Former theRangers goalkeeper Andy Firth has described Scott Brown’s behaviour in Glasgow Derby games as ‘unbelievable’ in terms of winding people up – claiming that the club had to change their strategy around him in an attempt to keep their heads and finally win a game against Brendan Rodgers, Neil Lennon and Ange Postecoglou’s tricky outfits.
Broony had a special place in theRangers’ hearts and an even bigger place in Celtic fans’ hearts after his repeated tricks of s**thousery at Celtic Park continued to rile up rival fans.
Typified by his Conor McGregor-style walk at Aberdeen despute being booted and the ball being smacked into him from no more than a yard away just a few years ago, Brown must still give theRangers fans a headache as they continue to remember their rivals’ star player haunting them.
And former goalkeeper Andy Firth has told Football Scotland that the club made up an exact plan to try to rile Brown up – although that generally failed with the outbursts given by Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent at Celtic Park.
For us, it was more keeping eyes on what we’re doing and focusing on what we can control. Especially playing against them and playing against him, you’ve got to keep your emotions under control. You know what he’s going to want to do.
To give credit to him, he was unbelievable at winding people up and getting people sent off. It can change a game. That was the thing for us; don’t let him get in your head. When we go to their place, don’t let the fans get into your head.
You’ve just got to control what we can control and that’s keeping your discipline on the pitch and ignoring the crowd and opposition players. The first 18 months of the gaffer being there, our disciplinary record was pretty shambolic.
I think our discipline over the last two seasons has been absolutely spot on and I think that’s definitely played a part in the shift in the mentality and the discipline of the players. Keeping 11 men on the pitch for the majority of time and not letting people wind you up and get red cards. That’s definitely helped in the last two years.”
