Brown: Celtic must attack Barca

Scott Brown is looking for Celtic to adopt a more positive outlook when they take on Barcelona in tonight’s Champions League Group G clash at Parkhead.

Brown: Celtic must attack Barca

Scott Brown is looking for Celtic to adopt a more positive outlook when they take on Barcelona in tonight’s Champions League Group G clash at Parkhead.

The Hoops were criticised in some quarters for their backs-to-the-wall performances in the Nou Camp last month where it took an injury-time goal from defender Jordi Alba to give the Catalan giants a 2-1 win.

Among the critics was former Barcelona star Bernd Schuster who claimed that Celtic should not even be allowed to compete in the same competition as Barca.

Skipper Brown was nonplussed at the criticism but claimed the Scottish champions will look to take the game to visitors more in front of the Celtic fans.

He said: “We are going to have to go out and create a few more chances.

“We will hopefully attack a little bit more. It was hard at the Nou Camp, it is a huge pitch and they had a lot of possession.

“But it’s hard when you play against teams who press you so high up the park.

“They do that to most teams in Spain and win three, four and five-nil week in, week out, so it shows we got our tactics spot on.

“We defended really well as a group and Fraser [Forster] was magnificent and we are going to have to do that again.

“But we are going to have to get more of the ball and try to keep it for longer periods.

“Losing in the last minute is always going to be hard, but that shows you how dangerous Barcelona can be. We have to stay focused the whole game.”

Brown is hopeful that he is at last getting over the hip complaint that has disrupted his season.

The Scotland international has been in and out of Neil Lennon’s side but will take his place in the Hoops midfield tonight.

The former Hibernian player’s inclusion is all the more important given that the Parkhead boss will be without Emilio Izaguirre, Thomas Rogne, James Forrest and Lassad with Gary Hooper a big doubt and Georgios Samaras fighting to get fit following an ankle injury.

Brown gave the Celtic support a boost by saying: “I am starting to feel a lot better.

“I have had a lot of rest and my body is slowly getting better and better.

“I have managed to play three games in a row and I am feeling the benefits.

“So hopefully I am over the worst of it. You can never tell what is around the corner but my body is feeling good just now and if I can keep training day in, day out, playing two or three games a week, I am happy with that.”

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