Preview: Udinese v Celtic - Neil Lennon puts his faith in ‘devilish’ Scott Brown

FOR the sternest European test of his Celtic managerial career so far, Neil Lennon will tonight turn to the man he regards as his ultimate big-game player.

After three substitute appearances following his recovery from ankle surgery, Scott Brown is ready to return to the Celtic starting line-up at the Stadio Friuli where only victory over Udinese will be enough to take Lennon’s team into the knockout phase of the Uefa Europa League.

Even when being eased back into the first team picture, Brown has made a big impression. The Celtic captain ended Saturday’s 1-0 SPL win over Hearts involved in a verbal confrontation with Jamie Hamill, his conduct escaping the attention of the SFA’s Compliance Officer but attracting plenty of criticism elsewhere. It is nothing new to Lennon who has become accustomed to his own high regard for Brown not being universally shared. Even among the Celtic support, there were reservations expressed about the recent decision to award the Scotland captain a new long-term contract.

But Lennon is unyielding in his defence of Brown’s attitude and ability. He admits there is a touch of the “devil” in the 26-year-old, but it is a trait he has no wish to eradicate from his make-up. He also believes Brown receives disproportionate attention from pundits and punters alike whenever he is involved in a flashpoint.

Lennon has no doubts about Brown’s suitability for the task in hand as he prepares a plan designed to prevent Udinese exerting a stranglehold on possession this evening.

“Scott definitely comes into contention to start this one,” said Lennon. “We need a bit of running power in there, because Udinese are very strong in midfield. Scott will certainly provide that for us. There is far more to Scott than this snarling image he has. I think that gets over-emphasised. He wasn’t snarling at the weekend. Something was said to him that he took offence to and he gave a little back at the end.

“Some players take offence to it. For me, it’s a case of ‘if you can’t take it, don’t dish it out’. What was said, I’ll leave on the pitch. I’m only getting it second hand, so I can’t really be completely certain about that. Needless to say, Scott didn’t like what was said and he gave a bit back at the end.

“He has really curtailed his disciplinary problems since I became manager. He used to come in and say ‘look gaffer, that’s ten games without a booking now’. He has worked very hard at that side of his game. We should applaud him for that. I certainly do.

“The extra responsibility of being captain has helped. He is well respected in the dressing room and is respected by the backroom staff. All we want now is for him to get back to playing his best because he is a big player for us. If you look at his record under me, we win more games than not when he is in the team.

“I thought he played well against Hearts, he gave us more impetus in midfield when he came on. He passed the ball really well. His athleticism is very, very good. He is a fantastic athlete in a footballing context. He is just itching to play now.

“We do have a clutch of very talented midfield players. It’s probably the strongest department in the squad. But there is no doubt we have missed Scott at times this season.”

An enduring image of Brown’s final days as a Hibs player was of him going head to head with Lennon, then the Celtic captain, during a heated exchange between the pair. It’s safe to assume Lennon sees a little bit of himself in his skipper.

“He was raw and aggressive then,” added Lennon. “He still has those attributes and he is polishing off the rawness now. He is becoming more rounded as a professional. That comes with experience and age.

“We all had a bit of the devil in us at times and I don’t want to take that away from him. But I certainly think it gets over-egged sometimes. Any time Scott is involved in something, it gets played out more than with most other people.

“He is a winner. He just has to win. He would love to captain the team to success. He did it in the Scottish Cup last season. He has missed a lot of this season and that hurt him. To have him back, fit and in good health, is great timing for us.”

Lennon expects there to be occasions tonight when Brown’s temperament is tested to the full as Celtic attempt to overcome Udinese’s unusual 3-5-1-1 formation.

“There can be a cynical side to the opposition in these games,” said Lennon. “There certainly was with Atletico Madrid at times in this group, particularly in the away game. I think Scott is more aware of that, from his international experience. If he does play tomorrow, it will be with controlled aggression.

“It’s very interesting the way Udinese play. Not many teams play with three central defenders these days, while they have five across the middle. Watching them again at the weekend when they beat Chievo, they were very fluent. Their players seem to know the system very well.

“We have created good chances away from home in this group, particularly in Rennes, and we’ll need to do that again here. I just hope it’s a good game and we play as well as we can. If we do, we’ll give ourselves a good chance.”