The sight of Scott Brown lifting silverware season after season routinely riled Rangers fan Barry Nicholson. That grin and the grip on the league trophy left Fleetwood’s first crew coach fuming from afar.
Now Nicholson couldn’t be happier teaming up with born winner Broony - as a result of he reckons which means surefire success for the Cod Military. Baz is a part of the Fleetwood furnishings having labored for a number of big-name bosses together with Brown’s outdated foe Joey Barton. Chairman Andy Pilley loves a significant profile supervisor and has landed one other within the Celtic legend. Ex-Ger Steven Whittaker is No 2, assisted by Nicholson, whereas former Celtic defender Stephen Crainey is in command of the event squad.
There’s concord throughout the Outdated Agency divide at Highbury Stadium as Brown prepares to kickstart his managerial profession at Port Vale on Saturday. Nicholson, a midfield opponent of Brown with Dunfermline, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock, mentioned: “For a minimum of 9 years, a horrible a part of following Rangers was watching Scott Brown elevate that trophy yearly. He was the scourge of me, he used to run the sport on a regular basis towards my crew.
“He was the mainstay in that Celtic facet for thus lengthy. He nonetheless jokes now about simply successful the ball again and giving it to raised gamers. However everyone knows that’s doing himself a disservice, he was so good. I bear in mind actually good encounters between Aberdeen and Hibs when he’d simply damaged by way of.
“I performed towards him many occasions when he was at Celtic, too, he was horrible to play towards. He by no means stopped going. In newer years, I think about Rangers gamers felt the identical approach I did enjoying towards him. It’s going to be fascinating right here when that first Outdated Agency recreation comes round in September!
“Whitts had two spells at Hibs however is extra a bluenose after being at Rangers. There’s a little bit of a combination all through the constructing, together with the youthful age teams. It’ll be fascinating to see who will get these bragging rights this season!”
Nicholson performed for Fleetwood in 2012/13 when Micky Mellon was gaffer and returned as improvement squad coach for Graham Alexander. He’s additionally labored with Steven Pressley, Uwe Rosler, John Sheridan, Barton and Simon Grayson.
Now he believes a giant Brendan Rodgers affect can profit City, who solely escaped relegation to League Two by objective distinction in 2021/22.
Nicholson mentioned: “It’s been nice to date, the gamers have responded brilliantly to Scott, there’s a buy-in. The gaffer will get on nicely with the employees already right here. He’s going to deliver being a serial winner, he instructions large respect, I’ve seen that already.
“I really feel he’s been getting ready for this for a very long time. He appears very organised, he’s bought a approach of enjoying. I personally suppose there’s a number of stuff from Brendan at Celtic on the coaching pitch.
“That’s what younger coaches do, take the perfect bits from who they’ve performed for They'd large success and it seems like the 2 of them bought on brilliantly.
“He’ll add his little bits, how he needs issues carried out. Requirements and self-discipline shall be large, simply what he was like as a participant.”
Regardless of boasts from Barton, it was Brown who lorded it over his midfield rival in Glasgow when Celtic thrashed Mark Warburton’s Rangers 5-1. They’ll be dugout rivals for the primary time in November when Fleetwood go to Bristol Rovers.
Nicholson grinned: “That assembly shall be fascinating, that shall be humorous. However, , it wouldn’t shock me one bit in the event that they bought collectively earlier than that recreation, shook palms, chatted away within the workplace later and have been model new with one another.
“Out on the pitch enjoying is completely completely different to standing on the touchline as supervisor the place you’ve bought to indicate a little bit of calmness and present there’s no carnage occurring.
“Folks will say there’s a comparability between the 2 of them. In case you don’t know them personally, you suppose they’re going to blow their prime each time one thing goes mistaken.
“However it’s not like that. Clint Hill was actually good for Joey. I can see the identical with Whitts for the gaffer. I bought to know Joey rather well. What I’ll say is that they each ready rather well to be managers and that’s in all probability helped them going into their first jobs at this membership.”
Brown, who signed Shaun Rooney from St Johnstone, goes into his League One debut after a 2-1 pleasant win over Dundee United.
Nicholson added: “If we get an excellent begin, get some confidence going then we might have a extremely good season. Mid-table or above may very well be an excellent place for us however I’d think about the gaffer would need higher.
"We don’t wish to be anyplace close to that relegation zone once more, that’s for certain. We’re the longest-serving League One membership, others have gone up or down however this shall be our ninth season.
“The chairman needs sporting success however realises what we're, the membership that provides academy gamers an opportunity as we’ve carried out in the previous few years. We’ve introduced them by way of and offered them on for cash. We needed to play a number of within the first crew final 12 months due to accidents and that grew to become troublesome, we didn’t win sufficient video games.
“He’s in all probability checked out Scott’s profile, it’s all about successful and that’s bought to attraction to a boss who needs to go residence pleased with three factors on a Saturday night time.”
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