I AM NOT privy to what goes on in the Celtic pre-match dressing room, but I would not be one bit surprised if Paulo Bernardo had been tipped the wink his game against Philippe Clement’s side on Sunday would be over around the hour mark.
If all was going according to plan in the first derby of the crusade – and, thankfully, it was – then there was every chance Brendan Rodgers would introduce the club’s record £11million signing Arne Engels to the Parkhead support.
If the jigsaw was clicking into place, it would have been too good an opportunity to miss and the perfect platform for the Belgian midfielder to take his bow.
The anticipated opening in the Hoops engine room would be the one occupied by Bernardo who stepped in against St Mirren the previous week as Matt O’Riley edged closer to his £30million departure for Brighton.
CAPITAL SHOW…Paulo Bernardo during Celtic’s 2-0 league win over Hibs at Easter Road last month.
The Portuguese playmaker, bought for £3.5million from Benfica in the summer following his impressive season-long loan, settled in well alongside skipper Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate in the 3-0 win in Paisley.
However, with the Celtic support eager to get their first glimpse of Engels, Rodgers, a manager who certainly knows how to work the crowd, may well have practically stage-managed the event.
Bernardo certainly worked as though he realised he would not be tasked with lasting a full hour and a half in the middle-of-the-park war zone.
You only have to cast your memory back to May 25 and the Scottish Cup Final against the same opponents at Hampden.
Clement’s tactics were to suffocate the guile of O’Riley, McGregor and Hatate. In truth, it worked in part because the Rolls-Royce Hoops trio were not convincing in a spectacle that failed to ignite for great parts.
Bernardo was introduced for a toiling Hatate in the 79th minute and, of course, it was the loanee who picked up the ball in the centre circle, sidestepped a rash challenge from Nico Raskin and powered his way into enemy territory.
He carried on before unleashing the dipping, serving 25-yarder that confused Jack Butland. The keeper vainly pawed the ball away from its intended destination, but it dropped perfectly for Adam Idah to ram in the winner.
ON THE RUN…Paulo Bernardo races clear of Nico Raskin on his way to setting up the Scottish Cup Final winner for Adam Idah at Hampden on May 25.
That strike arrived in the last minute of regulation time, but 10 minutes of stoppage-time were added before the shrill from referee Nick Walsh’s whistle brought the encounter to a joyous conclusion.
Celtic had collected their 42nd Scottish Cup in their glorious history and sent their fans home happy to bask in a summer of reflection of a league and Cup double and in the anticipation of Rodgers’ second comeback campaign.
O’Riley has gone, but Bernardo looked more than comfortable against the Ibrox foes on Sunday.
He put in the sort of unselfish shift that told me he knew he wouldn’t be on the pitch when time-up arrived. I am not inferring for a heartbeat that the player had held back in the past, but I had never previously witnessed him vigorously close down and challenge with such intensity as often as he did in his 62 minutes.
Bernardo was brought to Parkhead originally as a thoughtful middle-of-the-park operator who could sprinkle stardust on proceedings with his mastery of a football and his eye for precision passing.
He looked the complete competitor against the Govan club who appeared too pre-occupied with what his sidekicks McGregor and Hatate were getting up to that they overlooked his attributes. Another mistake from Clement.
Bernardo’s pitched pass into space for Alistair Johnston running into the opponents’ box in the 16th minute was absolute perfection.
The Canadian international right-back, who also put in an eye-catching performance in the derby, whipped the ball low across goal and Daizen Maeda arrived in front of a dithering James Tavernier to thump the champions into the lead.
The visitors were already on their knees by the time Kyogo Furuhashi sizzled a low 25-yarder drive past Butland five minutes before the break.
With the points virtually in the bag, Rodgers took off Bernardo to hand a debut to Engels, an early birthday present for the new Bhoy who celebrates his 21st on Sunday.
But the Portuguese performer was not out of the picture – quite literally – as the hosts made absolutely certain with McGregor’s thunderous left-foot strike in the 75th minute.
YIPPEE…Paulo Bernardo takes to the air as he salutes Callum McGregor’s derby goal at Parkhead.
OFF AND RUNNING…Bernardo hurtles down the touchline to be first to congratulate his skipper.
THAT’S MY BHOY…Bernardo lifts McGregor as the Celtic fans celebrate the team’s third goal.
THREE CHEERS…Callum McGregor, Brendan Rodgers and Paulo Bernardo enjoy the moment.
Take a look at the images, courtesy of Celtic TV. Bernardo is off the substitutes’ bench and racing down the touchline to congratulate his skipper.
It is an impromptu display of overwhelming emotion and genuine delight from the 22-year-old who committed himself to Celtic until 2029 when he arrived on a permanent basis from the Lisbon giants in the summer.
Rodgers now has a genuine problem – the kind of headache every manager welcomes.
It may have been believed Engels, as the club’s most expensive purchase, would be a shoo-in to the position vacated by O’Riley.
But Bernardo more than capably demonstrated at the weekend that he has no intention of simply stepping aside.
Who will start against Hearts when the Premiership resumes at Parkhead on Saturday September 14?
That’s one for the manager to sort out.
ALEX GORDON
