By Keith Jackson

Copyright dailyrecord

There will doubtless be some Celtic fans out there today who can’t be sure whether to laugh or cry at the current state of affairs. While they can’t help but snigger at the state Rangers have got themselves into on the other side of town, this highly flammable self implosion will not act as a permanent distraction from the issues which are in danger of burning their own house down. Yes, the neighbours are going up in smoke and the fact that it’s happening all over again despite the recent arrival of wealthy American owners only adds to the amusement level where this incendiary local rivalry is concerned. Also, given that Brendan Rodgers got in and out of Kilmarnock on Sunday with three more league points in the bag – opening up the kind of gap which may be unbridgeable at least while Russell Martin remains in situ – an element of short term calm has been restored in Glasgow’s east end. But it’s the longer term picture which has lit a flame in the belly of the hardcore of the Celtic support and their dissatisfaction with what is going on inside their own four walls will not be dampened down by the incompetence of the guy across the street. Granted, the planned protests and demonstration did all feel like a bit of damp squib in the driving Ayrshire rain on Sunday afternoon. The sheer drabness of the occasion coupled with the mundane nature of the match itself did little to stoke up the passions in the away end. Yes, a healthy number stayed outside until the 12th minute in a show of unity against the men in charge of Celtic’s pursestrings and, true, they chanted intermittently about sacking the board and telling chairman Peter Lawwell exactly where they would like him to get to. And yes, in injury time when Kelechi Iheanacho fired a winning penalty into the roof of Kilmarnock’s net, they celebrated as if another league title had just been secured, only five games deep into the new campaign Lawwell and invisible chief executive Michael Nicholson might have felt their collars begin to loosen in the heat of the moment but they should not make the mistake of thinking performances and results on the pitch will get them off the hook. Not this time. Rodgers may have managed to unite the support and to bring them back on the side of his team but the adoption of this siege mentality, is also a two fingered signal towards the men in the boardroom. It feels very much as if Rodgers and the fans will get on about their business together in spite of the decision makers rather than because of them. It’s now an open and angry rebellion. The latest bin fire at Ibrox is rendered largely irrelevant to a Celtic support which appears to have concluded that the real enemy lies within. The truth is most of them didn’t view Rangers as being capable of posing a credible threat to their own club’s superiority, even despite the change of ownership and the increased spending power of Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers . If the Americans spent a fiver then Celtic had the financial muscle to lay down a tenner in response. That’s why they cannot and will not forgive the men in charge for what they perceive to be either a lack of ambition or crushing incompetence during the summer transfer window. And they’re right. It has to be one of the two. Celtic’s hierarchy have money to burn but, for reasons known only to themselves, they can’t seem to spend very much of it and when the latest accounts are published in a few days from now the numbers involved are likely to be the cause of even greater consternation. Rodgers poured petrol on the fire on Friday with an expertly handled press conference throughout which he reconnected himself with the supporters by restating that he is one of them and that he will remain so long after his tenure is over. The heavy implication was that his time here is coming to an end and that he will only stay beyond the term of his current contract if the demands for some form of regime change are ultimately successful. More than that, he openly called for the resignation of whoever was responsible for briefing against him but stopped short of naming any names. That he did refer warmly to Nicholson and Dermot Desmond left little doubt to the identity of the man he does suspect of attempting to undermine him. Effectively, or at least from the outside looking in, there appears to be a fight going on between Rodgers and Lawwell. The manager most certainly said nothing to dissuade anyone of that notion when he returned fire the other day. And while he has placed himself firmly on the side of the supporters, the chairman remains the most obvious target for their fury. It’s actually a great pity that it’s come to this given the service both Rodgers and Lawwell have given to their club over the years. Between them the pair of them have been responsible for piling up a mountain of silverware and putting together a period of unprecedented domestic dominance. But it’s difficult to imagine how they can possibly co-exist and that’s why what comes next will be so utterly compelling. It’s up to the club’s principal shareholder Desmond to determine which of them he values the greater. The reclusive Irish tycoon won’t bow to pressure from the galleries. If he did do it would be the first time. So, while the calls for his head will continue, Desmond will either invite Rodgers to extend his stay and ask Lawwell to step aside. Or he’ll allow Rodgers to see out the remaining months of his deal and stick with the board he has put in place. It all feels very Machiavellian and completely unnecessary. But, even so, Celtic have got themselves into this position all by themselves and the ongoing stand off cannot continue indefinitely. One way or another Desmond will have to bring the infighting to a conclusion. But, by doing so, he runs the risk of further gas lighting a highly volatile support which is already at the point of collective combustion.