GLASGOW — Celtic's emphatic 7-1 victory over Hearts on Sunday has answered many questions surrounding Martin O'Neill's side, yet left a significant one hanging over record signing Kasper Hogh. Benched for the visit of last season's Scottish Premiership runners-up, the champions produced a scintillating attacking display without their £11m Denmark forward, establishing a 5-1 half-time lead before completing the rout at home.
O'Neill had opted for a dynamic front three of Camilo Duran, Callum Osmand and Haissem Hassan, the same trio that finished Thursday's chastening 4-1 Europa League defeat at Benfica where Hogh was hooked at half-time. Osmand struck twice in the first half and Duran added his ninth goal of the campaign after the break as Celtic ran riot. Despite backing the 25-year-old to end the campaign with 20 goals, O'Neill acknowledged his marquee summer acquisition is low on confidence. "He has lost a bit of confidence, but we will get that back during the course of time," he said. "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 has scored in just one of his 12 Celtic appearances — a hat-trick at Kilmarnock in August — and his display in Lisbon intensified debate about his place. He did come off the bench on Sunday to set up Benjamin Nygren for Celtic's seventh goal, having also assisted the Sweden midfielder in the 2-0 win at Motherwell seven days earlier, and was seen embracing Osmand as he left the pitch at half-time, suggesting ego will not be an issue if he spends time out of the first-choice XI.
Pundits, however, believe the evidence now favours Duran through the middle. "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," former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan said. "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." BBC Scotland pundit Andy Halliday added: "There have been question marks over whether Celtic's best attack involves Hogh. For me, it doesn't. 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." Halliday pointed to Duran's role in the third and fourth goals, noting: "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."
Duran, who O'Neill said prefers to play centrally, has thrived with 14 goal contributions — nine goals and five assists — in 15 games, many from a wide role. Halliday concluded: "O'Neill still reckons Hogh will score 20 goals this season. It's hard to suggest he wouldn't, given his previous record at Bodo/Glimt, but at this moment in time, he isn't doing enough to be in Celtic's attack. O'Neill's searching for his best team and best front three, and the three you saw on Sunday are that." With a Europa League fixture against Celta Vigo to come on Thursday, O'Neill must decide whether his record signing can force his way back into what currently looks like Celtic's most potent forward line.