Celtic's emphatic 7-1 demolition of Scottish Premiership runners-up Hearts answered multiple questions for Martin O'Neill, but it has intensified the scrutiny surrounding record signing Kasper Hogh. Left among the substitutes on Sunday, the 25-year-old Denmark international looked on as a revamped front three featuring Camilo Duran, Callum Osmand, and Hassiem Hassan ran riot, casting doubt over the £11m forward's guaranteed place in the starting lineup.
Hogh has endured a challenging start to his Celtic career, finding the net in only one of his 12 competitive appearances courtesy of an August hat-trick at Kilmarnock. Following a difficult night in Lisbon—where the striker was substituted at half-time during a 4-1 Europa League defeat to Benfica—O'Neill acknowledged that his marquee recruit has suffered a dip in self-belief. Even so, the veteran manager remains confident Hogh will eventually tally 20 goals this season, noting that a relentless schedule between now and January will provide ample opportunities to restore his sharpness.
In Hogh's absence, Duran has emerged as the spearhead of the attack, already racking up 14 goal contributions—comprising nine goals and five assists—in 15 appearances. The Colombia international scored after the interval on Sunday following Osmand's first-half double, validating previous praise from former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan, who insisted he would choose Duran over Hogh "every day of the week." BBC Scotland pundit Andy Halliday echoed that sentiment on The Monday Night Club, highlighting Duran's alertness compared to Hogh when Hearts defender Jamie McCart conceded possession, and arguing that Celtic's most effective front three currently excludes the former Bodo/Glimt striker.
Despite the heightened competition, Hogh showed no signs of frustration, warmly embracing two-goal hero Osmand at the interval before emerging from the bench to assist Benjamin Nygren's seventh goal, mirroring an assist he provided for the Swedish midfielder in a recent 2-0 win at Motherwell. Nevertheless, as O'Neill prepares his side for Thursday's Europa League clash against Celta Vigo at Celtic Park, the manager faces a major tactical decision over whether to reinstate his record signing or keep faith with Sunday's rampant forward line.