PROBLEM BHOY PAULO

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.

In the event that the first crusade derby went as planned, which, happily, it did, Brendan Rodgers could very well present the club’s record £11 million acquisition, Arne Engels, to the Parkhead faithful.

It would have been too good an opportunity to pass up and the ideal stage for the Belgian midfielder to make his debut if everything was falling into place.

The position that Bernardo, who filled in for Matt O’Riley against St. Mirren the week before as he approached Brighton for a £30 million move, was expected to open in the Hoops engine room.

In the 3-0 victory in Paisley, the Portuguese playmaker—bought for £3.5 million from Benfica in the summer after an outstanding season-long loan—fitted in nicely with captain Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate.

But since the Celtic fans were excited to see Engels for the first time, it’s possible that Rodgers, a manager who is adept at manipulating crowds, stage-managed the event.

Bernardo appeared to have realised that he wouldn’t have to spend an entire hour and a half in a war zone in the middle of the park.

All you have to do is go back to May 25 and the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden against the same opponents.

Clement’s strategy was to choke off O’Riley, McGregor, and Hatate’s intelligence. Actually, the Rolls-Royce Hoops trio’s lack of realism contributed to the spectacle’s success in areas where it failed to capture the public’s attention.

In the 79th minute, Bernardo was brought on to replace a labouring Hatate, and naturally, it was the loanee who received the ball in the centre circle, ducked under Nico Raskin’s reckless challenge, and sprinted into enemy territory.

He continued, then unleashed a dipping, serving 25-yarder that had Jack Butland perplexed. The ball was pawed by the keeper in vain, but it dropped perfectly for Adam Idah to ram home the winning goal.

The final minute of regulation time saw that strike, but ten more minutes of stoppage time were needed before referee Nick Walsh’s shrill whistle brought the match to a joyful end.

After winning their 42nd Scottish Cup in their illustrious history, Celtic sent their supporters home content to reflect on their league and Cup doubles and look forward to Rodgers’ second comeback campaign.

Although O’Riley is no longer there, Bernardo looked quite at ease playing against his Ibrox rivals on Sunday.

He worked in a selfless manner that indicated to me he was aware that he wouldn’t be on the pitch when the timer went off. Not for the faintest that the player had held back in the past, but I had never seen him close down and challenge as hard and frequently as he did in his sixty-two minutes.

When Bernardo first arrived at Parkhead, he was a considerate middle-of-the-park player with the ability to add sparkle to any game with his deft passing and football skills.

He looked like the whole package against the Govan club, who seemed too focused on the antics of his sidekicks Hatate and McGregor to notice his advantages. Clement made another error.

In the sixteenth minute, Bernardo perfectly pitched a pass into space for Alistair Johnston, who was sprinting into the opposition’s box.

The ball was whipped low across goal by the Canadian international right-back, who also had a spectacular derby performance. Daizen Maeda arrived in front of a hesitating James Tavernier to give the champions the lead.

Five minutes before halftime, Kyogo Furuhashi smashed a low 25-yard drive past Butland, sending the visitors to their knees.

As the points were all but certain, Rodgers pulled Bernardo to give Engels his debut, an early birthday present for the new Bhoy, who turns 21 on Sunday.

However, the Portuguese performer was still very much in the picture, as the hosts ensured victory in the 75th minute with a thunderous left-foot strike from McGregor.

View the pictures provided by Celtic TV. Bernardo sprints down the touchline to congratulate his captain after coming off the substitutes’ bench.

This spontaneous outburst of intense feeling and sincere happiness comes from the 22-year-old, who made the decision to commit to Celtic until 2029 after joining the team permanently in the summer from the Lisbon giants.

Now Rodgers has a real issue, the kind of headache that any manager would love to have.

Engels was the club’s most expensive acquisition, so there may have been speculation that he would be a lock to take O’Riley’s post.

However, Bernardo showed over the weekend that he has no intention of merely stepping down.

When the Premiership returns to Parkhead on Saturday, September 14, who will start against Hearts?

The manager should handle that one.