It was a viral moment that showed what we've all felt over the last few weeks - the tide is turning as Brendan Rodgers continues to heal his fractured relationship with the Celtic supporters. The incident was shared thousands of times. There was Rodgers, in his part-time role as a club bouncer, shielding a young supporter who had invaded the pitch to get closer to his heroes. As he thrust back an over-zealous steward with an outstretched hand, he acted for every Celtic supporter in the Tony Macaroni on Sunday. It was a unifying sight, the manager fully at one with the fans - and vice-versa.

Since his return to the club, there have been signals of disapproval from some, who were not overly keen to see him back. This has been displayed both on social media and in person – particularly from the Green Brigade – as his first departure has not been forgotten four years on. His move to Leicester City midway through the 2018/19 season still lives in the memory of many, who have not forgiven him despite his unexpected return.

For a side sitting top of the table with 16 points out of a possible 18, it feels almost blasphemous to call this campaign a rollercoaster so far, but it has certainly felt like it. The highs of the Ibrox and Tony Macaroni wins have been met with the respective lows of Rugby Park and St Johnstone at home, as well as European disappointment at De Kuip against Feyenoord in the Champions League.

READ MORE: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has improved Matt O'Riley

However, something clicked on Saturday afternoon on that plastic surface in Livingston. Maybe it was the character shown by Celtic’s 10 men to romp to a 3-0 win, following the dismissal of Joe Hart or Rodgers' aforementioned show of kinship. A mixture of both, perhaps. Indeed, Celtic had to show immense team spirit to march on against the home side with a man fewer than their opponents. Not an easy task, but Rodgers’ team made it look that way. They played some of their best football against David Martindale’s side, with goals from Matt O’Riley and Daizen Maeda – two players that have undeniably ‘bought in’ to their new manager’s style – making it a comfortable victory in the end for the champions.

Yes, Maeda’s stunning strike from outside the box probably led to the loudest cheer of the day in terms of decibels, but Rodgers’ interaction with that young fan may have produced the most passionate response from the travelling support. Many have joked about the youngster being a ‘paid actor’, or that the manager is the ‘ultimate opportunist’ in situations like these, but let’s get the cold, hard facts straight.

Rodgers – despite the way he left the club back in 2019 – is a Celtic supporter, much like those who travel home and away both domestically and in Europe. He did what any decent person would do in that situation and saved the young fan from a potential ejection from the ground, which then could have led to a ban on future trips to stadia. Maybe he saw himself in that over-excited kid and felt it was best to intervene, rather than leaving it to the stewards to decide his fate.

Regardless, the roar was triumphant from the crowd, who recognised what had transpired just moments earlier. It was a public vote of confidence for a man who has divided the very support he represents. Following the match, the manager spoke about the incident that had happened minutes earlier. He said “The wee guy at the end, it's just common sense, it's a young kid.

“He is on the pitch to see his heroes and wants to see the players. He shouldn’t be punished or prosecuted for that, especially when the security guy is much older than him! He just wants to see his heroes, so just common sense by letting him get back to his mates.”

Rodgers – like all elite managers in association football – has an ego, which has served him well in his time as a manager thus far. After all, you do need to have something about you to make it in the rough and tumble of professional sports. This ‘charm offensive’ response to the pitch invader question will ensure that he is in the good books with more and more of the Celtic support, with the added bonus of a comprehensive win only accelerating the feelgood campaign from reaching its inevitable destination.

You see, the Irishman WILL win over the vast majority of supporters, irrespective of whether they like it or not. The saying is that the cream always rises to the top, and the same will be true with Rodgers, in terms of both public opinion and results. Celtic are going through a transitional period following Ange Postecoglou, and slip-ups are to be expected at this stage, despite the club continually striving towards perfection.

Rodgers now has a full week on the training ground to further implement his ideas – thanks to one of those aforementioned slip-ups against Kilmarnock – Stuart Kettlewell and his in-form Motherwell side can expect to see an even stronger Celtic side ply their trade at Fir Park this Saturday. The passing of a full week means the return of key figures such as Cameron Carter-Vickers and Maik Nawrocki - as well as the long-awaited debut of Marco Tilio – draws ever closer. Furthermore, some extra one-to-one training for the likes of Luis Palma and Paulo Bernardo will only help their cause in the long run, in terms of forcing their way into Rodgers’ plans.

READ MORE: Celtic's Daizen Maeda displayed 'vintage' Livingston showing

With the admittedly makeshift defensive partnership of Liam Scales and Gustaf Lagerbielke thrust into first-team action, now could have been the perfect time for Celtic to falter, especially in the league. However - thanks to Rodgers’ expert man-management - this has failed to transpire, with the team yet to concede a single Premiership goal when the duo have been paired together this season.

The point being made here is that Celtic WILL get better over the course of the season, purely because both their manager and supporters demand them to. If - and when - this transpires, you can bet the relationship between those two expectant parties to be a lot more positive in the weeks and months ahead.