Martin O'Neill said he is not worried about Kasper Høgh scoring after the striker went 15 matches without a goal. The Celtic manager's view came after Celtic's 3-2 win over Beşiktaş in Celtic vs Beşiktaş, with Høgh taken off 13 minutes from time.
O'Neill's read on Høgh
"I did, absolutely. I want centre-forwards to be able to hold it and that is what he did," O'Neill said. He added that Thursday night would be good for Høgh and told him, "I’m not worried about whether he scores a goal."
That is a fair reflection of what Celtic wanted from him on the night. O'Neill also said he wanted Høgh to be strong and fight when the ball was played up to him, and that the striker did really well at holding the ball up and bringing people into the game.
The scoring run is not the whole story anyway. Høgh has 3 Premiership goals this season, in 9 league appearances, so the blank sits alongside a body of work that still gives Celtic a reason to keep using him. His 6.83 league rating also suggests he has not been a passenger, even if the finishing has stalled.
What the Beşiktaş win changes
The result was Celtic's first Europa League win of the season, and it left them on 3 points after 4 matches. Celtic are still 32nd in the table, so the European position remains fragile despite the comeback against Beşiktaş.
O'Neill's bigger problem is selection. Camilo Duran scored twice in the win and now has 13 for the season, while Callum Osmand also scored. Duran has 7 Premiership goals and a 7.74 league rating, which is why the debate around Celtic's centre-forward spot is alive at all.
Høgh's night against Beşiktaş did not include a goal, but it did include the sort of work O'Neill wanted from him. If he keeps that level against Kilmarnock, he should stay in the frame for the next team sheet.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
