A throwaway line on BBC Scotland’s Off The Ball has set Celtic tongues wagging.
Tam Cowan revealed Gordon Strachan told him he reckons the man Celtic want as their next manager won’t be available until December, and he joined the dots to Craig Bellamy, while listeners also floated Kjetil Knutsen.
Gordon is still in Celtic circles and remains a friend of 35% shareholder Dermot Desmond.
The date matters; the timeline actually makes football sense.
“According to Gordon Strachan, right, he reckoned that the the guy that Celtic are after they won’t be able to get him until December. Oh. Now, joining the dots with that, the closest that we all came to was Craig Bellamy.” Cowan surmised.
Celtic’s Next Manager
Start with Bellamy. He is Wales head coach on a four-year deal that began last year. Leaving mid-campaign would need FAW buy-in and compensation, which is a hard sell for a national association gearing up for the business end of qualifying.
The calendar adds another layer. Wales complete their group games in the November international window, away to Liechtenstein on 15 November and at home to North Macedonia on 18 November. UEFA’s qualifying fixtures run between 13 to 18 November, with play-offs in March 2026 if needed.
If Bellamy were ever to move, a post-window discussion is the only logical moment, but it would still be a major call with potential play-offs looming.
Now to Knutsen. The Bodø/Glimt boss is admired for a clear, attacking identity and European pedigree. Crucial for December talk, his contract runs to 31 December 2025.
Norwegian football’s league phase and European commitments make mid-season exits unlikely. Waiting until the end of the calendar year lines up with both the domestic finish and his deal.
If Celtic want a club manager who arrives clean in January, Knutsen’s situation fits that brief better than most.
So where does that leave Celtic? If Strachan’s line is accurate, a December horizon narrows the field to candidates tied up until then: an international boss committed through the November window, or a club coach in a league that wraps up by year-end.
Bellamy would be a bold play, compelling for supporters who remember his 2005 loan, but prising a national manager in the middle of a World Cup push is complicated and politically sensitive. Knutsen is the cleaner contractual fit, and his availability date is conveniently clear.
There is also the internal reality. The interim team has steadied the ship and delivered an instant jolt.
That buys Celtic time to go for their first choice rather than their fastest choice. Supporters can debate the footballing merits all day, but the December clue is the most practical breadcrumb we have had in a chaotic week.
If the club wants the best long-term appointment, waiting a few weeks for the right man is more coherent than a rushed November pick that pleases no one.
For now, the two most plausible reads of that December line are simple. Bellamy, if Wales’ November ends in a way that opens a door.
Or Knutsen, whose contract clock lands on the most convenient date on the calendar. Then again, does Gordon Strachan have the inside track?
Yep, he’s probably on the know, he is a good mate of Dermot Desmond and Dermot ensures his football mates all get at least a Stipend from Celtic. This is after all the Gordon Strachan who’s two Sons are employed by Celtic and he himself, as well as an income as Dundees DOF (?) is paid as a consultant by Celtic. And was also offered The Manager of Celtic job in the Guinness Hospitality Tent at Cheltenham by Desmond before MON. And when MON left WGS was “re asked” by DD.
It’s a good bet WGS is in the know right enough!