Celtic’s £11m Star Called ‘Lost’ By Expert: Should He Keep Starting?

Celtic’s £11m Star Called ‘Lost’ By Expert: Should He Keep Starting? Celtic head into the international break four points clear of Rangers, with 31 points from 13 Premiership games and only 10 goals conceded. Sunday’s 1-0 win over bottom-placed Kilmarnock, who have won just two league games, still showed what bothers Martin O’Neill. Liam Scales hooked in Camilo Duran’s cross after 26 minutes, Benjamin Nygren missed a second-half penalty, and the champions never put the game to bed. The same flatness has crept into Europe, where Celtic sit 32nd in the Europa League table after one win from four, with six goals scored and 11 conceded. Thursday’s 3-2 win over Besiktas drained the squad, according to O’Neill, yet Duran decided it with a double off the bench, lifting his season tally to 13 and making him the club’s most reliable finisher. That creates a selection puzzle at centre-forward. O’Neill wants a focal point who holds the ball up and brings Nygren and the wide players into play, but the striker he keeps choosing for that job has not scored since August, and starting him pushes Duran out of position. Celtic return to action at home to St Mirren on 21 November, so that decision arrives quickly. Expert questions the £11m price tag Football Insider asked Scandinavian football expert Bryan King about Kasper Hogh, and the verdict was blunt. King thinks the Dane looks “lost”, blames shaky confidence and doubts he can justify a big fee. “He was great in Norway, and he was always great against top European teams,” King told Football Insider. “He had a bright start, but it’s all about confidence. The centre forward’s got to be scoring goals, but he can only score goals if the service is right. And now he’s getting into a situation where Celtic haven’t exactly been setting the Scottish league alight. “It’s going to be interesting to see whether Kasper Hogh has got the ability to stamp his authority on the game and the position. But at the moment he looks as though he’s lost. I’m not sure he knows exactly what he’s doing. Big price tag, but he won’t be the first or last player to have a big price tag and not fulfil it.” GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 08: Kasper Høgh of Celtic is seen during the William Hill Premiership 2026/27 match between Celtic and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on November 08, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) The 25-year-old joined from Bodo/Glimt for £11m in July, a club record, and scored a hat-trick on his second appearance, a 5-1 win at Kilmarnock on 9 August. Those remain his only goals. VAR chalked off his latest attempt on Sunday for a foul in the build-up. O’Neill praises his work rate and hold-up play and is unconcerned by his goal tally. Hogh scored in Bodo/Glimt’s Champions League win over Atletico Madrid, so nerve is not the concern. His weakness is hesitancy in front of goal. Should Celtic keep starting their £11m striker? Yes, but for a short spell. King blames service, yet 28 league goals in 13 games suggests the chances arrive. The issue is Hogh’s decision-making in the box, which minutes fix better than a spell on the bench. Start him against St Mirren and judge his shot selection. If the drought survives that game, O’Neill should stop protecting a record signing at the expense of the league’s form attacker. An £11m fee buys patience, not a permanent place ahead of a player scoring at that rate.