain and his commitment to Celtic and behaviour towards the fans has always been fantastic but based purely on quality i dont think he’s good enough to be in the first team and he was a big part of why we lost league this season.espec with him being captain as i feel we need a more intelligent footballer in that role to lead by example. Think it’s hard for him to command others when he often makes mistakes himself usually more so than those around him and i just don’t think players would listen to him so much.It seems like a bit of an a assassination writing like this about him but like i said, i like him as a person and think he’d be a decent squad player but thats my honest opinion on him as a footballer.
He is a great example of your so called marmite fitbawer. Apart from the Diddy Cup final when he had a mare and left Wilson exposed he’s added a needed balance to the team out there. The team played our best football with him out there.
The Hangover part 2 is hilarious, that is all
I found the joke the first time round quite funny but to repeat it again is like a drunk best man reading the same sentence of his speech twice then hoping everyone else is is as drunk not to notice:-)
As a critic, I think he’s been exceptional this season. Your points about Lennon’s influence and a balanced midfield partnership (when he plays in the middle)are spot on. In hindsight, perhaps not surprising that a former CM has finally figured this out !
His link up play with Wilson on the right has also been a real strength this season. Stepped up, big time. Overall, I’m very happy with our midfield, it’s been severely lacking for years.
Are you worried about him leaving ? I think Izzaguire and Kayal have cast a particularly broad shadow over that and his role has therefore been perceived as marginal, not to you or I, but in the eyes of those outside the club.
By the way, I think Ki is maturing into an absolutely cracking player too !
If you had asked me a year ago if I was worried if Broonie would leave I would have replied: “I’ll drive him anywhere he wishes to go”. Now, I think he would be a loss but not a mortal one mainly for the reasons you say.
I think he has snuck under the radar of the meeja but not those in the game that will be looking at an always international capped captain of Celtic who is in the last year of his contract and has a very matchable wage for some.
He had a good second half to the season and certainly showed great desire.
Big question is will he be at Celtic Park next season? – Is he worth a new contract or not?
He’s unlikely to take a pay cut, especially being club captain at a time when Izzy and Kayal are reportedly being offered new improved deals.
So, do we stump up, sell him on (what can we expect to get for him?) or let him play out his contract?
The Izzy and Kayal deals are covered with Hinkel leaving. They will share that bounty. If Brown wants to be there he will be. If he doesn’t we will sell and IMO probably before the season starts.
I agree that Broonie had a cracking season. The team certainly looked stronger with him in it.
I feel that having him on the right provided more balance to the side. For too long we tried to play with 2 wingers or a 4-2-4. This did not work.
With Brown on the right this provided more cover defensively, allowed Commons more freedom, allowed Wilson and Izzy to bomb forward.
He also provided us with one of the most iconic moments we’ve seen for years – The Broonie.
I believe that his confidence has grown this season, dare I say he has grown into the shirt.
While I agree that there are times when the phrase headless chicken would not be unfair, he should not only stay next season, but for years to come.
Hail Hail
No disagreement from me. His decision and the PLC´s will be one of the stories of this season.