Don't be fooled by one result, Celtic remain a work in progress and so does £11m summer signing going through alarming barren run
Celtic needed a victory, and they got one. But while a 2-0 win over Motherwell offered Martin O’Neill’s side a welcome three points after a difficult period, it would be premature to suggest the champions have turned a corner.
There were green shoots of recovery at Fir Park, certainly, but Celtic remain a side searching for rhythm, confidence and a cutting edge. For club-record summer signing Kasper Høgh, the pressure is particularly acute. The former Bodø/Glimt striker remains out of sorts in front of goal, and Celtic can ill afford for his barren spell to persist as the fixtures begin to pile up.
Motherwell provided an opportunity to restore some much-needed belief, but the bigger examinations against Benfica, Hearts and Celta Vigo over the coming weeks will reveal far more about the state of O’Neill’s squad than a single Premiership victory against opposition that Celtic should realistically be taking care of.
There’s no doubting Celtic's success in North Lanarkshire was deserved. Goals from Camilo Duran and Benjamin Nygren ended a run of three successive defeats in all competitions and sent the champions back to the top of the Premiership. There was greater control in possession, more purpose in their attacking play and, crucially, a clean sheet to provide some defensive reassurance.
Yet the scoreline arguably flattered Celtic's efficiency rather than demonstrated a ruthless attacking revival. Chances were left unconverted, opportunities to put the contest to bed much earlier were missed, and the familiar feeling lingered that the champions had made life harder for themselves than necessary.
That matters when confidence remains fragile. A team firing on all cylinders tends to punish opponents when they are vulnerable. Celtic, by contrast, still risk allowing uncertainty to creep in when their dominance fails to produce goals. Against stronger opposition, such profligacy could prove costly.
Høgh finds himself under particular scrutiny in that regard. Strikers are ultimately judged on their goal-scoring exploits, and while there is more to centre-forward play than finding the net, Celtic need their leading attacking options to deliver consistently. A barren spell can quickly become a psychological burden, with every missed chance attracting greater attention and every subsequent appearance carrying an additional weight of expectation.
The danger is that one encouraging team performance could mask the need for individual improvement. Celtic will hope the Motherwell result helps the 25-year-old regain some confidence, but the Danish international must turn promising moments into meaningful contributions. Against Benfica, opportunities are likely to be harder to come by, defensive pressure more intense and the margin for error considerably smaller.
There is no need to write off a striker over a difficult run. Goals often come in bursts, and confidence can return as quickly as it disappears. But patience should not mean overlooking the problem. Celtic need Høgh to pose a greater threat in the penalty box and show the composure expected of an £11 million striker at a club with such demanding standards.
However, it would be simplistic to lay Celtic’s goalscoring frustrations entirely at Høgh’s door. The service into him has too often fallen short of what is required. A striker can only do so much without quality delivery, incisive passing and consistent support from those around him. Høgh team-mates must share the responsibility by providing the ammunition he needs to succeed.
There were moments against Motherwell when Høgh’s intelligent movement led him to occupy some promising positions, only for the delivery to let him down. Passes failed to find him and crosses lacked the precision required to create genuine goalscoring opportunities. Celtic cannot expect him to conjure chances from nothing. While scrutiny of his finishing is understandable, the quality of service must improve if he is to become the reliable goal scorer the champions need. The responsibility cannot rest solely on one player.
The timing could hardly be more significant. Thursday's Europa League trip to Benfica represents a substantial step up in class, before a high-stakes Premiership showdown with Hearts brings its own intensity. Both fixtures will test Celtic's defensive organisation, their ability to cope without the ball and, crucially, their capacity to turn possession into clear-cut chances.
Motherwell allowed Celtic to dictate the tempo. Benfica are unlikely to afford them the same luxury. If they continue to squander openings, Celtic risk being punished by opponents with greater quality in the final third.
The wider concern is that Celtic remain vulnerable to their inconsistency. The three losses prior to the international break did not happen in isolation, and one victory cannot erase the concerns raised by those performances. The clean sheet was welcome, but defensive resilience must become a habit rather than a one-off achievement. Greater possession counts for little without control, just as attacking dominance is meaningless if chances are repeatedly wasted.
There were positives, of course, and they should not be dismissed. Celtic looked far more assured and the result restored some momentum. Confidence is an essential ingredient in football, and winning remains the quickest way to rebuild it. But optimism must be tempered with perspective. Celtic have shown encouraging signs, not proof of a complete transformation.
The next two fixtures for Høgh offer an opportunity to answer his critics. A goal against Benfica or Hearts would provide a timely confidence boost, but Celtic need more than a fleeting contribution from their striker. He must rediscover his scoring touch and become a reliable source of goals, rather than another question mark in a side still searching for its identity.
Celtic have bought themselves some breathing space by winning at Motherwell, but doubts will continue to linger until they demonstrate greater ruthlessness in front of goal, resilience against stronger opposition and the consistency to build a sustained run of results. Benfica and Hearts will offer a far clearer indication of whether the champions are genuinely recovering or merely enjoying a brief respite from recent troubles.