It’s time for Paulo Bernardo to take over Matt O’Riley’s job.

It’s time for Paulo to prove himself as Matt O’Riley’s replacement in the Celtic starting lineup at Paisley tomorrow.

Matt O’Riley will soon be a Brighton player, and as the adage goes, ‘life must go on’, which it does, as we have an important game against St Mirren at Paisley tomorrow afternoon.

Given Matt’s absence from the starting lineup, Paulo Bernardo is a strong candidate to replace him.

Paulo, of course, secured a permanent contract with the club following a successful loan stay last season, so he is far from unknown. The former Benfica player and Portuguese under-21 captain is a great player with the ability to improve even more. He may not be at Matt’s level, but he can get there, especially under the supervision of a competent manager like Brendan Rodgers.

Read this…Celtic Board must support Brendan or risk wrath.

Last season, Paulo showed flashes of his potential, but his performances were uneven.

That was reasonable given that he was new to the club and our football, and playing alongside Reo, Callum, and Matt meant he was somewhat overshadowed.

This season, there are no excuses, and Paulo will have to hit the ground running, beginning tomorrow in Paisley. Paulo is a good player, and I’m confident he can accomplish it.

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