Former Rangers striker turned pundit Kris Boyd has leapt to the defence of Celtic striker Kasper Hogh amid frustration from Martin O'Neill over how his attacking line performed on Wednesday night.
O'Neill heavily rotated his starting lineup, with as many as five changes made, although one was enforced due to Yang Hyun-jun jetting off on international duty due to the Asian Games.
Celtic were clunky throughout, and it was a noticeable shift for a front line that has looked highly efficient for much of the season so far.
Boyd defends Hogh amid struggles in front of goal
An obvious finger to point is at Hogh, who came in for Camilo Duran, who was rested, after a bout with injury. Hogh struggled to create space for himself in front of goal, usually defaulting to laying the ball off, rather than taking on the shot, and when he did, he couldn't find the net.
Hogh has three Celtic goals so far, and all of them came in one game, so he certainly has work to do in front of goal, especially with Duran in fine scoring form, whether he is playing out wide or in the central role.
But while O'Neill has expressed frustration, joking that even he could have scored with the number of chances Celtic had on Wednesday night, former Gers striker Boyd believes Hogh is unlucky to be indirectly called out.
“It will be interesting to see what Martin makes of it all once he goes back and watches it again," Boyd said on Sky Sports. "He’s having a go at Kasper Hogh but we’ve been able to see it and look at the clips.
“When you look at Kasper Hogh there’s one thing about him and that’s that he never stops moving, he’s always on the go. Until he’s maybe done it two or three times. Because as soon as a winger goes touch, touch, touch. As a striker you know the space is getting tighter and tighter.
“You want that ball early so as soon as you have wingers who are touch, touch, touch then as a striker you go, ‘Do you know what? I’m not moving any more’. And that’s what Martin O’Neill is talking about there – you had to put it on a sixpence for him.
“When you take touch, touch, touch then that’s what happens. As a striker you get frustrated. Martin played on the wing. I bet the first thing he was told is to get it out his feet and get that ball into the box. If the striker isn’t there then you can have a go at them. But when your wingers are taking touch, touch, touch…I don’t see Kasper Hogh as a striker who will link the play.
“He takes himself away from it, to give himself as much space to come back across the front of defenders and go and attack it and that’s why I think Camilo Duran will play through the middle on Sunday (against Rangers). I just feel they’re in a far better place with Camilo.”
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