Celtic captain is no longer an automatic pick in Lennon’s starting XI
Celtic fans have called for Scott Brown to be excluded from the starting XI for today’s Scottish Cup Final against Hearts.
Brown dropped to the bench for the recent matches against Lille and Kilmarnock, and David Turnbull stood out as Neil Lennon’s men ended their slump with back-to-back victories.
The 35-year-old could lift the Scottish Cup for a sixth time this afternoon, but despite wearing the captain’s armband for over a decade many feel the midfielder’s power to influence matches is waning.
Fans expect Turnbull to play a key role against Robbie Neilson’s side at Hampden, and I put out a one-hour poll asking them whether Brown should be given a starting berth or have to sit on the bench.
There was little room for sentiment, with 78% of the 1,518 supporters who voted preferring to see Brown named among the substitutes.
A win for Celtic today would see them claim a historic quadruple treble.
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