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Just fifteen minutes after the club released the news of Brendan Rodgers' shock departure via a brief five-paragraph communication, the bombshell arrived, courtesy of the major shareholder, with whiskers twitching in obvious fury.

Through an extensive statement, major shareholder Desmond savaged his former ally.

This individual he persuaded to come to the club when Rangers were getting uppity in that period and required being back in a box. Plus the man he once more relied on after Ange Postecoglou left for another club in the recent offseason.

Such was the ferocity of his critique, the astonishing return of Martin O'Neill was practically an secondary note.

Twenty years after his exit from the club, and after much of his latter years was dedicated to an unending circuit of appearances and the performance of all his old hits at the team, O'Neill is back in the dugout.

For now - and perhaps for a while. Considering things he has said recently, O'Neill has been eager to get another job. He will view this one as the ultimate chance, a gift from the Celtic Gods, a return to the environment where he experienced such glory and praise.

Will he give it up readily? You wouldn't have thought so. Celtic could possibly make a call to sound out their ex-manager, but O'Neill will serve as a balm for the moment.

'Full-blooded Attempt at Reputation Destruction'

O'Neill's return - as surreal as it may be - can be set aside because the most significant shocking development was the harsh way the shareholder wrote of the former manager.

This constituted a full-blooded attempt at defamation, a branding of him as untrustful, a perpetrator of falsehoods, a spreader of falsehoods; divisive, deceptive and unjustifiable. "One individual's wish for self-interest at the expense of others," stated he.

For a person who prizes propriety and sets high importance in business being done with confidentiality, if not outright secrecy, here was another illustration of how unusual things have grown at the club.

Desmond, the organization's dominant presence, operates in the background. The remote leader, the individual with the authority to make all the major decisions he pleases without having the responsibility of explaining them in any open setting.

He never participate in club AGMs, sending his son, Ross, instead. He rarely, if ever, gives interviews about Celtic unless they're glowing in nature. And even then, he's slow to speak out.

There have been instances on an occasion or two to defend the organization with confidential missives to media organisations, but no statement is made in public.

It's exactly how he's wanted it to remain. And that's exactly what he contradicted when launching all-out attack on Rodgers on that day.

The directive from the club is that he stepped down, but reviewing his criticism, carefully, you have to wonder why did he permit it to get this far down the line?

If the manager is culpable of all of the accusations that Desmond is alleging he's guilty of, then it is reasonable to ask why had been the coach not dismissed?

Desmond has accused him of spinning things in open forums that did not tally with the facts.

He says Rodgers' statements "have contributed to a toxic atmosphere around the club and fuelled animosity towards members of the executive team and the directors. Some of the criticism directed at them, and at their loved ones, has been completely unjustified and improper."

Such an remarkable allegation, that is. Lawyers might be preparing as we discuss.

His Ambition Conflicted with the Club's Model Once More'

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

It was the figure who took the criticism when his returned occurred, post-Postecoglou.

This marked the most controversial appointment, the return of the returning hero for some supporters or, as other Celtic fans would have described it, the arrival of the shameless one, who departed in the difficulty for Leicester.

Desmond had Rodgers' support. Gradually, the manager employed the persuasion, delivered the victories and the trophies, and an fragile peace with the supporters became a affectionate relationship again.

There was always - always - going to be a point when his ambition clashed with Celtic's operational approach, however.

This occurred in his initial tenure and it happened once more, with bells on, over the last year. He publicly commented about the slow process Celtic went about their transfer business, the endless waiting for prospects to be secured, then not landed, as was too often the situation as far as he was believed.

Repeatedly he stated about the need for what he called "agility" in the transfer window. Supporters concurred with him.

Despite the organization spent unprecedented sums of funds in a calendar year on the £11m Arne Engels, the £9m Adam Idah and the £6m further acquisition - none of whom have cut it so far, with Idah since having departed - the manager demanded more and more and, often, he expressed this in openly.

He set a bomb about a internal disunity within the club and then walked away. Upon questioning about his remarks at his next news conference he would usually downplay it and nearly contradict what he said.

Lack of cohesion? No, no, all are united, he'd claim. It looked like Rodgers was playing a risky game.

Earlier this year there was a report in a newspaper that allegedly originated from a source associated with the organization. It said that the manager was damaging 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 way out, this was the tone of the story.

Supporters were enraged. They now viewed him as similar to a martyr who might be carried out on his honor because his directors did not support his plans to achieve success.

This disclosure was damaging, naturally, and it was meant to hurt him, which it did. He called for an inquiry and for the responsible individual to be dismissed. Whether there was a probe then we learned nothing further about it.

At that point it was plain Rodgers was shedding the support of the individuals in charge.

The frequent {gripes