It must have been a first day unlike any other in the professional life of Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish. As he settled warily into his new role as effective caretaker of Celtic Football Club yesterday morning, Dalglish must have reflected that while the colours, the size and the postcode of his employers remain the same, this is a very different Celtic to the one he travelled to on the number 64 bus from Argyle Street back in May 1967. That had been his first day at Celtic. "It was a marvellous place to be," he has said with unusual tenderness.

Then he was coming as a gifted 16-year-old apprentice, yesterday he arrived as a reluctant 48-year-old master. Then he was learning under Celtic's fourth manager in just under a century, Jock Stein. On Thursday, Dalglish became Celtic's fourth manager in two and a half years. In May 1967 Celtic were about to become the first European champions from Britain by beating Inter Milan in Lisbon. Today Celtic visit Dens Park, Dundee, unsure of even winning corners.

Little stays the same over 33 years, of course, not even in Paradise. 1967 is half a lifetime away and feels longer. Indeed it is 23 years since Dalglish left Glasgow for Liverpool, meaning more than two-thirds of his adult experiences have come in England. In that time Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United have consumed the passionate Dalglish persona. Mainly Liverpool.

But some things do remain constant, turmoil at Parkhead being one of them, another is Danny McGrain. On that May day in 1967, McGrain was sitting beside Dalglish on the number 64, the two of them teenage Rangers fanatics joining the enemy. Yesterday McGrain, as one of the club's youth coaches, and part of its furniture, was close to Dalglish again. Dalglish was best man at McGrain's wedding; the two are Celtic legends; there is a large pool of goodwill for Dalglish within the green painted railings of Celtic Park.

Beyond the ironwork, however, it is debatable whether that support is mirrored among the vast hordes to whom being a Celt is a definitive characteristic of their lives. With 52,000 season ticket holders, the fans literally own the club and the withdrawal of their patience for John Barnes was fundamental in his downfall. Dalglish, one imagines, will not be given long despite his status as a player-hero, particularly if he continues to give the impression that managing Celtic represents the opposite of his lifetime ambition.

On Thursday the conditions may not have been conducive to celebration - after all, Dalglish had appointed Barnes, while Terry McDermott and Eric Black are cherished pals - but, 24 hours on, what a difference a day hadn't made. Then again, the circumstances were still not to Dalglish's liking. At 10 minutes past midday, having said his farewells to his players, Barnes strolled through the car park, his hand being sought out for shaking by a series of stewards and officials. He then got in his car, turned left onto London Road and drove off. Soon Barnes will be a Celtic memory as distant as Liam Brady.

For Dalglish, though, thoughts of Barnes were fresh when he entered Celtic's media room to be confronted by a small battalion of reporters. On such occasions, he can be relied upon to adopt a siege mentality. Admittedly the expression was slightly happier than on Thursday, but Kenny was still not taking questions. Instead, with Tom Boyd beside him, Dalglish launched into a monologue, his tone not even rising when contradicting the numerous stories concerning his alleged bunking off to play golf.

"It's not because we're trying to be evasive," was how he started the explanation for his refusal to become engaged in answers and questions. "We'll try and cover all the areas we think you want to talk about. It's not a normal Friday as you know. I will speak to you all after tomorrow's game."

Boyd was then invited to say a few words and Celtic's followers will be delighted to hear that the first thing he said was: "I'd like to apologise to the fans. All the players downstairs are gutted and we would like to do something about it, beginning at Dundee." Marc Reiper, Celtic's injured centre-half invited to assist in training yesterday by Dalglish, went further than Boyd when defining the stakes in Dundee: "Some players will be playing to save their careers here, I think that's fair to say."

Boyd, who had mentioned that Barnes's exit was due to more than just the last two results, then moved on to what "those things" were, i.e. the dressing-room disputes at half-time in the Inverness Caledonian Thistle match. "Arguments go on," Boyd said. "Yes, there are problems, but arguments go on in every dressingroom up and down the country. But we have to get that sorted."

It is Dalglish's most pressing work and to his credit he did not try to disguise the fact. "Obviously Tom's mentioned the dressing-room. On Tuesday there were a couple of incidents in there. There was an incident between Mark Viduka and Eric Black. "As regards Mark Viduka, it was no surprise he didn't go out to play in the second half. I've spoken to the big fella (Viduka) and if I'd seen him in the same frame of mind then I wouldn't have sent him out for the first half either. It was in the best interests of the club. That issue has been addressed."

However, Dalglish immediately added: "If someone doesn't want to play for this club, that's different." It would appear Viduka was the subject of that comment. Dalglish then ran on to the next sore. "As for Eyal Berkovic and Jonathan Gould, both lads have made up. I've spoken to Jonathan this morning." He did not say that he had spoken to the difficult Berkovic. Dalglish did say that he, too, had witnessed many a torn changing-room, but he believes that disagreements "must stay inhouse. We've got a bit of a problem there." Disclosure of the facts is as damaging as the facts themselves, that was the message.

"The chances of being successful improve if it's a sanctuary. Everything in there should be confidential."

Trying to keep secrets in Glaswegian football is a futile activity and even as Dalglish talked, the local evening newspaper was printing a story that Tommy Burns will be unveiled as the next Celtic manager - for the second time - "within 48 hours". Yet the current Celtic manager was forceful when he said: "I can assure you not one person has been spoken to. Regarding helping myself over the forthcoming months, weeks, days, however long it takes, we will cover as adequately as we can the void that has been left."

It was downbeat stuff. "The air of gloom about the place" was also referred to, but Dalglish ended his first morning as Celtic's manager with a minor rallying cry. "All we can do now is look forward to the match. This is a football club after all."

After the recriminatory week Celtic have just endured, some needed reminding of that. The football club, though, is currently unrecognisable in spirit from the one Dalglish knew on his first day.