CELTIC captain Scott Brown has told his team-mates to start believing in themselves again and show more bravery on the field.

The skipper was clearly still smarting from the defeat in Malmo, which he described as making him feel “ashamed” and the defeat at Pittodrie would not have helped his mood.

Brown’s frustration is borne out of his firm belief that Celtic are a far better team than they have shown in recent matches, something he and his team-mates have to sort out if they are to have any chance of beating Ajax in Amsterdam.

Brown said: “We know we can play better. We have to believe in ourselves a lot more and go and show willingness to win games, especially away from home.

We have the players in the dressing room who can do it. We know we are a lot better than what we have produced in the last couple of weeks.

"It is not as if we turn up and hope it comes off. You have to earn the right to play and be braver on the ball over the park and create chances and as the gaffer says it is about confidence as well, you are up there and down here and hopefully we can right back up there where we should be.

“I'm not angry. It is not anger. I believe we can do a lot better.

We have let ourselves down recently and we have to just go on and show more willingness to win games and finish teams off."

Brown has not been himself for club and country, something he admitted, and Celtic could do with their on-field leader finding his best form against an Ajax side who are inexperienced but talented.

Ronny Deila needs all his players close to their A-game and the captain is ready to respond, get a win and at the same time his side’s season going again.

The skipper said: “I can play a lot better, of course I can. Everyone has ups and downs in their career, it is how they bounce back.

"I am strong mentally and physically as well now and I will come back stronger and fitter.

"It has not been great. I don't like getting beat or drawing games. That's why I am at Celtic.

"We are a big club and we need to show that we deserve to win games more than anyone else."

Brown does think Celtic have a chance to have a long Europa League campaign, but that they could do with a bit of luck.

“Football is all about little details. I think if we get that one goal and get the second goal and go on, it builds confidence throughout the team and fans and they put trust in you.

"We have a lot to go until we reach where we were last season and hopefully we can reach those heights again."