ONLY A MONTH AGO, it would have been beyond preposterous to suggest leaving Kasper Hogh out of the starting line-up at Ibrox today.
And yet, dear reader, here we are discussing such a possibility as the minutes tick down towards the midday kick-off in the crucial Premier Sports League Cup quarter-final against our city neighbours.
Hogh, the champions’ record signing at £11million-plus from Bodo/Glimt in the summer, thumped in an impressive hat-trick in a relentless one-man first-half assault on the Kilmarnock goal that saw the home side’s resistance crumble.
Martin O’Neill beamed from the touchline as the Dane powerhouse ran amok in his side’s 5-1 triumph at a ground where the Hoops had to rely on stoppage-time strikes from Kelechi Iheanacho, with a penalty-kick, and Julian Araujo to take maximum league points the previous season.
HEAVEN’S ABOVE…Kasper Hogh looks skywards after completing his first-half hat-trick in Celtic’s 5-1 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on August 9.
There was no such drama on August 9 as Neil McCann’s team capitulated under the sheer strength, raw energy and killer instinct of someone clearly blessed with the ability to put the ball in the opposition’s net.
No-one bothered to even mention Hogh had failed to add to his 45-minute goal haul after the turnaround as the Hoops purred along in cruise control.
However, it is a bit more concerning today to comprehend why the Celtic fans have been denied the opportunity to celebrate another net-bulger from the formidable attack-leader.
Blanks were fired in the catastrophic Champions League downfall against LASK, home and away, plus the 4-0 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice in the tie to set up this afternoon’s intriguing confrontation in Govan.
A groin injury kept Hogh on the sidelines for the consecutive league outings against Falkirk (2-1), Aberdeen (3-0) and St Mirren (2-1) where Camilo Duran, accepting the duties of the main man up front, netted three goals and set up Yang Hyun-jun for the winner in Paisley.
The Dane returned against St Johnstone in Perth in midweek with the Colombian being afforded a rest before being thrown into the action in the 74th minute as the visitors attempted to add to Mika Baur’s first strike for the club.
Hogh had two reasonable opportunities to ease the tension, but, alas, passed up both. One shot, after racing through on the old inside-left position into the penalty area, went into the sidenet when it appeared to most observers a drive across the keeper may have been more profitable.
The other effort was on target, but the frontman was foiled when keeper Toby Steward desperately thrust out a left foot and diverted the ball away from his net. It was more good fortune than textbook goalkeeping, but proved to be effective.
OVER THE TOP…Kasper Hogh fires off target in Celtic’s 4-0 Premier Sports League Cup triumph over Dundee United at Tannadice on August 15.
If you were being harsh, you could insist both shots should have nestled in the rigging. However, if you seek perfection in football, never mind in life, you can be certain of one undeniable outcome: you will fail.
To whom do you think a clearly frustrated O’Neill was referring when he spoke to the media after some anxious moments at McDiarmid Park?
Indulging in a little hyperbole, the Irishman admitted: “I said to the boys in the dressing-room afterwards: ‘I’m 74 and I think I could have scored a goal there’.
“Perhaps that’s a major exaggeration, but we are still well short.
“A win is a win, but I’m not sure what to make of it, really. It’s difficult to score goals, but we made it look almost impossible.
“We could have scored a number of goals and we didn’t. It was crazy, really. I thought someone would take responsibility and put it into the net.
“You can’t just put the ball on a plate for people. They have to make room for themselves in the box to try to score.”
The words would not have been lost on Hogh.
Unsurprisingly, strikers are judged on the amount of goals they score. That’s why they get the big bucks and the huge headlines.
NO WAY THROUGH…Kasper Hogh misses a good opportunity in Celtic’s 1-0 victory over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park in midweek.
It goes without argument, Hogh does some work that goes unnoticed during a game. His hold-up play is superb and he doesn’t hold back in putting himself about, chasing and harrying the opposition’s defenders.
His team-mates speak very highly of him and we’re informed he is “a character” in the dressing room. Not sure exactly what that means, but I get the drift it is offered in complimentary terms.
However, five goalless games – five-and-a-half if you wish to be pedantic – will surely flag up a concern.
O’Neill has already mentioned he hadn’t been aware that Hogh had made 18 domestic appearances for his Norwegian club before arriving at Parkhead. That may contribute to stamina-sapping theories from some onlookers.
I am not buying into any of that. Please remember Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate had just completed an entire season in the J-League plus other competitions before they joined Celtic in January 2022.
The lack of a respite certainly didn’t prevent the double-act from hitting the ground running.
For what it’s worth, I believe Hogh WILL play at some stage today. Whether he starts or comes off the bench is down to everyone’s favourite son of Kilrea.
That’s why he gets the big bucks.
I’ve got every confidence in Martin O’Neill making the right call. Again.
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