Paulo Bernardo

Think there are similarities with Engels, both show flashes that make you think they could really shine, but then there’s long periods of * all.

 

Should have had more games as Engles was * for large parts of the season, Rodger's decided engles could play himself back into form it never happened, in saying that Bernie never set the heather alight when he did come on

 

Like Engels it’s a make or break season.

 

Been a major disappointment for me. Latter part of the season when the team was struggling for consistency and needed some impact he was constantly anonymous when he featured.

Have a feeling if he wasnt from a fashionable footballing country like Portugal hed have copped more flack.

 

Main part there is no injuries, he played well start of last season but got a couple injuries and didn’t really get any starts.

He’s got the ability but 100% needs the game time now, which I think would only happen if Hatate was away.

 

Offers very little creativity going forward, which is a problem domestically against packed defences. I’d select Hatate over him ten times out of ten. And there’s a genuine debate over whether he’s even a better option than McCowan off the bench in most situations (Rodgers often didn’t think so)

He has a decent physical profile and is reasonably well rounded in most areas apart from creativity, so hopefully he can warrant a run of games and impress, but I’m not hugely confident. I think he’d be better suited to a more defensive team with less of the ball, which is likely why he seems more favoured when playing in Europe.

 

I actually think if we went to playing more a 4-2-3-1 then we would perhaps get more out of him as one of the deeper 2 with McGregor. Play either Hatate/Nygren pushed on but he would likely be competing with Engels for that role.

 

Think we'd get more out of Engles playing 4231 also

And arguably it would benefit McGregor having someone beside him from a defensive point of view

 

I agree.

I think Engels would flourish in a double pivot, his best YT clips I think showed that with FC Augsburg. But I think to get the best out of Engels, you would need a more powerful, mobile and robust CDM beside him than McGregor. We tried it once last season I think, and it did not work out. Failing that, I'm not sure where Engels would really fit into this team.That said, when he first started his Celtic career he came flying out the traps and looked really impressive for the first few months in the more advanced role, then he just seemed to get the stuffing knocked out of his confidence and slowly regressed.

He is a bit of conundrum for any manager tbh.

 

Got a bad injury took him out for two and bit months set him back


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4-2-3-1 has been spoken about since KT re-signed.. it would definitely suit us I feel, as the balance of our midfield didn't work at times last season..

Seems glaring, it would suit McGregor, Bernardo and Engels.. Hatate, Nygren and McCowan could all play as the 10..

However, there's been no sign of that so far this pre-season, so maybe it isn't on Rodgers' agenda.

 

If I'm him I'm looking to move on, far too good a player to be on the bench every week and especially too good to not be getting any minutes off it at all whatsoever at home to St Mirren

Been here two seasons now and still nowhere close to being a regular starter, in fact, he's basically 6th choice midfielder from what happened today with the subs, was hoping he'd be smartly rotated in the 6 role for an aging Cal at around the 60th minute of each match but it appears Brendan is intent on running Cal into the ground for yet another season instead

His years of footballing development in relation to first team action are being wasted here and he's still a young player at only 23, if this continues he'll be 25 with a handful of limited first team minutes over the previous four seasons to his name, he's far too good a player to let that happen to himself

 

You've kind of answered why he never got on.
Hes a number 6, so outwith Raslton hes probably the last guy you are going to bring on when needing a goal.

Had we been 2 or 3 up then aye hed probably get on for McGregor to give him a rest if the game is put to bed early.

Don't necessarily agree that hes 6th choice, at the moment Id say McGregor and Hatate are automatic picks and theres not much between the other 4. Dont think any of Bernardo, Engles or Mccowan have shown enough consistent good form to be ahead of any of the other. Nygren has looked good preseason but wasn't overly impressed today but think he'll come good.

If Bernardo wants more game time id rather he went about it by turning in better performances on a more regular basis rather than asking for a move.

 

Hes never done much to convince he should be a starter for me. Very early on when arrived he showed promise but hasnt really kicked on or taken his opportunities when presented.

Honestly think the fact hes Portuguese has meant hes got away with a lot of average displays and made people think hes a better player than he actually is. If he was called Paul Bernard and was Scottish I think he would have been written off now as a David Turnbull standard player.

He probably will move on if he doesnt break into the team more regularly. But think that shows the challenge of trying to build a squad with genuine depth in Scotland when players of the calibre of Bernardo and Taylor arent content to be squad players.

 

He doesn't get enough game time in the first place to have the opportunity to "turn in better performances on a more regular basis" which is the whole issue

Last season he had an absolute stormer against the huns at home in the 3-0 victory and then gets inexplicably dropped next game just because he didn't cost £11M which must have been extremely demoralizing for him

Being 2 or 3 up by the 60th minute should make no difference as to whether or not Bernardo comes on for McGregor is my point, irrespective on whether we're winning 5-0, losing 5-0 or drawing 0-0 by the 60 minute mark, he should be getting subbed on automatically for Cal regardless, at 32 Cal shouldn't be playing 90+ mins every week anymore, he shouldn't be starting 2-3 times a week, Bernardo should be sharing the load in that position to protect Cals legs, which I'm sure is a role Bernardo would have been satisfied with for this season, but 0 mins at home to St Mirren, goes without saying that he should be getting far more than that, it's a bit of a * take tbh

 

Truth is he was really disappointing when he did get a chance last season, I expected much more..

 

I agree he has a fantastic game v the Huns last year but he was also completely anonymous in the cup final v Aberdeen. Theres that consistency issue. He was also injured for a large part of last season which and has barely been involved pre season bcoz he joined up late after the u21 euros so likely slightly behind others fitness wise.

Yes McGregor is getting on and needs rotated and I think we will see it more this season and at the moment I think Bernardo will be that guy so wouldn't he getting overly worked up after 1 game of the season.

However when drawing 0 - 0 at home in 1st game of the season when we are looking to get a goal I still don't think bringing on a number 6 or taking of the driving force of the team are likely options.

 

Big year coming up for him, if he gets decent playing time, which may be hard with the log jam of midfielders we have, but agreed he needs to buck his ideas up, but how many other Celtic players have we said that about since last season ? Engels, Trusty, Scales, Yang, Idah, etc.

It indicates to me, we still lack real quality right across our squad.

 

Wasnt a game for him today, McGowan was the man to get a goal or create something. He actually thrives more imo against better sides as it works better for his profile.