Kjetil Knutsen: The Right Coach for Celtic Due to the Lubomir Moravcik Factor
Key Highlights :
Celtic are on the hunt for a new manager following the departure of Ange Postecoglou, and former Celtic and Norway defender cum midfielder Vidar Riseth believes Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen is the “right coach” to replace him. Knutsen has led Bodo to back-to-back Eliteserien titles in 2020 and 2021, and then through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Conference League, and is one of the favourites to take over from Postecoglou at Parkhead.
Riseth feels Knutsen, who has been linked with a move to Ajax following the sacking of John Heitinga last week, would be the perfect man for the job due to his proven track record of landing exceptional players in the international transfer market for affordable fees. The 52-times capped 51-year-old has marvelled at how his countryman has repeatedly assembled successful sides on a limited budget at the Aspmyra Stadium.
Riseth saw how his then manager Dr Jo Venglos was widely ridiculed by opposition fans and media pundits when he signed his Slovakian compatriot Lubomir Moravcik from Duisburg for £200,000 the month after he arrived in Glasgow in 1998. However, he watched the midfield magician take Scottish football by storm during the next two seasons, make his detractors eat their words with his inspired attacking displays and firmly establish himself as an all-time Celtic great.
Riseth is confident that Knutsen would be able to unearth a similar standard of player and help the Scottish champions to compete with opponents from larger and richer leagues at the highest level in Europe. He has seen how the 54-year-old, whose team recorded an emphatic 5-1 aggregate victory over Postecoglou’s side in the Conference League knockout round play-off last season, has turned down the chance to move abroad in the past and thinks the treble winners will do well to land him.
Knutsen’s system, which has been a big part of Bodo/Glimt’s success, is based on finding the right players and making it work. He is a manager who can see the good side of every player and put all the players he has together in a system that works. This is very important for a team to get success.
Celtic are not able to spend the sort of money on players that the teams they play in Europe can, which is why Riseth believes Knutsen is the right coach for the club. He has the ability to find the right players, even if they are not the big names, and make it work. Everyone in Scotland will remember the success of Lubomir Moravcik, who was signed for a fraction of the price of the big names but made an instant impact and is now a legend at Parkhead.
Kjetil Knutsen is the right coach for Celtic, and Riseth believes the club should do everything they can to bring him in. He has the track record of success and the ability to find the right players for the system he uses, which is key to competing in Europe on a limited budget. Knutsen has already turned down offers to move abroad in the past, so Celtic will have to do well to land him.
