He's the voice of gravitas. He's the voice of dignity. He's the voice of respect. Yes, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is coming up trumps when his club and supporters need him most.

It's fair to say that there has been a stand-off between Rodgers and the media this season although he has never lost control once. Not even when he complained about VAR official John Beaton in the aftermath of a 2-0 defeat to Hearts in early March at Tynecastle which landed him in hot water and copping a two-match ban from the SFA beaks. Rodgers was forthright in his criticism of the officiating in Edinburgh on that occasion branding them 'incompetent' but it was not an angry blast or a rant. The Northern Irishman retained his composure and calm all the way through as he explained why he felt the standards of refereeing fell way below the levels that he expected.

The 51-year-old knows exactly what he is saying just as he did in the lead-up to the St Mirren game at the weekend when he was asked to sum up some of the more unsavoury incidents that occurred during the 3-3 draw at Ibrox against Rangers the previous week. The question was slanted to elicit a specific response regarding a bottle being launched at Matt O'Riley and coins being thrown at Celtic assistant John Kennedy in the technical area. A diplomatic and gracious Rodgers said: "The integrity of the team on the field and the staff off it, was exemplary. That's what we want. It's not ideal - these situations - in the games - but our integrity on and off the pitch was superb."

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It was calculated. It was deliberate. All the talk in the aftermath of Ibrox was of 'moral victories' and such like for the other half of the Glasgow divide. Outwardly Rodgers and his players paid no attention to it. Inwardly it acts as fuel to spur his team on to glory come May. Rodgers sees through it for what it is... always. He's well aware of the 'narrative'. He continues to punch holes in it. He does it in the most subtle and dignified ways possible as he sticks up for himself and his team - left, right and centre.

Many of the Celtic support may not have been on his side when the campaign started they sure will be now. The fans are now fully invested in Celtic penning their own narrative and writing their own story just as Rodgers had said they would do all along. Rodgers has class. He has standards. High standards which he will not allow himself or his men to fall below. The bar is set incredibly high at Lennoxtown and Celtic Park and that emanates from the man at the top running the football operations side of the business - the boss man.

Yours truly has argued that Rodgers is an elite-level manager. It is a hill I am willing to die on. We will find out just how elite he is in the coming weeks. It's not just about results on the park for Rodgers. It's about how you represent the institution and entity that is Celtic Football Club. How you represent the community and the cause and the badge. They are all linked and interwoven. Rodgers is not in football for praise. He doesn't need it. He is in it for the honour and the glory of winning and being successful as well as creating history, especially at a club like Celtic.

He excused calmness and cool, especially when he is under pressure like he has been many times this season. The very qualities that he possesses as a person and as a manager are cascading down to the players and the stands. They are, in effect, what will drive Celtic to the league flag and consequently three in a row. The best weapon that Celtic have in their arsenal is their manager as they head down the five-game stretch of the title run-in. 

A tight title race also brings pressure but Rodgers has shown that he is adept at dealing with it all. Rodgers was at it again after Celtic's 3-0 defeat of St Mirren at Parkhead on Saturday when he spoke about the victory and next weekend's trip to Hampden Park to face Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final. He made a point of saying the same line to both the club TV channel and the BBC. The line was: "I think this is where Celtic comes alive..."

Rodgers told the BBC: "We showed immense courage at Ibrox last week and did that again today. I think this is where Celtic comes alive as a club.

"We have five leagues game to go and obviously a trip to Hampden next weekend. This is the part of the season we are excited about. There is still a long, long way to go. We will have to see what the fixtures bring. But I am pleased that we have found this level at this time of the season."

He also said this to Celtic TV: "I have to be honest, I have missed it. The only time I have been there this year is for international matches. Normally at this stage, I would have been there but I am really looking forward to it. We will have a really good week's training but this is when Celtic comes alive."

The St Mirren post-match interview served its function and purpose and then some. It was what Rodgers inferred but didn't say that was the most important thing here. His word choice was deliberate. Celtic have come alive at a critical juncture in the campaign. How alive are the others?

Celtic Way:

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It was meant to swing the pendulum of pressure back onto Rangers as they headed to Dingwall., That's twice in two weeks Rodgers has thrown the proverbial gauntlet down to his city rivals and challengers for the title. He also told everybody who was listening in the Ibrox press room that Celtic were much the better football team in that match. He wasn't wrong either. He also warned Rangers: "This is the business end of the season and we are ready to turn up."

Celtic turned up against St Mirren and without saying the exact words Rodgers rather brilliantly and subtly reminded his rivals that they had to go to the Highlands and win. Celtic did their job and had points on the board in case those in Light Blue had forgotten.

As it turns out Rodgers with his killer lines could not have done a better job at spooking Philippe Clement's side than if he had turned up at Auchenhowie with a white blanket over his head complete with the eyes cut out and started making terrifying ghost noises. Pressure 'n' all that? This is when elite-level managers come into a class of their own. Rangers duly lost 3-2 to Ross County in Dingwall to slip four points behind the champions in the Scottish Premiership title race. Advantage Celtic. It certainly left Clement and his men with this No.1 chant ringing in their ears..."I don't need this pressure on..."

Rangers now travel to Dens Park in midweek to play Dundee in a fixture which all of a sudden has now become a must-win for them. Rodgers and his Celtic players can sit back, relax and watch the dramatic events unfold on Tayside safe in the knowledge that whatever narrative or story plays out the champions will still be perched at the top of the table.

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Here's something else yours truly has banged on about for long and weary. The Scottish Premiership title race is going to be decided on good old fashioned 'Aristotle', for the finest purveyors of rhyming slang that's 'bottle' to you and me. Bottle. Who has it? Who doesn't? For the time being in the race for the league flag it's Rangers and Clement who are playing 'Ketchup'.

As for Rodgers, well the man himself said on the steps of Celtic Park at his unveiling back in June: " So for those who are with me and always have been, let's enjoy the journey. For those whom I need to convince, I will see you here in May." His choice of words back then was also deliberate and meant to heap pressure on his rivals. Rodgers the serial winner was back. Whilst it was done for dramatic effect and to signal his second coming it was also the day that Rodgers and Celtic came alive... again!

Rodgers and Celtic have just had a funny way of showing it this season... up until now.