Brendan Rodgers is Celtic master of disguise but transfer experiments should come with a laboratory - Hugh Keevins

The Celtic fans are united in their disapproval of the team’s new strip.

It’s a wardrobe malfunction of the highest order in their estimation. The real problem arises, though, when the supporters disapprove of who’s actually wearing the jerseys on the park. Brendan Rodgers’ directive to the fans on Friday was that they “Support the jersey rather than the player who’s in it.” But that’s surely too broad an instruction to be followed to the letter.

Who stands by and supports inadequacy when you know your club has the money to afford better? It wouldn’t be difficult to form the impression Rangers are making a heavily bankrolled tilt at wrenching the league championship trophy from Celtic’s grasp. Celtic’s response needs to be similarly driven. The admission Marco Tillio was signed when the club knew he had an injury that would keep him out for three months seemed odd to me.

And why is Kyogo still involved in matches like yesterday’s friendly in Osaka when Rodgers says the player needs an operation on his shoulder? Is that not running the risk of worsening the injury? Getting the deal done for Polish defender Maik Nawrocki would be a start, but it would be dangerous to assume the return of the manager and a treble-winning squad automatically adds up to the retention of the main prize.

Rodgers’ observations on spending money at Celtic were revealing. He actually said the notion of a transfer “War chest” made him laugh. “The club has a model and I’ll work within that,” he said. Mission statements like that are ultimately influenced by results.

And a warning about the need for reinforcements is a warning, regardless of the context in which it is delivered. Losing your first high-profile pre-season friendly on the Asian