Celtic won the Double last season by securing the Scottish Premiership title and the Premier Sports Cup – but it could have been a Treble.
On the one day the Hoops had to turn up, they failed to do so last weekend in the Scottish Cup final defeat to Aberdeen on penalties.
The Dons won 4-3 on spot-kicks as captain Callum McGregor and right-back Alistair Johnston were handed flak for missing their efforts.
Kasper Schmeichel was probably hounded the most for an unbelievable error for Aberdeen’s equalising goal in normal time at Hampden.
But Daily Record columnist Hugh Keevins has picked out two different Celtic players from the final loss who, according to him, are teetering on the edge at Parkhead.
Keevins criticises Celtic’s Nicolas Kuhn and Paulo Bernardo
The players in question are Nicolas Kuhn and Paulo Bernardo, with both starting the cup showdown against Jimmy Thelin’s ultimately victorious Dons.
Kuhn was substituted off first by Brendan Rodgers, which tells you how little an impact the German winger made on the day.
While midfielder Bernardo was handed the chance to impress in the absence of Reo Hatate. But the Portuguese man failed to convince.
And Keevins has criticised both players by saying they need to up their game to survive at the Hoops, or look for a transfer out where there is less pressure to deal with.
He wrote: “There was more than a party stage dismantled at Celtic Park after the defeat.
“The illusion of Celtic having adequate strength in depth to begin next season with a Champions League qualifier that will carry a £30m sidestake was also razed to the ground at the same time.
“I’ve said Adam Idah was testing the manager’s ability to always improve the players he had under his charge. And more fall into that category.
“Nicolas Kuhn and Paulo Bernardo have to do more to avoid being categorised as a one-trick pony and a player who flatters to deceive.
“There are players who need to up their game or go to a less pressurised environment.”
What now for Kuhn and Bernardo at Celtic?
Well, Kuhn’s future remains unclear because he has been linked with the likes of Leeds United and Newcastle United in recent months.
However, those rumours have died down a little and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him stay on at Celtic due to his spectacular drop-off in form.
At Christmas last year, Kuhn was easily the best player in Scotland and at that point had 22 goal involvements for the season.
But his output decreased considerably and it provided more opportunities for Yang and James Forrest to make better impacts off the bench.
For Bernardo, he is another who is contracted at Parkhead for another few years. He doesn’t start too many games and it begs the question: is he content with that?
He may be presented with a bigger role next season depending on where Udinese-linked Reo Hatate ends up after the summer window.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
