Perhaps we can suspend our torment until December

Cowan described it like this –

“It’s Gordon Strachan, who’s a great draw. This was on the Tuesday night… Gordon is a bit of a Celtic legend, knows all the main characters in this story on the board. He’s been the former Celtic manager, and his son Gavin has apparently survived the nuclear bomb that went off. So, Gordon is clearly in the know; he’s one of the most outspoken people in football that I know, particularly at a ‘private event’. Even then, he was ever so slightly cagey. But he won’t mind me sharing this because he did with the audience… according to Gordon Strachan, the guy Celtic are after, they won’t be able to get him until December.”

And that raises the question, why does Strachan, former manager and father-of-an-insider, seem to know more than the fans, who can’t even get a halfway decent update on the timeline?

Fans instead, are left to stew in speculation, and, let’s be honest, a little self-inflicted torment, while he casually drops “December” like it’s a spoiler from a Netflix series.

So, top of the rumour list, with the advantage now of the timescale, but in the absence of name of the candidate, is perhaps Kjetil Knutsen.

Bodo/Glimt’s Norwegian wizard’s contract expires in December, but as Conor Spence of this parish mentioned this afternoon on our Celtic Star WhatsApp, with Champions League matches against Atletico Madrid and Manchester City in January, his schedule could scupper Celtic’s plans before they’ve even begun. Should Bodo/Glimt remain in contention, perhaps we should expect a short-term contract extension to throw a spanner in the works.

Money may not be the main motivator for Knutsen, he’s reportedly turned down multiple European clubs in recent years, but Celtic could sweeten the deal with a very competitive salary. Brendan Rodgers’ reported £2 million package shows the club isn’t afraid to spend on the right candidate.

Of course, Knutsen also apparently earns a cut of player sales at Bodo/Glimt, so he’s not exactly desperate, but if Celtic’s pitch is good enough, then who knows?

If it’s not Knutsen, keep an eye on Wilfred Nancy, finishing his MLS season in December. Less conventional? Absolutely. But he ticks the box for a modern, ambitious manager, the kind Martin O’Neill hinted at in his first press conference before Wednesday’s win over Falkirk. Nancy might just be the surprise package few saw coming.

Other names circulating – remarkably enough – include Kevin Muscat. His Chinese season wraps up next month, though his brief stint at theRangers might ruffle a few feathers among the support.

And then there’s the politics, if Dermot Desmond’s past comments on manager searches are anything to go by, Celtic’s may have two competing shortlists, one from Peter Lawwell, one from Desmond himself.

But is Lawwell still in the loop, still in the circle of trust?

Rumours this week suggest Paul Tisdale, Celtic’s self-styled ‘football doctor’ and Head of Football Operations, may also now have a hand in the process, adding yet another layer to the unknowns, and the intrigue.

And while we wait, it wouldn’t hurt if Celtic opened up just a little. Supporters aren’t asking for boardroom secrets, just a hint of how the recruitment process is operating. Like, who is leading it? Is there a timeline? Is it just the ‘football doctor’ himself, drawing up the shortlist in isolation, or is Desmond, Lawwell, or someone else shaping the process too?

But even offering some assurances of a process seems beyond Celtic. It’s almost as if they don’t like us!

Communicate, offer a little transparency. It would go a long way to calming fans’ nerves and stopping the speculation from spinning.

It would be low hanging fruit for a club charged by supporters as lacking in their communication skills, and this on the back of the club complaining about media speculation in the summer transfer window too. Instead, we get a timeline, third hand, via Tam Cowan!

Do other clubs operate like this? Treat fans like mushrooms, keep them in the dark and feed them, well, you know what. Only, we don’t even get fed. The communication void is total. While Strachan, judging by Tam Cowan’s story, is quite happy to share it after dessert, for an audience.

In the meantime, Celtic can trust Martin O’Neill to hold the fort. At least based on the midweek performance against Falkirk, the team looks steady enough to survive the managerial limbo… for now.

So, for supporters, it seems, December may finally bring clarity to Celtic’s next managerial chapter. Perhaps after his next after dinner experience Tam might even have a name for us.

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, signed copies by Danny McGrain available from celticstarbooks.com 

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