BRENDAN WASN'T BEING A..KNOTTY BHOY

Boss explains reason for ditching his tie and there is no conspiracy... he was just too warm

- MICHAEL GANNON

BRENDAN RODGERS knows Celtic fans hang on his every word.

And even more so during the transfer window when every syllable is seen as some kind of coded message for the Parkhead board.

But the Hoops gaffer admits it cracks him up that punters are now reading into what he is wearing on the sidelines.

Rodgers tends to cut a dapper figure on the sideline with a shirt, tie and suit his standard attire.

The Irishman was clocked at Pittodrie last weekend without his usual club tie on - and some fans online and on the phone-ins took it as a sure sign there was bad blood brewing with the board over transfer dithering.

But as conspiracy theories go, this one gave Rodgers a chuckle.

He said: "It’s unbelievable. Someone told me about it. I'm supposedly sending messages.

“It’s basically like everyone else, When it’s really hot, you have to take off your jacket or your tie. And see when it's really cold, you wear a jumper!

“Last year I wore a jumper. People said, 'he’s sending a message!'. What message? That's it’s bloody freezing!

“Then last weekend. There's two grounds I've realised in my career that are absolutely boiling - Pittodrie and Preston's Deepdale.