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Just fifteen minutes after the club released the announcement of Brendan Rodgers' shock resignation via a brief five-paragraph communication, the bombshell landed, from the major shareholder, with clear signs in obvious fury.

In an extensive statement, major shareholder Desmond eviscerated his former ally.

The man he persuaded to come to the club when Rangers were gaining ground in that period and required being in their place. And the figure he once more turned to after the previous manager left for another club in the recent offseason.

Such was the ferocity of Desmond's takedown, the jaw-dropping comeback of Martin O'Neill was practically an after-thought.

Two decades after his exit from the club, and after a large part of his latter years was given over to an unending circuit of appearances and the performance of all his old hits at Celtic, Martin O'Neill is returned in the manager's seat.

For now - and perhaps for a time. Based on things he has expressed recently, he has been keen to get another job. He will see this one as the ultimate opportunity, a present from the Celtic Gods, a return to the place where he enjoyed such glory and adulation.

Would he give it up readily? You wouldn't have thought so. Celtic could possibly make a call to sound out Postecoglou, but the new appointment will act as a balm for the time being.

'Full-blooded Effort at Character Assassination

The new manager's reappearance - as surreal as it is - can be set aside because the biggest shocking moment was the brutal manner Desmond described the former manager.

It was a forceful attempt at defamation, a labeling of Rodgers as deceitful, a source of untruths, a spreader of falsehoods; disruptive, deceptive and unacceptable. "One individual's desire for self-interest at the cost of everyone else," stated he.

For a person who values propriety and sets high importance in dealings being done with confidentiality, if not complete secrecy, this was a further example of how unusual situations have become at Celtic.

The major figure, the club's most powerful figure, operates in the background. The absentee totem, the one with the authority to make all the major calls he pleases without having the obligation of explaining them in any public forum.

He does not participate in club annual meetings, sending his son, his son, in his place. He seldom, if ever, does media talks about the team unless they're hagiographic in nature. And even then, he's slow to communicate.

There have been instances on an occasion or two to defend the organization with private missives to news outlets, but no statement is heard in the open.

This is precisely how he's preferred it to remain. And it's exactly what he contradicted when launching all-out attack on Rodgers on Monday.

The official line from the club is that Rodgers resigned, but reading his criticism, carefully, one must question why he allow it to get this far down the line?

If Rodgers is culpable of all of the accusations that the shareholder is alleging he's responsible for, then it's fair to ask why had been the coach not dismissed?

He has accused him of distorting things in public that did not tally with reality.

He says his words "have contributed to a toxic environment around the team and encouraged hostility towards individuals of the management and the directors. A portion of the criticism aimed at them, and at their loved ones, has been entirely unwarranted and unacceptable."

What an extraordinary allegation, indeed. Legal representatives might be mobilising as we discuss.

His Ambition Conflicted with the Club's Model Again

To return to happier times, they were close, Dermot and Brendan. The manager praised the shareholder at all opportunities, expressed gratitude to him whenever possible. Brendan respected him and, really, to no one other.

This was the figure who took the heat when his comeback occurred, after the previous manager.

This marked the most divisive appointment, the reappearance of the returning hero for some supporters or, as other supporters would have described it, the return of the unapologetic figure, who departed in the difficulty for Leicester.

The shareholder had his back. Over time, Rodgers employed the charm, delivered the wins and the trophies, and an uneasy truce with the fans became a affectionate relationship once more.

It was inevitable - always - going to be a moment when his goals clashed with the club's operational approach, however.

This occurred in his initial tenure and it happened again, with bells on, over the last year. Rodgers spoke openly about the sluggish process the team conducted their transfer business, the endless waiting for targets to be landed, then missed, as was too often the situation as far as he was concerned.

Repeatedly he stated about the necessity for what he termed "agility" in the market. Supporters agreed with him.

Despite the organization splurged record amounts of money in a calendar year on the £11m Arne Engels, the costly Adam Idah and the £6m Auston Trusty - all of whom have cut it to date, with one since having departed - Rodgers demanded increased resources and, often, he expressed this in openly.

He planted a bomb about a internal disunity inside the team and then distanced himself. When asked about his comments at his next media briefing he would usually downplay it and nearly reverse what he stated.

Internal issues? Not at all, all are united, he'd claim. It appeared like Rodgers was engaging in a risky game.

A few months back there was a report in a publication that allegedly originated from a insider close to the club. It claimed that Rodgers was harming Celtic with his open criticisms and that his true aim was managing his departure plan.

He didn't want to be there and he was arranging his exit, that was the implication of the article.

The fans were enraged. They now viewed him as similar to a martyr who might be carried out on his honor because his directors wouldn't back his plans to achieve success.

The leak was poisonous, of course, and it was meant to hurt Rodgers, which it accomplished. He called for an investigation and for the guilty person to be dismissed. Whether there was a probe then we learned no more about it.

At that point it was plain the manager was shedding the backing of the people above him.

The regular {gripes