HEARTS’ interim manager Jon Daly described Brendan Rodgers’ comments about the set-up at the Tynecastle club as “disgusting”, “disgraceful” and “unsavoury”.

Speaking after his side’s 4-1 defeat at Celtic Park on the opening day of the Premiership season, Daly responded in the strongest terms to Rodgers’ remarks on Friday in which he empathised with Ian Cathro over his sacking, questioned the signing of players such as Kyle Lafferty and Christophe Berra, and queried the input and influence of director of football Craig Levein.

“I thought Brendan's comments on Friday were absolutely disgusting. Disgraceful,” he said. “A manager of his calibre should know better. I've followed Brendan's career down south when he was at Liverpool. Not once did I hear him make a comment about the structures at Man United, Chelsea or Man City.

“But all of a sudden he comes to Celtic and thinks it's acceptable to talk about the structure of our football club. For a manager of his calibre to make the comments he did, it's not acceptable.

“Ian Cathro has left and I can understand his comments about the manager because none of us like to see someone lose their job. But once he starts talking about recruitment of players or players fitting into the system the manager wants and questioning Ian's authority - that shows me that he doesn't know Ian very well.

“There's no chance those players would have come in the door without Ian's say so. To comment on it when he knows nothing about the structure at Hearts is a disgrace. It's very disrespectful. I'm very disappointed with his comments.”

Rodgers replied: “I said what I had to say [on Friday], my feelings on a fellow manager losing his job. But it's OK, there's no drama.”

Asked if there was perhaps an unwritten rule that managers do not discuss other managers or clubs, Rodgers added: “Yeah, well, he hasn't become a manager yet so wait until he becomes a manager and then he'll know the rules of the game then.”