RabiuCeltic sack the board chants return as Kasper Hogh draws debut blank in Dundee win – 5 talking points
Fans have been promised rewards for their transfer patience but they remain anxious with Champions League D-Day looming
Celtic 1 Dundee FC 0 – Best of the Scottish Premiership action
Celtic kicked off their Premiership title defence on a Monday night after cycling events across the road forced the unusual switch.
And Alistair Johnston and Arne Engels were still in the saddle despite mounting interest from West Ham and Everton.
Martin O’Neill’s side came alive after a lacklustre first-half to get the job done against Dundee, but the transfer wheels continue to turn around two of their prized assets.
Both Johnston and Nygren were involved from the start but whether the in-demand pair are still in green and white come the Champions League play-off is another question.
The Hoops have been handed a tricky draw against Austrians LASK as they look to make amends for last season’s Kairat Alamty calamity.
And with a few more quality additions, you’d think the Parkhead giants have a right good chance of reaching the promised land.
But as the “sack the board” chants returned from the ultras section, it seems fans still have little faith in CEO Michael Nicholson to get business done in time.
O’Neill has promised punters that good things come to those who wait and the veteran boss unleashed his new £17million frontline as Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran made their competitive bows.
Skipper Callum McGregor got the celebrations started by unfurling the league flag but Dundee threatened to ruin the party atmosphere early on – with Charlie Reilly and Simon Murray both giving Celtic early scares.
Record signing Hogh passed up a hat-trick of chances as the champions huffed and puffed and struggled to find their groove.
But prolific playmaker Benjamin Nygren soon broke the deadlock after the restart with a clinical header.
That settled the nerves for a while before Dundee threw everything at it with the clock ticking.
Viljami Sinisalo pulled off a top-drawer save to claw out sub Ashley Hay’s header before Ethan Hamilton rattled a long-range effort.
Callum McGregor smashed the woodwork at the other end as Celts clung onto three points.
Kasper who?
Fans got a first glimpse of marquee signing Hogh as the pony-tailed hitman donned his new number nine jersey.
But the ex-Bodo/Glimt goal machine must have left his shooting boots in Norway after drawing a blank on his debut.
The £11m striker wasted a flurry of first-half chances after some neat link up play with fellow Scandinavian Nygren.
However, nothing quite fell for the Champions League marksman.
The big fella’s first real sight of goal came early on as Nygren picked up on sloppy Dundee pass to find Hogh first time.
But the new Bhoy scuffed his shot wide of the post – and should’ve done better.
Nygren was involved again as he side-footed an effort towards goal. All it needed was a finishing touch, but Hogh steered it wide from close range.
Celts then burst forward on the counter and Nygren was again the architect as he thread the ball through to Hogh, but his shot was deflected over.
Hogh worked his socks off but it just wasn’t his night.
Cam on out wideDuran made an explosive start to his Celtic career by notching in three pre-season games.
The versatile Colombian forward – a £6m arrival from Qarabag – was even dubbed Daizen Maeda Mark Two by O’Neill due to his high-pressing style.
But last night, Duran was shifted out right to make room for Hogh – and lost a bit of his spark.
Duran is clearly a predator but he doesn’t appear to be a natural fit out wide.
O’Neill has hinted that, long-term, he might tweak his system to fit the pair up front together.
Ditching his successful 4-3-3 formation for a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 might be a better fit for this team.
And it just underlines the desperate need for wingers.
There’s no point having two lethal weapons without any ammunition.
Big ben strikes again
Nygren has his critics but you can’t fault his scoring record.
The Swedish World Cup star picked up where he left off last season by opening his goal account to help get Celtic’s six-in-a-row bid up and running.
He was in the right place at the right time as he headed a brilliant Kieran Tierney cross past Owen GoodmanThe bargain £1.7m signing notched an impressive 21 goals in his debut campaign.
He’s since been tipped for a big-money exit this summer, with multiple clubs across Europe believed to be lurking.
Parkhead chiefs stand to make a fortune when Nygren does eventually move on. But O’Neill will be in no rush to move his talisman out the door – especially with the Champions League play-off on the horizon.
Champions League D-Day
This time last year Brendan Rodgers was groaning about the lack of new signings.
Wily old fox O’Neill has been more diplomatic as he seeks to keep the peace.
The 74-year-old has made it clear he’s targeting quality over quantity but the cold hard facts are 14 players have been shipped out and only two have arrived.
The arithmetic doesn’t add up and Celts are still a long way short of being the best they can be.
This month’s £40m shootout is the richest game in their history and in a season marking 60 years since the Lisbon Lions conquered Europe, the fanbase won’t accept another qualifying disaster against LASK.
Dee-lightful
Dundee more than held their own at the home of the champions.
Steven Pressley has seen his team decimated over the summer with key players like Jon McCracken, Luke Graham and Billy Koumetio all leading an exodus.
And with just two senior centre-backs available, Pressley really needs backing from the hierarchy.
But the Dees boss will be pretty chuffed with what he witnessed from his team at Parkhead.
The Tayside outfit finished eighth last season and Pressley was rewarded with a new contract.
Add some fresh faces and you’d back Dundee to steer clear of relegation – and make a top-six push.
Celtic Faithful Encouraged by Kasper Høgh’s Promising Debut Against Dundee FC
Celtic kick-started their Scottish Premiership title defense with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Dundee FC on Flag Night at Celtic Park. While midfielder Benjamin Nygren grabbed the match-winner with a dynamic 52nd-minute header, much of the post-match chatter among the Parkhead faithful focused on the highly anticipated debut of club-record summer signing Kasper Høgh.
Arriving in Glasgow’s East End from Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt for a reported £11 million fee, the Danish striker carried immense expectations on his shoulders into the curtain-raiser. Deployed at the point of Celtic’s attack alongside Camilo Durán and Yang Hyun-jun, Høgh wasted little time making his physical presence felt against a resolute Dundee backline.
Promising Movement and Physicality
Although he did not open his goalscoring account during his first 90 minutes in a green-and-white shirt, fans left Celtic Park thoroughly encouraged by his dynamic overall performance. Høgh displayed sharp instincts, clever movement in the penalty area, and a strong aerial threat. He carved out multiple scoring opportunities throughout the match, going close early in the first half following a quick transition pass from Nygren and threatening again with late efforts.
Beyond his chances in front of goal, Høgh’s link-up play and pressing work rate drew immediate praise from supporters online and around the stadium.>
“You can see the quality right away. His movement and the way he occupies the two center-backs opened up so much room for Nygren and Tierney to operate. The goals will easily start flowing once he settles in.”> — Marc, Celtic Supporter> >
“Honestly, the work rate alone was brilliant to watch for a debut. He never gave their backline a second of peace, held the ball up well, and got into all the right positions. Very encouraging signs.” > — Brendan, Parkhead Season Ticket Holder> >
“He looks like a proper centerpiece for our attack. Strong, intelligent in his runs, and works his socks off for the shirt. Exactly what we needed up front!” Liam, Celtic Fan Forum Contributor>
High Hopes for the Season Ahead
Supporter forums and social media were flooded with praise following the final whistle. Fans highlighted his aggressive running off the ball, commitment in physical duels, and knack for finding space in danger zones as clear signs of what is to come.
With the first competitive fixture of the campaign secured, Høgh’s energetic debut suggests Celtic have found an influential target man for their frontline as they navigate domestic title defense and European competition.
