THE TWO THINGS I like most about what Scott Brown has been saying about his midfield partner Callum McGregor are that the skipper seems determined to stay around longer than the season it will take to win Ten-in-a-Row and also that he reckons that even when he does eventually hang up his boots, Calmac will still be there and will be his ideal replacement.

Both players made the final four in The Celtic Star Player of the Year Award alongside Fraser Forster – who apparently turned up at Lennoxtown yesterday, presumably forgetting that he is actually a Southampton player, and Odsonne Edouard, who won the club’s own Player of the Year Award yesterday and gave a very strong hint that he is going nowhere as Celtic aim for the magical ten.

Now that Celtic have declared the winner of their POTY poll, we’ll do the same later today. Before that, back to what Broony has been saying about Calmac and why it’s very positive news for those who want to see him as the long term replacement for the legendary skipper who has guided us through to the Ten-in-a-Row season working for Lenny (twice), Ronny and Brendan Rodgers, who ever since The Celtic Star published Matt Corr’s Invincible, hasn’t shut up about that season when he was Celtic manager.

Outrageous and unfounded remarks by Barnes are a disgrace

Celtic fans welcoming John Barnes in 1999. While agreeing with his point that there are far too few black managers in the game, his statements yesterday that his colour was a factor in Celtic dismissing him without giving him longer to prove himself is nonsense. pic.twitter.com/tIJF6d1czd

— Lisbon Lion (@tirnaog09) June 11, 2020

Still even that’s not as bad as John Barnes and the disgraceful slur that he made yesterday against the Celtic support with zero evidence to back up his claim. Barnes had lost the dressing room and lost the plot at Celtic and if ever a football manager deserved the sack it was him. I met Tony Mowbray a few years ago and he was complaining about Celtic downsizing as a reason for him failing in Glasgow. As one of a small band of Celtic Supporters at that 4-0 shambles at St Mirren I had to respectfully disagree. Yesterday all respect for John Barnes as a person, never mind a football manager was gone.

Barnes had completely lost the Celtic dressing room

And another point worth making, Barnes lost his job in February, Mowbray in March and Steven Gerrard still had the Europa League to cling onto – a 3-1 home defeat in the first leg at Ibrox to Bayer Leverkusen was fairly decisive, so he was a week away from his season ending. Things had got even uglier at Ibrox the previous midweek when they lost to Hamilton to go 13 points behind Celtic and towels were being thrown in all over the place. Gerrard was a week away from coming under the same sort of pressure that done for both Barnes and Mowbray and plenty of other managers at Ibrox during Celtic’s dominance – the Bread Man, Pedro etc.

Conclusion – The Corona-virus saved Steven Gerrard’s job. Back to Scott Brown on Callum McGregor. “You know that people will follow someone like Callum because he is a top-quality player with drive and belief,” Broony said, as reported by Glasgow Times. “I give him the respect that he deserves because he goes in and he speaks to all of the lads. He’s always got time and he’s a proper professional as well.

“When we were dealing with stuff when this (the shutdown) all began to happen, he was my go-to man. He came up with a lot of things and has helped me out with a lot of the lads as well.

“It’s the mark of a captain that he can easily fall into that role. In the last year and a half I’d say, he’s got that proper willingness, drive and self-belief. When he talks before games now, all of the lads listen, which is brilliant,” the Celtic captain said.

Things got even uglier at Ibrox after he lost to Hamilton early in March.

That level of gravitas that McGregor now displays has not always been there. It’s grown over the past few years as he has developed into an outstanding and consistent performer in the Celtic engine room.

“Maybe three or four years ago, Cal might have said something and it might not have had the same effect. He maybe wouldn’t have felt himself that he could or should be saying it.

“But now everyone knows what Callum has done in the game and they listen. He’s a top-quality player who speaks very well at the same time. They have put that trust in him as well.

“When he has been captain, I have been in the dressing room and speaks well. I know he’s the vice, but it’s me and him who speak before the games as we chat away and relax.

“The lads will always listen to both of us, but he speaks out so well and it’s those important things that he says. The thing is, he’s only going to get better because he is still young,” Broony said.

“The gaffer has put a lot of trust into Callum. He had him when he was here to start with when he was in and around the first team and out on loan.

“He understands what a top-quality player he is because he has everything in his locker. Callum has that turn of pace to go past someone, he can drive, he’s aware and has the ability to find team-mates with passes and he can pop up with huge goals for us at the same time.

Callum McGregor – Celtic’s next captain according to Scott Brown

“You can look at him as being the driving force in the middle of the park for us going from Brendan’s time onto Neil’s time now.

“Callum has also got that composure as well and he dictates the pace of the game. He’s always on show to take the ball and he rarely gives it away, which is a great trait to have.

“He’s the first name onto the team sheet because he brings so much to the side.”