SCOTT BROWN insists Craig Levein’s remarks about his style of play have had an immediate impact.
The Hearts boss said last week that “everyone needed protection from Scott Brown” after 16-year-old midfielder Harry Cochrane was injured in a clash with the Celtic skipper.
Brown was booked in the 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock and was certain Levein’s words were a factor in Kevin Clancy’s decision.
The Hoops powerhouse said: “He has done his job, hasn’t he? I was booked with my first foul and I think that is exactly what Craig was looking to do.”
Meanwhile, Brown is confident the champions will overcome the Rugby Park setback.
He added: “At Celtic, it is always a crisis if you lose a game. We know that. We weren’t at our best against Kilmarnock, but when you are playing on a pitch like that it is difficult to play the way we would like to.
“It’s not an excuse. It is just one of the reasons why we never really got going.
“But we were slaughtered in December when we lost to Hearts and we were able to respond in the right manner. This will give us the chance to do that again.
“It is about picking ourselves up and making sure that we are ready to get going. We have Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup this weekend.
“We also have a free week in the build-up to that one, so it will give us a chance to regroup and focus on what we need to do.”
New CQN Podcast with special guest Neil Lennon
A Celtic State of Mind presents its 33rd instalment of insightful discussion around the culture of Celtic Football Club, the city of Glasgow, and fans of the reigning treble-winning Scottish champions.
Paul John Dykes is joined by Neil Lennon, who spoke as part of the ‘Legends of Football’ event at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall a few weeks ago.
Neil discusses his early life in Lurgan, signing for Manchester City and then Crewe, before Martin O’Neill entered his life when he took him to Filbert Street in 1996. His time under O’Neill at Leicester and then Celtic is covered extensively, as is his Celtic Park managerial career, which takes in the famous victory against Barcelona in 2012.
The CQN Podcast has gone from strength-to-strength over the last few months, and there are many more guests lined up in the weeks ahead from the world of sport, music, film, art, broadcasting, literature and politics.
Connect with A Celtic State of Mind @PaulDykes, @anorthernprose and @TheCQNPodcast and subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or through your podcast player.
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