SCOTT BROWN has felt a lot better and much, much worse after a Celtic premature exit from Europe.

First the bad bit. Two points from five games and a dreadful goals-against record is not what was hoped for or expected. 

However, when you consider where this team were last season, even a disappointing Champions League campaign can be seen as encouraging, if not worth the effort of getting the bunting from the loft.

Celtic are not good enough to compete in the European Cup, as many still call it, although it must be said that they may have scraped third in an ‘easier’ group. But that’s ifs and buts. 

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The reality is qualification was key, being beaten twice by Barcelona was expected.

Brendan Rodgers has worked wonders so far, but there is some distance to go before Celtic is a name genuinely feared by even the more modest sides who regularly fill pots two and three in the group stages.

Brown knows this. However, he and his team have made progress.There is a debate to be had about how much, but the Celtic captain believes that for the first time in a number of years the club is heading in the right direction.

“There’s a bit of frustration but there’s a lot of pride as well,” admitted Brown when asked to reflect on the European campaign.

“There’s been ups and downs but it’s just the start of the gaffer’s era and we’re always improving.

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“We’re now looking forward to next season and we need to try and be back in it again. We didn’t have the best start, but we’ve kicked on after that with good performances. That’s what we need to try to do every year now, be in the Champions League season after season.

“Getting to this stage is great for us but we want to try and push on as much as we can. We’re disappointed we’re not in Europe after Christmas, but we’ll be back.”

What is a half-chance is for everyone else is a certain goal for Lionel Messi. Only he could have guided the ball between Craig Gordon and his post, as a host of hooped shirts looked on hopelessly.

“The first goal’s just exceptional – it’s a great ball, it’s great movement and it’s a great finish,” said Brown. “We played against a top team that has won Champions Leagues and a lot of the team have won a lot with Spain as well.

“It was hard. We dug deep and were a little bit unlucky. The penalty was quite soft, but they’re top quality players.”

Moussa Dembele once again played well but missed what for him was a relatively simple chance with the match still at 1-0.

“Moussa’s scored some great goals for us and has won us games himself, to be honest,” said Brown.

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“Strikers miss chances and strikers score great goals. He’s a great player and he’s been fantastic all season. What a signing he is for half 
a million quid.”

Celtic have a cup final in a couple of days and can feel pretty okay about themselves after their European adventure. Now Sunday brings the opportunity of the first trophy of the Rodgers era.

“The final is a chance to put down a marker,” said Brown. “For the gaffer, it would be huge for him being a Celtic fan, coming to the club and getting us playing well. We now need to give something back to him.”