Celtic have an abundance of talent in their squad at this moment in time after adding eight players in the summer window.
Yes, many of them are still to make their mark at the club but what we are starting to see is that six months into their a Celtic careers, there are some players starting to find their feet.
Players like Paulo Bernardo and Mark Nawrocki. Bernardo is showing the talent that put him on Celtic’s radar in the summer and Nawrocki looks like he could be a defender that convinced Brendan Rodgers to shell out £4.3m for him.
So it looks like the summer window may not be as much as a failure as some in the media would have us believe. Especially Hugh Keevins.
Celtic’s most outspoken critic had seemingly written off two of Rodgers’ summer signings before they even had the chance to show what they can do. And now that they have, a Celtic fan called Clyde Superscoreboard to take Keevins to task for his premature criticism of the Hoops duo.
Hugh Keevins held to account for Celtic player criticism
Celtic Fan: “I pride myself in being able to spot a player. I just think van Dijk, O’Riley and I put Bernardo up there as someone who could be a Rolls Royce of a player given game time.
“I know Hugh doesn’t think like that because he writes players off after about four and a half minutes.
“But I just think that Bernardo, if it comes to it and Matt O’Riley moves on, then the guys a Rolls Royce’s of a player.”
Keevins: “With regard to Paulo Bernardo, prior to the game against Dundee on Boxing Day when he scores and he followed it up with a goal against Rangers and then he was outstanding against St Mirren on January 4th.
“Prior to Boxing Day, do you think the Celtic fans would have described Paulo Bernardo as a Rolls Royce of a player?”
Celtic Fan: “Possibly not but I just think you are too quick to criticise. You’ve got the boy Nawrocki written off and it turns out he is niggled with injuries.
“You clearly don’t have any direct line on what’s happening within Celtic Park in the sense that you just write people off at will.”
Keevins: “Nawrocki came in the close season and we’re nearly in February.”
Celtic Fan: “That happens.”
Keevins: “Not when they cost as many millions as he did. He was the most expensive player in the summer!”
Celtic Fan: “Yeah, buy you’ve got him written off!”
Keevins: “I’m just wondering why he doesn’t play!”
Celtic Fan: “Well I think you’ll see that he will play in the second half of the season but you’ve already written the young lad off.”
Keevins: “But you’ve already said that Bernardo is a Rolls Royce of a player and the majority of the fans wouldn’t have held that view prior to Boxing Day.
So between Boxing Day and January 19, you’ve got Paulo Bernardo down as a Rolls Royce of a player! That’s kind of quick off the mark is it not?”
Celtic Fan: “I just think that now he’s been given game-time, I mean it’s no coincidence that’s he’s played every Champions League game. He’s obviously going to keep the ball, he’s technically gifted, he comes from Benfica, not that that’s any guarantee.
“I just think in his instance, you were quick to write him off.”
The thing about both players is that when they are called upon, they do a good job for Celtic.
Rated an average 7.1 by SofaScore, Bernardo had been solid in the middle of the park as well as recently contributing goals.
As for Nawrocki, rated an impressive 7.15 by SofaScore, the Pole has impressed even though his game time has been limited.
The thing about Keevins is that he never learns. How many times must he be proven wrong with his predictions about Celtic, our players or even our results?
I, for one, can’t wait till Bernardo and Nawrocki prove him wrong and stick two fingers up to his prediction about their careers at Celtic so far.
