Insider sends Rangers red card warning amid bad rep that was never really earned
Former Ibrox hero John Brown believes his old club CAN wreck Celtic's Hampden party - but have to stay composed.
John Brown reckons Rangers must keep the head at Hampden as they edge closer to a deal for Jefte.
The former Ibrox hero believes Philippe Clement’s team can wreck Celtic’s party, but have to stay composed. John Lundstram’s loss of control and red card at Parkhead 12 days ago saw Rangers’ hopes of glory in the Premiership finally ended. Brown says it can’t be the same story in the Scottish Cup Final.
He stated: “You have got to channel your aggression in these games, you have to have a calm head when everyone else is losing theirs. You need to be calm, that’s good coming for me! But I never got sent off in any Old Firm games. Graeme Souness and Walter [Smith] used to say: We need you on the park. You were of no use to anyone sitting in the stands. You had to channel it, and in the right way bring it out. The recent one with Lundstram the fact he’s scored an own goal, his head is away with it. A guy with his experience. He lunges and, when you lunge like that, you are taking chances. It was a definite red. Had they got to half-time, with it being 2-1, it could have been a different story.”
Brown wants the Rangers aggression channelled into stopping Celtic’s flying starts. Clement has been 2-0 down in all three of his meetings with Brendan Rodgers since arriving.
Brown said: “Celtic have come out the blocks in recent games and they’ve got at us. The recent game here [Ibrox], they scored so early and silenced 50,000 Rangers fans. That performance from Celtic in the first half was one of the best I’ve seen. We really struggled to get back into it.
“Every game we’ve played against them, they’ve come out the traps and we need to be ready for that. We need to try to get at them and put them off their stride.”
Clement’s focus is on Hampden, but he’s well underway with squad building for next term and closing in on Brazilian left-back Jefte. Reports in Brazil say the Fluminense left-back is heading to Scotland to complete a transfer.
The 20-year-old spent the past season on loan at APOEL Nicosia, but now looks destined for Glasgow after the Light Blues attempted to clinch a deal last January. Jefte’s move would be subject to a work permit being agreed with Clement also needing that clearance to land £2 million Levski Sofia defender Jose Cordoba.
The 22-year-old Panama international is also nearing a switch to Glasgow with talks over Motherwell keeper Liam Kelly also in the pipeline. Rangers fans are eyeing Hampden and Brown wants to toast a Rangers trophy double and said: “The last game of the season is massive.
“For the chance for our boys to upset the Celtic party that’s been going on for a week would be fantastic for our club. It would also mean we’d have won both cups. I’m sure all the Celtic players have had a fantastic week there. When you win the league at the end of the season, it’s the best feeling.
“If Celtic go into expecting they will win, I think their manager will be making it clear to them. To make sure they address it in the right way. Our manager will be doing the same. Try and get in behind, try and get them on the back foot because their defence is their weakness.
“For our players, it’s a massive one to quickly get back at Celtic having played them not long again at Parkhead. It would be a great one for the manager to finish on a high going into the summer break. Some of the players have a taste for the Scottish Cup having won it, for the others it’s stand up and be counted come Saturday.”
John Brown was speaking as he met pupils attending the Rangers Charity Foundations’ Scottish FA Extra Time programme at the Ibrox Community Complex.