GEORGE BURLEY has a decision to make over Scott Brown because, to be utterly frank, he is just not doing it for Scotland.

I know that Scott has suffered a tragedy in his personal life with the loss of his sister and, believe me, I can sympathise deeply given that I also lost my little boy 14 years back. Really, time is the only healer for that kind of grief and it does not happen overnight. Bhoys need rapid response force... NO-ONE should doubt the character in the dressing room of the current Celtic squad as they answered all the questions in that respect last season.

But the Hoops will need to demonstrate it anew when they head to Fir Park for Saturday's game with Motherwell.

The match has taken on extra significance for two reasons, especially in the aftermath of the Old Firm defeat and, of course, next week's opening Champions League game with Aalborg at Parkhead.

I know that some have been jumping up and down and saying that Celtic should have signed this player or that before the window shut.

But it was never going to be that easy. If Celtic had won or even drawn with Rangers at Parkhead a week past on Sunday, then would there have been such a furore? I doubt it.

But, with the window closing the next day, it was always going to be tough to deal in new faces, so that is why it will be vital that the team that runs out at Fir Park responds.

That will not be easy as you have a good few players on World Cup duty who will have played twice and have travelled thousands of miles in doing so.

But at Celtic every game is huge and must be treated on its own merits, and the Motherwell clash is no different. On top of that, it is always important that you go in to European games in winning form domestically.

Motherwell have not had the best of starts to their season and they will be determined to exploit any weaknesses in Celtic's make-up.

But I expect Gordon Strachan's boys to be well up to the challenge.

I remember Tommy McLean came to see me and said that I had a duty to my wife and the rest of my family to get out there and earn my living. Whatever Scott is feeling right now, he has to be professional enough to put that aside and get on with his football - hard as that may be.

Scotland's midfield is down to its bare bones and that may just save Scott from being axed. But, really, he is a shadow of the player who signed for Celtic from Hibs and, if he still has issues, he must address them. Alternatively, if he is going to stay in the Scotland team for the Iceland game, then it is time he stood up and showed he still has it in him to produce the quality we know he is capable of.

Scotland need a big game from Scott Brown - and he needs to produce one for his country.

He only has to look at team-mate Stephen McManus for inspiration. McManus has been struggling with injuries over the last season or so.

Last term it was a groin problem and this season I think the big man has been struggling with a calf injury, but George Burley made him captain because Mick is a leader - and right now we need our leaders.

I know there has been a bit of a reaction in terms of the criticism of the performance in Macedonia, but it was not that bad.

I think we have to show a bit of perspective and also wait and see what happens in Iceland. A World Cup qualifying campaign is a long journey and there is a long way to go. And, if we can get a win in Iceland or even take a point, then we can be a bit more positive about things.

I remember the World Cup qualifying campaign for France 1998 went to the wire and we had to go to Belarus and play on a tattie field.

It took a Gary McAllister penalty to book our place in the Finals and it was a real hard slog.

We did manage a draw in Austria at the start of that campaign and, looking back, that was probably a key result, but we were not far away from getting something in Skopje.

Although the pressure is now on to take at least a point in Iceland, we have it in us to respond.

In that respect, we are going to need everyone in dark blue to be playing at the top of their game. Certainly we can't afford to concede another sloppy goal like the one we gifted Macedonia on Saturday just minutes into the game. Balde saga continues...

ALEX McLEISH has cited a confidentiality clause as the reason Bobo Balde did not leave Celtic and head for Birmingham.

Celtic, however, have denied this claim, and even then, as long as he didn't go over the mark, what would have happened if big Bobo had gone to City and started to open up?

Could it possibly be the case that the Guinean central defender is sitting tight and will now see out the remainder of his final season at Parkhead before hanging up his boots?