Celtic may be losing their captain to Aberdeen in the summer and potentially their most potent finisher in Leigh Griffiths but former boss John Barnes reckons fans shouldn't be concerned.
The Liverpool icon points out that Brown's advanced years mean his influence is on the wane while Griffiths' lack of game time means he'd be better served moving on.
Celtic are understood to have pushed the boat out to ensure their captain remained for next season but the lure of a coaching role alongside old mucker Stephen Glass at Aberdeen proved too big a temptation to ignore.
Griffiths has been linked with a deal to join him but Hibs are thought to have a better chance of a deal should Celtic opt not to take up a one year extension clause on his contract in the summer.
And Barnes feels that neither departure will have a huge bearing on the future in Paradise.
He told BonusCodeBets : “Celtic losing Scott Brown and Leigh Griffiths won’t be a big loss for the club.
"Leigh Griffiths hasn't been playing every weekend and Scott Brown is at the age now whereby he’s not necessarily on the pitch having that much influence on it moving forwards.
"Off the pitch, a new manager coming in may feel that he wants his own people in there to have the power off the field, in the dressing room. It is a good move for both, they know that Celtic is changing, and they may not be part of that.
"If they turn down this opportunity [to leave], to stay at Celtic and next year are not playing and are out in the cold, they’ve missed an opportunity.”
Looking ahead to Sunday's powder keg Old Firm Scottish Cup tie, Barnes points out that the tie is a must-win for Steven Gerrard with the tantalising opportunity to secure an elusive double it represents.
The Ibrox club haven't won the Scottish Cup since 2009 but have watched their bitter rivals raise it aloft four times on the bounce.
He said: “The Old Firm game this weekend is a must-win game for Rangers because if they win, they can do the double over their rivals.
"You could argue that Celtic are under a bit more pressure, because Rangers have won the league and are unbeaten in it [the league], so there is probably more pressure on Celtic.
"However, Steven Gerrard won’t feel that way [they Celtic are under more pressure] because he will want his team to play well in every game and possibly do the double over Celtic and go unbeaten.”
John Barnes was speaking to BonusCodeBets
