Brendan Rodgers has replied to Billy Dodds’ claim that he is trying to influence the SFA.
The former Ross County assistant manager was outspoken in his criticism of the way that the Irishman had reacted to the sending off of Andrew Davies for a brutal stamp on Scott Brown.
Dodds, who didn’t pay the income tax or national insurance due on a £190,000 ‘EBT’ payment from Rangers (IL) claimed that the hoops boss should move on and allow the SFA to decide which cases of violent conduct require further action.
Brown could have had his career ended by that incident while Rodgers sat in the Celtic dug out alongside John Kennedy whose career was virtually ended by a similar act while on Scotland duty against Romania.
Rodgers is fiercely protective of his players and fears that the two match ban for Davies gives every hatchet man in the country licence to take out another player.
Asked about Dodds’ claim the Celtic boss told The Sun: “It does surprise me. You need to take each case on its own.
“If the authorities deem that violent conduct and not excessive, then there is a problem.
“I know Billy, not that well, but I was asked my opinion after the game.
“I was making an observation that when you get sent off, it’s normally two games, but what distinguishes between excessive and violent conduct?
“Jozo Simunovic was banned for two games due to the positioning of his elbow. It wasn’t clear, but for me, it was a sending off.
“So when you have a tackle like that, which could have been career-ending and career-threatening, does that warrant the same?
“Two games? That was the question I was asking — and I don’t think it did.
“It’s not influencing anyone, it’s my opinion and it’s for the protection of players up and down the country.”
Perhaps if it had been a Scotland internationalist like Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor or Stuart Armstrong that had been the victim of Davies there may be more sympathy than Brown has received.