MARK McGHEE last night accused Parkhead assistant manager Chris Davies of not being “Celtic quality” after a dispute between the two benches on the final whistle at Fir Park.
Motherwell No.2 James McFadden and his manager clashed with Chris Davies, Celtic’s first-team coach, after the gripping 4-3 win to the league leaders.
"James wasn’t having words with Brendan,” explained McGhee. “Brendan was as good as gold, as always he was dignified in victory like he is dignified in defeat.
“We had no problem with Brendan but I think some of the staff weren’t really Celtic quality in terms of their behaviour. I don’t know his name [Davies]. You’re telling me his name, so I think that says it all.
“He seemed to be for some reason angry that they’d won, so explain that to me. He wasn’t shaking hands with me, but nothing had gone on in the game."
The trouble seemed to begin while the teams were warming up when both McGhee and McFadden wandered into the area the Celtic players were being put through their drills, and when ordered away by Davies, McGhee was spotted laughing about what could be perceived to be winding up the opposition.
The bad blood had not been forgotten at the end and a steward had to intervene when the fall-out threatened to boil over.
Rodgers played down what had happened until he was told about McGhee's comments regarding Davies and perhaps some other members of Celtic's coaching staff.
Asked about the supposed lack of 'Celtic quality', Rodgers said: "I think that’s very unfair – especially when he comes into our warm-up before the game.
“As the opposition manager and assistant manager of his country, he comes up and is asking our players to warm up in a different area.
“I don’t think that’s befitting of the assistant manager of a national team and the manager of Motherwell. My staff are exemplary in their behaviour. We know what we’re representing here. We’ll always be honest. We have integrity.
“My staff represent this club and have done since the day they walked in here, so I think Mark’s is a completely unfair representation of them."
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