Celtic’s 7‑1 thrashing of Hearts raises doubts over Kasper Hogh’s role
Celtic’s dominant victory over Hearts on Sunday cleared many of the uncertainties surrounding Martin O’Neill’s side, but it left one key question still open: what does the win mean for record signing Kasper Hogh?
Hogh, who started the previous league match against last season’s runners‑up, was left out of the starting eleven as a dynamic trio of Camilo Duran, Callum Osmand and Haissem Hassan spearheaded Celtic’s attacking display. After a painful Europa League loss to Benfica, in which Hogh was substituted at half‑time, O’Neill reiterated his belief that the 25‑year‑old can still finish the season with 20 goals.
The Danish forward has found the net only once in his 12 appearances for Celtic – a hat‑trick against Kilmarnock in August – and O’Neill admitted that his marquee summer acquisition is lacking confidence ahead of Thursday’s Europa League tie with Celta Vigo.
“He has lost a bit of confidence, but we will get that back during the course of time,” the veteran manager said before the Hearts game. “We have game after game after game between now and January, but he will score goals for us, there is no question about it, and it is just a matter of tinkering around, but that’s the nature of the business.”
Hogh did come off the bench on Sunday to provide the assist for Benjamin Nygren’s seventh goal, adding to his assist in the 2‑0 win at Motherwell a week earlier. Yet his performance in the 4‑1 defeat in Lisbon, sandwiched between those two league wins, intensified the debate about his place in the team.
Former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan was blunt: “If I’m a creative player and I’ve got Duran and Hogh to pick from, I’m taking Duran every day of the week. He looks to get off the side of defenders. If you put a ball into the area, he’s more likely to be alive to it.”
In Lisbon, Hogh was taken off at the break and Duran, who has emerged as Celtic’s most impressive summer signing, was shifted into the centre of the attack. With Hassan and Osmand on either side, O’Neill’s front line looked far more potent in the second half. The same trio started on Sunday, and Hearts could not cope. Osmand’s double helped the champions build a 5‑1 lead at half‑time, while Duran’s ninth league goal was one of two scored after the interval.
Celtic’s upcoming Europa League clash with Celta Vigo is scheduled for Thursday, 22 October, 20:00 BST at Celtic Park.
It is hard to imagine an £11 million signing not being a guaranteed starter for a Scottish club, yet Celtic fans were encouraged to see Hogh embrace Osmand as he left the pitch at half‑time on Sunday. There is no sign that ego will be an issue if the Dane spends time out of the first‑choice XI.
Sunday’s emphatic 7‑1 win has, for now, tipped the balance in favour of a forward line that does not feature Hogh. BBC Scotland pundit Andy Halliday said on The Monday Night Club: “There have been question marks over whether Celtic’s best attack involves Hogh. For me, it doesn’t.” He added: “There’s no doubt there’s a goalscorer in there with Hogh. You don’t score in the Champions League against Manchester City, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid if you’re not. He’s just a goalscorer who isn’t scoring goals.”
Duran, by contrast, is thriving in a Celtic shirt, tallying nine goals and five assists in 15 games, many of which have come from a wide position. O’Neill has noted that the Colombian prefers to play centrally, and Halliday believes Duran can offer Celtic even more in that role.
“You look at Duran as a number nine on Sunday, the part he plays in the third goal, the fourth goal,” Halliday said. “When Jamie McCart takes a loose touch, Hogh wouldn’t be close enough or quick enough to get on to that loose ball and spring Celtic into attack. Duran isn’t just a goalscorer, he’s so much more than that – and you saw that on Sunday.”
O’Neill still expects Hogh to reach the 20‑goal mark this season. Given his record at Bodø/Glimt, the target is not unrealistic, but at this stage he has not done enough to cement a place in Celtic’s attack. The manager continues to search for the optimal front three, and the trio that delivered the seven‑goal haul on Sunday appears to be his current best option.