Celtic manager Martin O'Neill insists he is not concerned about Kasper Hogh's 15-game goal drought after their Europa League win over Besiktas.
Celtic signed the forward from Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt for a club-record fee of £11million. Hogh looked set to become a major success after scoring a hat-trick in a 5-1 win at Kilmarnock on August 9, but he has since gone off the boil.
His hopes of ending the barren run against Turkish opponents Besiktas on Thursday ended when he was taken off 13 minutes from time. Substitutes Callum Osmand and Camilo Duran climbed off the bench to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory for O'Neill's side.
While O'Neill shared Hogh's frustration at not getting among the goals again, the manager made a point of telling the forward that he should be proud of his overall display on the night.
"I did, absolutely," O'Neill explained. "I want centre-forwards to be able to hold it and that is what he did."
"He is not Duran, he is not a dribbler. But if he can do this for us against strong opposition it will stand him in good stead."
Manager backing over goal drought
O'Neill admitted that his record signing is currently struggling for confidence in front of goal. With the forward left out of the latest Denmark squad, the Celtic manager acknowledged that belief may be an issue after 15 games without scoring.
However, O'Neill stressed that the player's physical contribution against European opposition would help him recover his form.
"I think Thursday night will be good for him," O'Neill said. "I said to him that I'm not worried about whether he scores a goal."
"Of course, you want centre-forwards to score and, of course, centre-forwards live on them. But I said to him that last night I wanted him to be strong and fight when the ball is played up to him," O'Neill said. "I thought in terms of holding the ball up and bringing people into the game, that he did really well."
Impact of Camilo Duran
While Hogh battled leading the line, Colombian forward Duran stole the headlines against Besiktas. Duran scored two goals after coming on as a substitute, securing Celtic's first win in the Europa League this season and taking his personal tally to 13 goals.
"At this minute, he is on fire," O'Neill said of Duran. "He can play wide right, he has done that. He has played wide left for his other club. But centre forward is where he is dynamic."
Duran's scoring run has raised questions over whether Hogh should retain his place in the starting line-up. When asked if it was increasingly difficult to start Hogh ahead of Duran through the middle, O'Neill pointed to the demands on his squad.
"We will see," O'Neill said. "We made five changes on Thursday night because it was necessary. Centre-forwards need a goal but that performance there against European opposition will give him confidence."
O'Neill also noted that Hogh has previously proven his ability at the top level of European football. Celtic now face a league match on Sunday before resuming their continental campaign.
"I don't know what side we will play on Sunday. But this lad has scored goals in the Champions League remember," O'Neill said. "He will get a confidence boost from Thursday night in terms of doing that part of the game well. But it will be nice for him to score a goal."
Europa League qualification hopes
The 3-2 victory over Besiktas has revived Celtic's European prospects. The Scottish club now have three points on the board at the midway point of the Europa League campaign, giving them an opportunity to progress.
Two further wins from their remaining fixtures against Portuguese side Torreense, Cypriot club Omonia, French team Marseille and Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise may see Celtic qualify for the knockout round.
"It was really pleasing and really important," O'Neill said of Thursday's victory. "We conceded some ground in the game which was to be expected, but I thought defensively we were really, really strong."
"From the European side, we have given ourselves a chance. We will have to go and win away from home and it will not be easy. We are looking forward to Sunday and we will look to take it on."
Celtic now focus on their return to domestic action against Kilmarnock on Sunday, looking to build on their European momentum.
