What will Hearts do if their algorithm throws up Brown's name as the best option to replace Steven Naismith? Get the latest news from Record Sport with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Get the latest news from Record Sport with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters The cat may have got his tongue on Saturday afternoon when Scott Brown declined to go into any kind of detail about his decision to snub St Johnstone. But, deep down, this is a man who knows it’s good to talk. That’s why he asked for permission to sit down with the Perth club’s American owners in the first place in order to have a natter about their aims and ambitions now that Craig Levein has been emptied out of McDiarmid Park.
And it’s why he picked up the phone to Brendan Rodgers for advice after holding those discussions with owner Adam Webb on Thursday and being left with his head in a spin. Now, before we go any further, there’s something you need to know about Brown. He’s a great deal smarter than he likes you to believe.
And maybe that’s where Webb went wrong when he held his one-to-one with the Ayr United manager as part of the hunt to find Craig Levein’s successor. Something certainly backfired quite spectacularly behind closed doors as there was a point in the day when Brown appeared ready to head to Perth to take on the role of keeping Webb’s club in the top flight. It could be that the 39-year-old was surprised to learn he wasn’t the only rider in what he may ha.