It is not hard to see why Stephen Glass is keen to have Scott Brown by his side should he be named manager at Aberdeen.
But if I was the Celtic captain, I would sign the one-year contract extension and stay at Celtic Park.
My former Dons team-mate Stephen is believed to be keen on having Brown join him at Pittodrie, should he land the job, as a player-assistant manager.
It’s a no-brainer on Stephen’s part as Brown would be a massive influence in the dressing room and is known to be interested in forging a career in coaching.
He will be 36 in June and I mean no disrespect when I say the clock is now ticking in terms of how much longer he will be playing first-team football.
It could be the case that next season is his last, and that is why he should really consider how big a role he sees himself having on the pitch. If that is his overriding focus, he should commit 100% to it.
I’ve always been a firm believer you should aim to play at the highest level you can for as long as possible. Trust me, when the day comes that you do hang those boots up it is a truly horrible feeling.
The other consideration, and it is an important one, is how the player-coach role would work.
Dividing your time between playing and coaching duties is not easy. Roy Aitken did it for a while when Willie Miller was manager at Pittodrie, and I know how challenging it was for him.
Players train then go home and rest up, but if you are also a coach then once training finishes your role switches to working with the manager behind the scenes in the office.
I’m a firm believer you can only be one or the other, which is why, as attractive a proposition as cutting his coaching teeth at Pittodrie would be, if Brown wants to continue playing he should stay where he is and focus on trying to wrestle the title back from Rangers next season.
Staggies have right to feel hard done by
It is hard not to feel sympathy for John Hughes following the two big incidents involving Martin Boyle of Hibernian at Victoria Park on Saturday.
Yogi was upset and rightly so at seeing two huge decisions go against his side. Boyle won Hibs a penalty for their equaliser. I didn’t believe it was a spot kick at the time and, having seen it again since, I have not changed my mind.
But the second incident just minutes later, when he went to ground in the box again, was a dive. There’s no nice way of saying it, but the galling aspect was referee John Beaton’s inaction.
Boyle was on a yellow card and his act of simulation was a second bookable offence. Beaton was right there, had a clear view of the incident yet did nothing. That’s really poor officiating in my book.
It was not the only strange decision from the officials on Saturday, but the game is gone now and, no matter how aggrieved the County players feel about what transpired, they have to put it behind them.
The big plus for the manager will be the performance of Ross Laidlaw. He is having a terrific season and was excellent again on Saturday, saving his side in one-on-one situations and with his shot-stopping in general.
He will have a key role in whether his side stay in the Premiership.
The other positive from the weekend was that Hamilton Accies lost to Livingston, which means it is as you were at the bottom of the division. Clearly it is going to be all to play for in these final six matches.
Dodds could make a striking difference
Good luck to my old Dons striking partner Billy Dodds on his return to the dugout with Caley Thistle. His presence there is sorely needed.
It may seem like nothing to the casual fan, but it irked me to see the Caley Thistle players who were on the bench in the last two home games going through the motions during the half-time break while the coaching staff were busy in the dressing room.
As a coach the last thing I want to see is players taking part in impromptu crossbar challenges from the halfway line when they should be going through a rigorous warm-up routine. An extra coach on the staff should ensure that is quickly put right.
I hope Doddsy’s biggest influence, however, can come with the strikers. Caley Thistle have had too many draws this season and it has left them with it all to do if they are to make the play-offs.
They have a good goalkeeper and a solid back four, but the problem is that – while they may be hard to beat – they are hard to be beaten by, too, due to the lack of goals.
Doddsy can help them improve on that front.
