It was just under nine months ago that Scottish champions Celtic were pushing Bayern Munich close in the Champions League play-off round, with a fluid, fearsome forward line of Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn and Jota causing all sorts of problems at the Allianz Arena.
To witness the extent of the drop off since then is quite remarkable, a fact most recently exposed during Thursday’s dismal defeat away to FC Midtjylland, with Martin O’Neill’s side looking simply inferior to their Danish hosts.
From the highs of that night in Munich, the Hoops have since sunk to notable lows against the likes of Kairat and in midweek, with the recent Europa League outing seeing O’Neill deploy a forward line of Johnny Kenny, James Forrest and Sebastian Tounekti.
Injury has no doubt been a factor in that decline, although so too has recruitment, with the transfer business having been simply erratic at Parkhead following Brendan Rodgers’ return in the summer of 2023.
With January on the horizon, the Glasgow giants face a pivotal month in the market to try and arrest this ongoing decline, albeit with the first port of call settling on who will be the man at the helm by the time that winter window comes around.
Latest on Celtic's manager search
The abrupt nature of Rodgers’ shock resignation has no doubt put the Celtic hierarchy on the back foot, with it unlikely to be a smooth process trying to appoint a permanent solution mid-season.
That fact led to the decision to parachute in O’Neill – and Shaun Maloney – for this recent quartet of games, although the midweek trip to Denmark highlighted the need to make a decision, one way or another, on Rodgers’ long-term successor.
There remain suggestions that O’Neill and Maloney could stay put until the end of the campaign, although the wisdom in that decision remains to be seen, with the previous move to bring Neil Lennon back to the club having ultimately ended in disappointment.
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A fresh start and a fresh face, it would seem, is in order, with the standout name write now appearing to be that of Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen, amid recent reports regarding the 57-year-old’s interest in the vacancy.
Indeed, as per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, the Norwegian coach would be interested in taking over at Parkhead, albeit with the major caveat being that he wishes to see out his current side’s Champions League campaign.
With the new Swiss format ensuring that fixtures stretch into January and potentially even February, should the Eliteserien outfit secure a place in the play-offs, that would require a lengthy wait for Knutsen to eventually arrive.
Of course, having a sense of patience could be wise if he is deemed to be the perfect candidate, although amid their current slump, the Hoops don’t appear to have the time to wait around.
Why Celtic could be facing an Eddie Howe repeat
The summer of 2021 remains a real Sliding Doors moment for those at Celtic, with the club in the midst of a pivotal period having witnessed rivals Rangers wrestle back the title under Steven Gerrard, resulting in Lennon’s second departure from Parkhead.
As early as March and April 2021, reports emerged that the Premiership side had settled on a successor in the form of ex-Bournemouth boss, Eddie Howe, with the Englishman deemed to be the clear favourite for the role.
Advanced talks had taken place, although after something of a three-month back and forth, it was confirmed that Howe would not be the next man in the dugout, with the current Newcastle United boss later admitting that issues over bringing his backroom staff with him were a key factor in that eventual snub.
Fortunately, having put all their eggs in Howe’s basket, Celtic’s backup option proved to be something of a hidden gem, with Ange Postecoglou swiftly quashing the doubters by winning five domestic trophies over the next two seasons, while implementing a glorious brand of attacking football.
Would the club have such luck again, if they could not get their preferred target this time around, however?
Days in charge
750
Games
113
Wins
83
Draws
12
Losses
18
Players used
53
Points per game
2.31
Trophies won
5
There does appear to be shades of the Howe about this Knutsen interest, with the Scandinavian coach having long been linked with the post, stretching back to the summer of 2023, prior to Rodgers’ return.
Much like Howe at Bournemouth – where he guided the Cherries from the fourth tier into the Premier League – Knutsen has done a fabulous job at his current side, notably steering Bodo/Glimt into the semi-finals of the Europa League last term, prior to securing Champions League qualification this time around.
With four league titles under his belt for the Arctic Circle side, he has undoubtedly done a “magnificent” job over the past few years – in the words of former Bodo/Glimt sporting director, Aasmund Bjorkan – although Celtic can’t afford to be strung along as they seemingly were with Howe.
If Knutsen does demand to see out his continental run this season, then the Hoops may well need to seek out an alternative option, rather than enduring another period of uncertainty over the next few months.
With the upcoming international break providing the perfect time to finally nail down a permanent replacement for Rodgers, Celtic can’t be dictated to again, as they were with Howe.
Even in their current state, the former European champions are a historic and attractive destination. Celtic waits for no one.
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