Looking Forward, Looking Back
My earliest Celtic memory is the 1985 Scottish Cup Final, against Dundee United — the hundredth iteration of the competition, no less — and there’s something fitting about the first match I ever write a preview for being against the same opponent. Football has a way of looping back on itself.
It’s been a topsy‑turvy week around Celtic. New signings arriving who might genuinely shift the feel of the squad, the likely departure of Engels hanging over things, and Johnston’s injury lay‑off adding another layer. Nothing dramatic, nothing catastrophic — just one of those weeks where the ground moves a little and you’re reminded that football doesn’t wait for you to feel settled.
And then there’s Kasper Høgh.
Against Dundee, he looked like a striker still finding his bearings — chances missed, moments that didn’t quite click, the kind of outing that can make supporters impatient if they forget how early it is. Then came Kilmarnock, and he tore through the game like someone who’d suddenly found the rhythm. A hat‑trick in half an hour, sharp movement, confident finishing. It was a reminder that players don’t always arrive in straight lines. Sometimes they wobble, then explode — see Larsson, Hartson, and others.
Kasper has personality — a big personality. He demands excellence from his teammates. I noticed how he pulled up Engels a few times during the Kilmarnock match, and at full-time I loved how he celebrated with the fans. He feels like he could be our next bona‑fide superstar, and it’s hard not to imagine a huge future transfer fee coming in for him. But I don’t want Celtic to be the place that gives birth to legends only to let them go too soon. And, rightly, it’s too early to judge Høgh. People were too critical of him on his debut — on another day it could have been a hat‑trick. He duly delivered in the next outing. It would be foolish to expect a hat‑trick every week, but he will score bucketloads for us.
Some have likened him to Sutton. I see shades of Haaland too — suddenly, bang, a goal… then another… and usually another after that. With Baur, Duran and Hassam coming in alongside him, we have a potentially potent attacking line, the likes of which we haven’t seen in a long, long time.
There’s also the question of Martin O’Neill. Whether he’s in the dugout tomorrow, and how healthy he is after the minor procedure he’s been dealing with, will naturally shape the feel of the touchline. It’s not a drama, just another part of a week where Celtic have had to adjust on the fly. If he’s there, it brings steadiness. If he’s not, the staff know what they’re doing. Either way, it’s another small uncertainty in a week full of them.
All of that leads into this cup tie.
Celtic have a history of handling these occasions well, but that doesn’t make anything certain. Cups don’t care about your momentum or your plans. They hinge on moments, decisions, and how well you settle yourselves when the game starts to breathe. I’m not looking for Celtic to announce anything or prove anything. I just want to see a team that understands the importance of managing a cup tie properly, especially after a week where so much has shifted.
And beyond this match sits the bigger marker: LASK in the Champions League play‑off. It’s not something to overshadow the cup tie, but it’s part of the landscape. Celtic need to show they can carry themselves with a bit of authority and calm heading into a fixture that could define the early part of the season. Not hype — just readiness.
Across the city, the Europa League offered its own reminder that football doesn’t always follow the script people expect. It doesn’t change Celtic’s job here, but it does colour the mood of the week. It sharpens the sense that nothing is handed to you — not in Europe, not domestically, and certainly not in knockout football.
So what do I want from Celtic in this one? A steady performance. A bit of control. A sense that, even in a week of movement, the team knows what it’s trying to be. No hysteria, no overreaction — just Celtic taking care of a cup tie the way good teams do, while I take my first steps in writing about the club that’s shaped so much of my life.
