Celtic can show Kasper Hogh patience, but he must be benched
Kasper Hogh may require patience from Celtic, but such patience has to be shown from the bench.
Moving clubs and countries is not always easy, and Hogh arrived with big expectations due to Celtic paying £11million for his services, and the deal could become a club-record deal if certain add-ons are met. An early hat-trick in his second game didn't help keep those expectations in check, but it hasn't gone well since.
Hogh hasn't scored since that hat-trick goal, and he has continued to produce the same sort of performances. His hold-up play is non-existent, with the striker regularly hoping to flick balls on rather than bring them down, he is rarely in a good position to receive the ball, he regularly opts not to shoot when he should be taking aim, and when he does, his finishing is awful.
O'Neill saw fit to give Hogh another start for Sunday's clash with Hibs, despite putting him on the bench for the Celta Vigo clash, and it was more of the same.
He missed two good chances and offered little else. O'Neill keeps saying Hogh needs time, that he needs a goal and everything will change.
That's all well and good, and it may be true, but while in such poor form, Hogh has to wait in line like everyone else. He is not producing any sort of quality that merits extra playing time compared to other out of form players like Sebastian Tounekti or Luke McCowan.
If Hogh wants to turn things around, he should have to do so from the bench. That's how it is for an out of form player, and the only real justification for the Dane continuing to win starts is that he arrived on a big fee.
We saw him play well against a poor Kilmarnock side earlier in the season, and you could argue that while he didn't score, he held the ball up well in a couple of those early games.
But we are going to need to see more evidence than that. Football at this level simply has to be more futhless, especially at a club that wants to be successful, at least domestically.
All players have to answer to the same standard and should be treated equally in relation to that standard regardless of their reputation or the fee they arrived at the club for.
That doesn't seem to be happening with Hogh. There is no need to give up on him, it may take time for him to find his form, but like all others, while he is not producing, he must prove himself from the bench.
