Rangers midfielder Joey Barton claimed Celtic’s Scott Brown is not in his league.
Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon feels that Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has put himself under unnecessary pressure following his comments on Hoops skipper Scott Brown, Herald Scotland report.
Following Barton’s switch to Ibrox, the former Burnley spoke ahead of the upcoming Old Firm derby by stating that Brown is not in his league and that Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers was suffering from a mid-life crisis.
While the Rangers midfielder’s comments were hardly unexpected given his controversial nature, there is no doubt he has put a mark on his own back and his performances to date haven’t lived up to expectations.
Speaking ahead of the derby at Celtic Park, Lennon feels Barton has placed unnecessary pressure on himself before suggesting the game could be swung by which ever team settles better.
“When you make comments like that, you set yourself up. Barton has to back that up now. So he’s put himself under a huge amount of pressure for this game,” Lennon told Herald Scotland.
“Celtic are the favourites but you just never can tell the way the game will go; who will settle better. The ones who have played in this fixture before can be a huge benefit to the ones who haven’t.”
Barton arrived in Glasgow as Rangers’ high-profile signing of the summer and he initially spoke of his confidence of becoming the best player in the Scottish Premiership.
The former Manchester City man was superb at Burnley as a holding midfielder in a counterattacking team, yet thus far at Rangers he has struggled when the onus has been on him to control the game.
Barton may actually find more luck against Celtic in a more defensive-minded role, though there is certainly now more pressure on him to outplay Brown rather than the other way around.
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