Mind how you go

They are, of course, entitled to an opinion. But, by the same token, they shouldn't object when occasionally they're told it's the wrong one.

I mean, you wouldn't go out of your way to irritate your club's manager if you had a boss like Brendan Rodgers, for instance, would you?

He is, statistically speaking, the third best manager Celtic have ever had, and he still has time to improve his credit rating, hasn't he?

Jock Stein was the first to win a treble and lift a European trophy at the same time.

Martin O'Neill won a treble and took Celtic to a European final when he was there.

Brendan gave Celtic the second best season in the club's history by not only winning a treble but doing so without losing a domestic match in the process.

He's also made the club approximately £60m in just over a year by qualifying for the group stages of the Champions League over successive seasons.

You wouldn't be unwise enough to aggravate a manager like that, would you?

Not when the man's had vexation upon vexation off the park to test his equilibrium.

I mean, losing all three of your central defenders to injury in quick succession and then losing your most highly valued striker to medical mishap is a repetitive strain on the nerves, isn't it?

And when your idea of a defensive replacement on a long term basis fails a medical after a fee has been agreed to bring him to the club it's abundantly clear that manager has absolutely no need of any additional sources of annoyance.

I mean, you wouldn't want to 'borrow' the manager's identity and put his image on a paramilitary banner, would you?

And you'd surely never think of haranguing a manager who has never lost a domestic match since taking over the club because of the way he plays football, would you?

You wouldn't have him reduced to the state where he has to remonstrate with the crowd and then publicly remind them about how to play football during the course of his post-match press conference.

That couldn't possibly happen, could it?

Well, actually, it could and all of it has happened to Rodgers during a season which is still in its infancy.

The Green Brigade took liberties with the manager's image rights, brought Celtic their annual fine from UEFA for offensive banners and won themselves a two match restraining order as a consequence.

Rodgers even had to go public with a salutary warning that it would be a "Real shame" if the chaps couldn't mend their ways and mind their manners, forcing the club to ban them from the stadium on a permanent basis.

Then, on Saturday, the man with the unblemished record of domestic achievement had to ask a critical element within the crowd at the game against St. Johnstone if they wanted Celtic to "Smash" the ball up the park in the way that has done nothing for Scottish football over the last twenty years, or if they wanted to see more thoughtful football and see where it took them.

The moment of friction came about because Celtic had fallen a goal behind while coping with injury-created selection problems and dealing with the effects of a lengthy journey to Kazakhstan, the scene of Celtic's latest qualification for the Champions League.

The cheek of the players! A goal down. At home. No wonder parts of the crowd were on the brink of insurrection.

Supporters pay their money and buy the right to vent their feelings at the same time. Within the bounds of reason and decency, that is.

Celtic supporters, in particular, are certainly entitled to raise the issue of of exactly how much it costs them to obtain a three game package to see the Champions League Group B matches against Bayern Munich, Paris Saint Germain and Anderlecht if they feel financial liberties are being taken.

It was Stein, of immortal memory for the Celtic fans, who stated that the game without supporters amounted to nothing.

But, by the same token, there are times when you have to take a deep breath and allow yourself the luxury of appreciating what you've got.

Such as a manager who fills the ground rather than emptying it like his predecessor.

Rodgers is far and away the highest paid manager in the history of Scottish football for one very good reason. He is exceptionally good at what he does.

If Patrick Roberts doesn't show up at Celtic Park by the time the transfer window closes on Thursday night then the Celtic fans can howl at the people who are supposed to help Rodgers build a squad.

If they don't like the ticket pricing then they can take their complaints to the relevant authority at the same time.

But the manager?

You don't know what you've got until it's gone, right?

Fans always reserve the right to react to the moment and then change their mind without a blush.

Pedro Caixinha was last week mocked for talking about dogs and caravans. Today he is only three points behind Celtic in spite of having been vilified by his own fans as an under achiever.

When Gordon Strachan failed to qualify for the European Championship finals with Scotland it was all about selfies with the Tartan Army and a level of forgiveness that caused the SFA to extend the manager's contract.

If the wee man loses to Lithuania in the World Cup qualifier away from home on Friday night and Scotland's chances of going to Russia next year evaporate as a result the same fans will demand Strachan's immediate dismissal.

It's a funny old game, but it's not supposed to be

• Hugh Keevins