CAPTAIN, leader, legend... coach?
After it was confirmed at teatime on Tuesday evening that former Celtic skipper Scott Brown had left his player-coach role at Aberdeen in the aftermath of Stephen Glass’s sacking as manager, talk of a return to Parkhead went into overdrive.
The 36-year-old spent 14 seasons at the club as a player, winning 10 league titles, six Scottish Cups and six League Cups as well as a host of individual awards including two players’ player of the year awards, the football writers’ player of the year and five PFA team of the season nods.
Talk about a career. It’s even more remarkable that he compiled all but two of those 22 trophies as captain, including of course being the emotional and physical linchpin of the team during the historic quadruple-treble run. It is unlikely any of us will see that combination of longevity and success in many places in world football in the years to come.
But does all that make an immediate return to Celtic sensible?
One way of looking at it is asking this question: does it make sense to bring Brown – or anyone else, really – into the fold when things are going so well and there are just eight league matches left (plus, all going to plan, three cup games)? Is there a chance, however well-meaning it is, that it upsets the balance the team and coaches have found this season?
A regular viewer of the Celtic Briefing posed an interesting quandary with regards to Callum McGregor too.
The current captain shared an excellent relationship with Brown while team-mates but would a return to the first-team environment – even as a coach – disrupt McGregor’s ability to continue putting his own stamp on the side?
With the way McGregor embodies Ange Postecoglou's brand of football as well as the sheer number of new players at the club just now who never played with Brown, you’d think not, but bringing up the potential for some sort of Shankly-Paisley situation was a fair one, even if in practice it's rather unlikely.
A solution to these concerns - if indeed there are any; remember, Postecoglou might welcome the chance to add him to his staff - could be a role with the youth section or B team, but that Brown would want that just because it's Celtic is not a foregone conclusion.
While it's true he is just at the start of his coaching journey, he's not entirely new to the role. Having coached the younger players already while still at Celtic, the job with Aberdeen represented a step up to first-team platform.
Will he really want to go back down to youth or B level so soon, even at Lennoxtown? It might be worth it; one step backwards could mean a couple forward later in the year if Postecoglou likes the cut of his coaching jib enough to want him with the senior squad.
But there are other considerations too. He might be a rookie coach at first-team level but he's bound to be an attractive addition for a lot of sides.
Hibs, for instance, is a club Brown already has a connection with and Shaun Maloney is trying to instil a philosophy and new regime at Easter Road after taking the reins in December. He is being assisted by another former team-mate of Brown's in Gary Caldwell.
Maloney and Brown have spoken incredibly highly of one another on several occasions over the years, including just before the former took on a role with Celtic under-20s a few years back. It is a project not too dissimilar to the one with which Glass enticed him north after all.
Brendan Rodgers has reportedly already extended an offer to spend time with his staff at Leicester while there’s a few suggestions doing the rounds that Neil Lennon might try to take him over to Cyprus after assuming his new role as manager of Omonia Nicosia.
The country is where he and his wife married but whether a move of that sort would suit life with three kids - the oldest of whom turns 11 this year - is the sort of thing rarely considered with footballing speculation.
Been a pleasure to share the pitch with Cap! This one stings but at least I know I’ll always be your favorite American 🇺🇸😂 https://t.co/r7XZaCZPKs pic.twitter.com/HInKtIVkHo
— Christian Ramirez (@Chris_Ramirez17) March 8, 2022
For what my two pence is worth on this, I think all the stories about how likeable and how influential Brown is in a football environment mean he would be an asset to have back at the club in some capacity. His role coaching at a different club and an opportunity to learn under Postecoglou enhances that, rather than detracts from it.
It does, though, make a certain amount of sense for his next job to be with a first-team given his coaching career trajectory has already taken him there – and that for me probably means the club should wait until the season is over.
But there is, you feel, also a dash of realism needed in that. Brown is renowned for his drive and determination on the pitch and has been lauded in the north-east for those same qualities off it as a member of the coaching staff. He likely won't want too much time off before his next gig.
If another club comes calling with an attractive project then it would be remiss of him not to consider it. That means if Celtic still want him involved - as they did prior to his departure for Aberdeen - then maybe acting now could be the correct course of action after all, even if it means a return to doing some work with the youths in the meantime to avoid any compositional change in the first-team setup for the title run-in.
Captain, leader, legend... coach? Maybe. But the first three of those will always remain non-negotiable regardless of what happens with the fourth.
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