Today, the players finally had their chance to speak about Brendan Rodgers’ departure. I want to say something about the silence up until now, because it’s been a source of real irritation since the day he left.

It felt choreographed, restrained, and unnatural. Much of this club could barely muster a public word for the most successful manager of the last decade. That silence spoke volumes.

When we saw Dermot Desmond in the stand the other night, it was impossible not to notice and to draw conclusions from his being there.

He rarely turns up at Celtic games. He usually has something better to do. His presence didn’t look like support; it looked like supervision. It had the air of a man who had flown in not to show solidarity, but to remind everyone who calls the shots.

I got the sense he was there to impose his will, to make sure everyone stayed on message and that no one went off-script.

Perhaps that’s unfair, but it’s how it looked — and perception matters. Supporters watch those moments closely because they reveal important things. When a man who barely appears all season suddenly turns up in the directors’ box...