Hutton: Hogh Can Fire Celtic to the Title & the Fans Have Already Seen His Very Best

Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Rangers defender Alan Hutton has assessed the strength of Celtic and the wider Scottish scene this season.

The former Scotland international has backed Kasper Hogh to fire Celtic to the title, assessed their right-back options should Alistair Johnston leave, and questioned what has gone wrong for Reo Hatate .

Hutton has also given his verdict on the direction of Hearts and Hibs , reflected on James Morrison becoming a manager, and looked at Bolton Wanderers ' return to the Championship .

Kasper Hogh

How Many Goals Will Hogh Score For Celtic?

Kasper Hogh is a player who can fire Celtic to the title, unfortunately for Rangers . He is an outstanding player. I saw him play for Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League , and some of his goals and performances were top tier, so when I heard that Celtic were getting him, I wasn't happy. It's a big fee, and there's a lot of pressure on him because Celtic and Rangers rarely spend that sort of money, and I watched him in his first game against Dundee and he didn't look sharp. He snatched at the chances that came to him and hit the side netting, but he'd only been in the building two days before. It might even have been only one day, and he was playing the next day, so you have to give him a little bit of time to settle in.

Against Kilmarnock , he was absolutely brilliant, and I don't just mean because of the hat-trick. He could have scored five, but the way he linked up the play, whether it was one touch, spinning it around the corner, using his movement into the box, peeling away from defenders, pretending he's going front post, then going to back post, everything about his whole game was a 10 out of 10 against Kilmarnock . So I think the Celtic fan base have already seen the best of him. That's his level. Now it's about consistency, but that's what they will demand. They've got a really talented one on their hands, that's for sure.

Right-Back Options

Who Could Come In if Johnston Leaves?

If Alistair Johnston were to leave this summer, Celtic would have to bring somebody in. They've got young Colby Donovan there and Anthony Ralston , but they're going into the Champions League and want to win the league again, so I think they would have to go and recruit someone. The Celtic fans would be really happy if they could get Julian Araujo back from Bournemouth , but I don't know if that's an option that they could look at again. I did think he came up to Scotland and did very well. If they could bring him back to the club if Johnston were to leave, I think the fans would be made up with that.

What Could Johnston Offer Everton?

Alistair Johnston could definitely make an impact at that level for a club like Everton . He's one of the first names on the team sheet at Celtic , and when he was out injured last season it was obvious how much they missed him, so to lose him this summer would be a huge blow, but a great signing for Everton . Everyone wants to test themselves. If Everton do come calling and put the money on the table, it's down to him. He would probably want to go and have a crack at the Premier League , I would imagine, but the grass isn't always greener. He's won a lot of trophies where he is at Celtic . He'll hopefully be playing a lot of Champions League football if he stays. He's been a standout player for the national team at the World Cup . It's a big decision for him to make.

Reo Hatate

Do Celtic Need to Sell Reo Hatate?

Reo Hatate 's situation is a strange one. Will he leave this summer? I genuinely don't know what's happened there. He's gone right off the boil. Under Brendan Rodgers , he was outstanding. He covered every blade of grass. He scored goals. His range of passing was very good. He was always in midfield for Celtic , and then he just fell off.

I don't know if he got an opportunity to move somewhere else and he wasn't allowed to go, and maybe he's gone off in a bit of a huff, but when that happens, and you go off the boil, and you're sitting on the bench or not in the squad, you're out of sight, out of mind. It's not easy to demand a move anymore from a position like that. He's been on the bench. I think what he needs to do is knuckle down and get back into this Celtic team because at the moment it's all very quiet around him. There's no speculation doing the rounds.

The Scottish Scene

Is There a Worry For Hearts After So Many Stars Left?

I think Hearts will still be right up there come the end of the season. Yes, there have been some negatives, but I've seen positives with the team and how they're playing too. Wouter Vrancken wants them playing attractive football on the front foot, being aggressive, playing it quick, but you can see they're vulnerable at the back, and that wasn't the case last season.

I felt sorry for them in Europe . They got Sturm Graz in the Champions League qualifiers, and then they have to play Benfica for a chance to play in the Europa League . It's very unfair how it worked out for them, but they put in a really good performance against Dundee United with four goals and a clean sheet. That's a result to build on and kick on from now.

What Do You Envisage For Hibs This Season?

Hibs have become a bogey team for Rangers because they've done it for a number of seasons now coming to Ibrox and getting a result. I like David Gray . I think he's an excellent young manager, and the way he's progressed in his job despite some difficult moments, I think he's always front and centre dealing with things really well. He speaks well. He's recruited well. I think for them it's about being consistent enough to show the level that this team is capable of and building a strong season off the back of that.

I watched them in Europe against Malisheva , and it was one of the best performances I've seen from Hibs , so that's their marker now. That's the target they must get to, and if they can do that and maintain that level then I feel, 100%, they can be a top six team, and then it's about how close can you get? Third place is up for grabs for Hibs if they can find the consistency because we've seen they can raise their game to that level.

Old Friends

What Are Your Memories of James Morrison as a Teammate?

If you told me during my days playing alongside James Morrison for Scotland that Mozza would become a manager, I would have fallen to the floor and burst out laughing. I did not see that one coming, not one bit. Normally you get a feeling for these things. You see it in players and how they approach the game, and you can see the ones who are going to go into it and the ones who don't have a care in the world about that side of it. I was one of those who had no interest in it, and I would have assumed Mozza was another one, so it's crazy to see him in the job now at West Brom .

He's obviously sneaked off to get his coaching badges, and maybe he just fell in love with it, and it's so good to see him have a crack at it. It's a club he knows inside and out, and I really hope he does well there this season because he is a great guy.

Is It Good to See Hardie Follow Your Path to Bolton?

I went to Bolton Wanderers out of necessity, in all fairness. I wasn't playing for Aston Villa , and there was an opportunity to go to Bolton and play regular games, and I wanted to stay fit for Scotland , so it worked for me at that moment. It was at the back of the season, but the fans welcomed me with open arms. They were a great lot. They filled the stadium. You could feel the club everywhere around the surrounding area, and the team were great. Everybody just got on with each other, and it was a really good atmosphere.

They're a big club; they really are. You feel it when you're there as a player. It's going to be a huge season for them back in the Championship , and I think more than anything it's about staying up and becoming a consistent side again in the Championship . I know that's not the biggest target, but when I'm looking to the future, people will say they want to get into the playoffs, but that's a huge step. Bolton need to consolidate this season. Staying in the Championship and doing so comfortably would be the right step forward for them.

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